2873 replies to this topic

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

If he goes to the Wild, after all the talks about "wanting to be on a team that has a chance to win the Cup" after he was our captain on this Devils team that just went to the finals then decides to give that up to go to Minnesota, who sucks and won't be good for anytime soon then it was all a joke.

Truth is, if he goes to the Wild, he just wanted to go home and grab a huge payout. There's nothing wrong with that but don't act like you are going there cause it's your best shot at winning the Cup and don't tell all the fans who showed up to greet the team back from LA "not to worry" when they are chanting please come back.

If Parise signs with the Wild or any other team he can go fvck himself and I wish him nothing but the worst.

How long are the Devils going to be good? There's uncertainty here too...plenty of it. I don't necessarily think that last year's Cup run has cemented the Devils as SC contenders for years to come. And as we all know, Brodeur and Lamoriello aren't going be here forever.

Parise's reasons for leaving only have to be good reasons to Parise and the people that are most important to him. If going home and getting well-paid are his reasons, so be it. His choice.

Maybe the Wild aren't good right NOW, but we've seen how quickly things can change in the NHL...Zach just saw that first-hand.

I'm not going to kill him for one "on the spot" quote he uttered in an emotional moment...I never took that as gospel or binding.

If he goes, he goes.

[moustic]

Plus, a chance for him to play in (almost) the same club as his father.. this could be a pretty story too.
oh crap.. the same family curse ! After the Brother reunion around Anaheim...

[Satans Hockey]

It's a challenge, but he's up for it. To turn the Wild team around to the great hockey fans of Minny who are his hometown fans would be pretty cool. I bet Fletcher has sold him hard on a good goaltending duo, good talent up front in Koivu, Heatley, Setoguchi and some good young prospects. And the deal was they had to bring in Suter on defense. He obviously thinks they have a great chance to turn things around. Is it the best shot to win the Cup? Of course not. But if he went to Pittsburgh, that be a lot worse for everyone here. If money was of the utmost importance, he would have signed with Minny hours in, when they blew everyone away with an offer.

If you are going to bring up a quote after the Finals...well then I don't know what to tell you. Zach could have said anything, and until you get to July 1st, you have no clue what it's going to be like.

If Zach wants to go home, good for him. Can't blame him one bit. It's an amazing opportunity. It sucks, but the Devils will be alright.

I'm not one for calling players out but with the way I saw how he talked in the interviews this week he came across as trying to get sympathy for making such a hard choice. Which is a joke in itself. He could have had his mind made up all along and just decided to wait a week to make himself look better. We will never know but he has come across as a huge diva to me in these interviews this week.

Either way it's a joke and if he signs with the Wild I can't wait to see them miss the playoffs for a few years in a row.

[njdevil26]

How long are the Devils going to be good? There's uncertainty here too...plenty of it. I don't necessarily think that last year's Cup run has cemented the Devils as SC contenders for years to come. And as we all know, Brodeur and Lamoriello aren't going be here forever.

Parise's reasons for leaving only have to be good reasons to Parise and the people that are most important to him. If going home and getting well-paid are his reasons, so be it. His choice.

Maybe the Wild aren't good right NOW, but we've seen how quickly things can change in the NHL...Zach just saw that first-hand.

I'm not going to kill him for one "on the spot" quote he uttered in an emotional moment...I never took that as gospel or binding.

If he goes, he goes.

It wasn't just one on the spot emotional comment. He's been saying since he signed his one year deal every day to the media how much he likes it here and wants to stay here. He was even saying over and over again that he'd sign before July 1st if the sides could agree.

What's to say there was no tampering going on? How about the convenient leak in the Minny papers about how much money the Wild were willing to spend on ZP? Now he'll sign there and that won't look fishy at all? He obviously had a deal on the table with NJ and wanted to hit free agency on July 1st to see if that offer from the Wild would show up. It's ridiculous. I can't really blame Minnesota for throwing the barn at him but Zach's lack of loyalty is going to be evident now.

[NJDevs4978]

How long are the Devils going to be good? There's uncertainty here too...plenty of it. I don't necessarily think that last year's Cup run has cemented the Devils as SC contenders for years to come. And as we all know, Brodeur and Lamoriello aren't going be here forever.

That rings hollow when he goes to BY FAR the least accomplished organization chasing him. This obviously has 'nothing' to do with our uncertainty or he would be running off to Pittsburgh or Chicago.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 04 July 2012 - 09:15 AM.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

The Devils drafted him, groomed him, paid him almost 25-30 million dollars so far, made him captain, was two wins away from a cup with the same team that Lou re-signed and brought back for next year (while parise has failed to step up in the playoffs), signed an all world class player in Kovy to add offense which is what Zach has wanted, and during a financial crisis Lou is trying to give everything they have to keep him. This is an organization that is 1000000% committed to keeping Zach and promoting him and paying him and so on.

