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Henrik Tallinder Lashes Out at DeBoer


grcenter47

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http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2013/09/ex-devils_defenseman_henrik_tallinder_lashes_out_at_pete_deboer.html

 

Former Devils defenseman Henrik Tallinder said he told GM Lou Lamoriello he wanted to leave the team after a disfunctional relationship with coach Pete DeBoer.

The Devils traded Tallinder, 34, to the Buffalo Sabres on July 7 in exchange for forward Riley Boychuk.

“I’m excited definitely to get away from New Jersey; not the organization, but a couple of individuals over there on the coaching side,” Tallinder told Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. 

Tallinder’s comments were surprising because of the Swedish defenseman’s low-key personality, along with the fact most Devils players speak highly of DeBoer.

But at the conclusion of last season, in which Tallinder appeared in only 25 games, he let Lamoriello know he wanted to leave.

“I had a long conversation with the GM after the season,” Tallinder was quoted. “We both made it pretty clear what we wanted.”

The Devils were happy to clear some room for a younger player while shedding Tallinder’s salary.

Tallinder was happy to get away from DeBoer.

“We didn’t create positive images for each other,” Tallinder told the paper. “When Jacques Lemaire was coaching there, he played me like a No. 1 D, which was awesome. The coach (Lemaire) is with all his trophies and whatever, that’s really something I’m going to take with me from there. But sometimes, yeah, I had tough stretches.

“I didn’t have my best seasons when I played over there. I can play better than I did.”

Tallinder signed a four-year, $13.5 million contract with the Devils as a free agent July 1, 2010. He played three seasons with the Devils, missing 37 games in 2011-12 with acute thrombophlebitis (blood clots) in his left leg.

Edited by grcenter47
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Tallinder has every right to be upset. He rarely, if ever, deserved to be the odd-man out in a crowded defense. 

 

The article's title is over the top. I wouldn't call that lashing out. Just a player being pretty open that he felt his relationship with Deboer was a problem. Tallinder is a good enough defenseman to be playing on any team in the league. When you carry 8 NHL caliber defenseman for a full season and don't play the best 6 on merit, there is going to be issues.

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Tallinder has every right to be upset. He rarely, if ever, deserved to be the odd-man out in a crowded defense. 

 

The article's title is over the top. I wouldn't call that lashing out. Just a player being pretty open that he felt his relationship with Deboer was a problem. Tallinder is a good enough defenseman to be playing on any team in the league. When you carry 8 NHL caliber defenseman for a full season and don't play the best 6 on merit, there is going to be issues.

 

he didn't start out in deboer's dog house. he was getting good minutes and tough responsibilities until his blood clot that cost him a good portion of the season two years ago. but then last year, with 8 d-man, he got scratched when he really never should have. again - this was a Lou made problem more than it was deboer. you cannot be in a position where you are constantly scratching guys that would clearly be starters on just about any other team. it is a poor allocation of resources. it's why the sal signing was so awful even if he won the norris.

 

hank is a good defenseman and it would not surprise me if he plays well in buffalo this year.

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I like DeBoer a lot but the way he handled Tallinder didn't make sense to me. I think Tallinder is 100% in the right here and I don't feel his comments were as aggressive as they are being perceived by some. He was arguably the Devils best D before his injury and never got a fair shot last year with the logjam. Also can't forget the impact he had on Mark Fayne.

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he didn't start out in deboer's dog house. he was getting good minutes and tough responsibilities until his blood clot that cost him a good portion of the season two years ago. but then last year, with 8 d-man, he got scratched when he really never should have. again - this was a Lou made problem more than it was deboer. you cannot be in a position where you are constantly scratching guys that would clearly be starters on just about any other team. it is a poor allocation of resources. it's why the sal signing was so awful even if he won the norris.

 

hank is a good defenseman and it would not surprise me if he plays well in buffalo this year.

 

Remember that Tallinder only got into 3 games in the Finals and that was it. I can't remember his entire injury schedule, but I think he was ready well before the first game he got in. Not saying I agree or disagree with any decision made, but I bet that he felt that he deserved to have his spot back in the lineup where he was an everyday player before the injury. Instead he was sitting for Peter Harrold, who was playing fairly well, but he was only playing for Adam Larsson.  

 

That's a tough pill to swallow to miss out on your first opportunity to play deep in the playoffs. Again a tough decision for Deboer, but when you add that to everything that happened last season, you get a very frustrated player. He had a few talks with Pete, and we have no idea what was said in them obviously. But there could lie some more disappointment.

Edited by devilsrule33
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Yeah but no 1 D???? is he nuts? i know he dont have the icetime he wanted or deserve maybe but he is far from a number 1 Defenceman

His point seems to be that Lemaire played him like a faux #1. I don't think he or anyone thought he was a "true" #1, but he stepped up when they needed him and did well. Labels or no labels, he got the job done.