Sure the Wild are his hometown team technically... he was a Leafs fan growing up so where's the sentimental value? Fact is, he hasn't won DICK for us, he has disappeared in the playoffs time and time again, and if he's going to forget about unfinished business and turn his back on the team putting their head in their own ass and desperately trying to keep him... he can go F himself.

Then you really shouldn't be all that upset about him leaving, should you?

And you really need to stop the "Team X drafted/groomed/paid him, so said player is indebted to that organization to life" mentality. Zach is a UFA. Means he's unrestricted and can go anywhere he wants to. Means he doesn't need our seal of approval as to his motivations or reasons why. I just don't get butt-hurt over these things anymore. I root for the crest, not the nameplate.

[NJDevs4978]

It wasn't just one on the spot emotional comment. He's been saying since he signed his one year deal every day to the media how much he likes it here and wants to stay here. He was even saying over and over again that he'd sign before July 1st if the sides could agree.

What's to say there was no tampering going on? How about the convenient leak in the Minny papers about how much money the Wild were willing to spend on ZP? Now he'll sign there and that won't look fishy at all? He obviously had a deal on the table with NJ and wanted to hit free agency on July 1st to see if that offer from the Wild would show up. It's ridiculous. I can't really blame Minnesota for throwing the barn at him but Zach's lack of loyalty is going to be evident now.

That's the only thing that isn't killing me about Zach signing in Minnesota - yet (other than obviously it not being Pens/Flyers). Lou better be slapping tampering charges down on the table before the ink's dry on Zach's signature there. After those convenient leaks when we were negotiating with him pre-FA there was NO CHANCE he was going to sign with us after their offer of a blank check and all those numbers got floated. And everyone's offer including ours had to go up when that became public.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 04 July 2012 - 09:14 AM.

[Brick Pig]

Truth is, if he goes to the Wild, he just wanted to go home and grab a huge payout. There's nothing wrong with that but don't act like you are going there cause it's your best shot at winning the Cup and don't tell all the fans who showed up to greet the team back from LA "not to worry" when they are chanting please come back.

It's completely possible that he was being 100% sincere in those statements at the time he made them, and in the process of making his decision he realized that the facts at hand or his priorities changed as he examined the situation more closely. Twice in my life I have received professional offers that I had no intention of taking. Both times it happened, I initially told the companies involved, my wife, and my friends that I was not interested, and both times it was the truth at the time I said it. Both times, I wound up taking the new position due to factors that were not apparent at the beginning of the process.

If he doesn't sign with the Devils, then it's perfectly fine for you/us to be angry and upset, but it doesn't make him a liar.

[Satans Hockey]

Then you really shouldn't be all that upset about him leaving, should you?

And you really need to stop the "Team X drafted/groomed/paid him, so said player is indebted to that organization to life" mentality. Zach is a UFA. Means he's unrestricted and can go anywhere he wants to. Means he doesn't need our seal of approval as to his motivations or reasons why. I just don't get butt-hurt over these things anymore. I root for the crest, not the nameplate.

I won't be that upset if he goes. I'm more annoyed about how hes gone about things.

[thefiestygoat]

I just hope we're not hearing this **** next year when some other big FA goes along with Zajac to Winnipeg for sick cash to turn that team around.

I have to admit, I am really scared of losing Zajac after this season now that Parise is a goner.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

That rings hollow when he goes to BY FAR the least accomplished organization chasing him.

Doesn't mean they'll continue to be. Just like I don't think the Devils are necessarily fvcked if Zach ain't coming back.

[Satans Hockey]

It's completely possible that he was being 100% sincere in those statements at the time he made them, and in the process of making his decision he realized that the facts at hand or his priorities changed as he examined the situation more closely. Twice in my life I have received professional offers that I had no intention of taking. Both times it happened, I initially told the companies involved, my wife, and my friends that I was not interested, and both times it was the truth at the time I said it. Both times, I wound up taking the new position due to factors that were not apparent at the beginning of the process.

If he doesn't sign with the Devils, then it's perfectly fine for you/us to be angry and upset, but it doesn't make him a liar.

or he could have been full of it the entire time to save face. We won't ever really know the truth.