I just don't think he appreciated DeBoer sitting him in the press box most of last season after he did so much for the team the 2 prior years.

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His point seems to be that Lemaire played him like a faux #1. I don't think he or anyone thought he was a "true" #1, but he stepped up when they needed him and did well. Labels or no labels, he got the job done.

I just don't think he appreciated DeBoer sitting him in the press box most of last season after he did so much for the team the 2 prior years.

 

Lemaire was also coaching out the string with a trainwreck, so he could do whatever he wanted.   Not that it didn't get results, but...

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a) This is why players don't speak their minds to the media - he was very honest and open with his opinions, and the title is "Tallinder LASHES OUT...".  Talk about sensationalist bullsh!t.

b) He was pretty awful during stretches last year after coming back from his injury.  With the crowded D, I'd argue he was definitely the odd man out, at times.  Did Salvador or Volch deserve to play over him?  Probably not, but you know PDB isn't scratching his captain, and Volch seemed to be one of his favorites as well for some reason.

Edited by Devilsfan118
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Well its pretty obvious that any of the 8 dmen from last year were raging at some point and Fayne is certainly one too.

It also means that Lou was completely bullsh!tting when he was saying that the dmen carousel was absolutely not a problem for the guys with the character and the guys they had and bla bla bla.

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His point seems to be that Lemaire played him like a faux #1. I don't think he or anyone thought he was a "true" #1, but he stepped up when they needed him and did well. Labels or no labels, he got the job done.

I just don't think he appreciated DeBoer sitting him in the press box most of last season after he did so much for the team the 2 prior years.

Agreed, Tallinder the best defenseman on the Devils during the second half of '10-'11.

 

Really tough situation for Tallinder last season. I'm sure Fayne has similar feelings, too. From the outside looking in, that 8 D situation was just horrible for everyone involved. Why should Volchenkov and Salvador get so much ice time, when of the veterans, Tallinder was arguably the best?

 

But now that Tallinder is gone, and Lou seems so high on the idea of bringing in a younger defenseman this year, has this problem been fixed?

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Agreed, Tallinder the best defenseman on the Devils during the second half of '10-'11.

 

Really tough situation for Tallinder last season. I'm sure Fayne has similar feelings, too. From the outside looking in, that 8 D situation was just horrible for everyone involved. Why should Volchenkov and Salvador get so much ice time, when of the veterans, Tallinder was arguably the best?

 

But now that Tallinder is gone, and Lou seems so high on the idea of bringing in a younger defenseman this year, has this problem been fixed?

I just hope someone like Fayne or Larsson doesn't lose playing time to a guy like Harrold while opponents skate freely around the Salvador-Zidlicky pair. I know Lou keeps mentioning giving one of the young D a chance but I'll believe it when I see him make a move to clear a spot. A lot like last year when we were just waiting for the D logjam to get sorted. Right now, I like the 7 guys they have on the big team. I'm sure between Volchenkov and Salvador there will be games to be had for the 7th D (hopefully Harrold).

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Poor dude. Just a bad set up. He got into a position that he couldn't play out of. It was psychological and you've got coaches who call bullsh!t on justifications which clearly in Tallinders case were real.

I don't like Volchenkov's play and he's not doing it right. Nor is Sal. I fear it creating a culture of yes men who think they have it all figured and pay lip service and spin wheels just so they get praise. Those 2 don't thrive on praise and communication. I hope the staff isn't deluding itself. All I can assume is they're getting the mentor ship put of these guys and that's all they want. Personally I'd like more particularly from the captain.

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The 8 D thing could've been just fine had there been an injury.  There wasn't a serious one until Tallinder himself got hurt in March.  But yeah, there's no way Salvador should've been playing over him, meanwhile Salvador was getting 23 minutes a game.  I'm real curious whose idea that is, but I bet Scott Stevens has something to do with it.

 

dr33:  I don't think that's the case and even so, it's tough to put a guy back in after a long injury like that if your team is doing just fine in the playoffs.

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Any veteran player is gonna bitch and moan if he gets scratched, heck remember when Pat Burns scratched Dano

I agree guys like Sal and Volch played like crap last season, but after naming Sal the team captain, I couldnt see him sitting much. I guess Volch played because he's the hard hitting type and the coaching staff felt we needed that.

But i do remember a lot of people here saying some real negative things about Tallinder when he did play.

What-ev......its water under the bridge now

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I don't recall any public moaning by Dano that year or since?

Dano was mad as hell, and more than lashed out, in fact years later after Pat Burns funeral (which he attended), Dano was interviewed about his time under Burns and said "everybody knows me and Pat Burns didnt see eye to eye on things, but I respected him as a coach"

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