[devilsrule33]

That's the only thing that isn't killing me about Zach signing in Minnesota - yet (other than obviously it not being Pens/Flyers). Lou better be slapping tampering charges down on the table before the ink's dry on Zach's signature there. After those convenient leaks when we were negotiating with him pre-FA there was NO CHANCE he was going to sign with us after their offer of a blank check and all those numbers got floated. And everyone's offer including ours had to go up when that became public.

Do you not think every big-ticket free agent's agent doesn't know exactly which teams will be going after him and for how much, etc? Come on now. This stuff has been going on for years and years. Usually a players decision is made days in advance, and that is why they can make a decision within hours.

And for people calling the Wild a terrible team...well it isn't as simple as looking at the Wild roster now. He prob has promises and guarantees from the owner and GM that they will do everything in their power to bring top talent here. Having Parise and Suter only helps that movement.

[Triumph]

lol, yeah, tampering. Parise's been talking with Lou three times a day, but clearly he had no interest in coming back, it was just chit-chat, how's the weather, that sort of thing.

dr33: no, the Wild are still awful, and if they sign Parise and Suter, they're pretty much at the salary cap with (still) a pretty bad team.

Edited by Triumph, 04 July 2012 - 09:18 AM.

[devilsrule33]

lol, yeah, tampering. Parise's been talking with Lou three times a day, but clearly he had no interest in coming back, it was just chit-chat, how's the weather, that sort of thing.

dr33: no, the Wild are still awful, and if they sign Parise and Suter, they're pretty much at the salary cap with (still) a pretty bad team.

Go to page 96 of this thread for exactly what's been talked about.

[njdevil26]

Do you not think every big-ticket free agent's agent doesn't know exactly which teams will be going after him and for how much, etc? Come on now. This stuff has been going on for years and years. Usually a players decision is made days in advance, and that is why they can make a decision within hours.

And for people calling the Wild a terrible team...well it isn't as simple as looking at the Wild roster now. He prob has promises and guarantees from the owner and GM that they will do everything in their power to bring top talent here. Having Parise and Suter only helps that movement.

You don't think it's convenient that the Minny papers were able to say how much money the Wild would spend on Zach knowing full well the Devils financial situation? It was a mind fvck. Completely. It tells Zach "the contract Lou just handed to you is not as much as what you would get elsewhere because the Devils can't afford it."

Please tell me, when was the last time this has happened?

[mikepeluso8]

I'm not one for calling players out but with the way I saw how he talked in the interviews this week he came across as trying to get sympathy for making such a hard choice. Which is a joke in itself. He could have had his mind made up all along and just decided to wait a week to make himself look better. We will never know but he has come across as a huge diva to me in these interviews this week.

Either way it's a joke and if he signs with the Wild I can't wait to see them miss the playoffs for a few years in a row.

Good points. My thoughts exactly. It was all a ploy.

[Triumph]

Go to page 96 of this thread for exactly what's been talked about.

Oh, right, I forgot about that. Haha. Nice work.

Glad to see this place is still ridiculous. Tampering! His agents had no idea what Zach would get on the open market. Arnott said to him on June 30: 'Look, I know you got to the Stanley Cup Finals and all, but I'm not sure there'll be any offers for you on July 1. We'll see how the market goes, maybe after Semin signs, or when Hudler makes a decision, some offers will come your way'

[NJDevs4978]

You don't think it's convenient that the Minny papers were able to say how much money the Wild would spend on Zach knowing full well the Devils financial situation? It was a mind fvck. Completely. It tells Zach "the contract Lou just handed to you is not as much as what you would get elsewhere because the Devils can't afford it."

Please tell me, when was the last time this has happened?

It certainly doesn't happen PUBLICLY all that often. Teams and agents whisper stuff to each other all the time, but this is different. Putting it out there publicly was basically a guarantee they would follow through. And it also sent every other team in the league a message publicly too.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 04 July 2012 - 09:25 AM.

[NJDevs4978]

And for people calling the Wild a terrible team...well it isn't as simple as looking at the Wild roster now. He prob has promises and guarantees from the owner and GM that they will do everything in their power to bring top talent here. Having Parise and Suter only helps that movement.

Oh please, I'm sure they've been telling people that for ten years. You guys would defend him going to Columbus saying 'you never know'. Please...the Wild have been one of the five or seven worst-run organizations in hockey and their prospects better all pan out (unlike the first decade and a half of their existence) and the cap better not go down in the next CBA or they're going to struggle icing a team having upwards of a $22 million cap hit tied in three players - Parise, Suter and Koivu - for the next x number of years. None of whom are a top ten forward or defenseman.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 04 July 2012 - 09:31 AM.