184 replies to this topic

[Amberite]

I'm not so mad in the pick itself, as I am in the sheer (non)necessity of it. We have the 29th pick - the only way we can get any lower is by winning the cup itself. I know we all think we're gonna win the cup every year, but in all honesty will likely have a higher draft position in the next two years. When Lou & Co decided to keep the pick this year, I thought it was because they had a very special or needed player in mind, or they were planning on trading up. In essence, I assumed there was a REAL reason to keep that pick. As much as I don't MIND this pick on a purely player level, I think it sucks on a strategic level. We could have easily given up this pick and been none the worse for it, especially taking into account what we may lose in the next 2 years.

Also, is it possible Lou has something up his sleeve to get out of penalty? Sure, but I think it's extremely unlikely.

Edited by Amberite, 23 June 2012 - 09:17 AM.

[Devil Dan 56]

I'm not so mad in the pick itself, as I am in the sheer (non)necessity of it. We have the 29th pick - the only way we can get any lower is by winning the cup itself. I know we all think we're gonna win the cup every year, but in all honesty will likely have a higher draft position in the next two years. When Lou & Co decided to keep the pick this year, I thought it was because they had a very special or needed player in mind, or they were planning on trading up. In essence, I assumed there was a REAL reason to keep that pick. As much as I don't MIND this pick on a purely player level, I think it sucks on a strategic level. We could have easily given up this pick and been none the worse for it, especially taking into account what we may lose in the next 2 years.

Also, is it possible Lou has something up his sleeve to get out of penalty? Sure, but I think it's extremely unlikely.

Maybe Lou believes picking 29th in this draft is better than picking say 24th in the next draft. Maybe he doesn't see that kind of depth next year.

[Triumph]

I'm not so mad in the pick itself, as I am in the sheer (non)necessity of it. We have the 29th pick - the only way we can get any lower is by winning the cup itself. I know we all think we're gonna win the cup every year, but in all honesty will likely have a higher draft position in the next two years. When Lou & Co decided to keep the pick this year, I thought it was because they had a very special or needed player in mind, or they were planning on trading up. In essence, I assumed there was a REAL reason to keep that pick. As much as I don't MIND this pick on a purely player level, I think it sucks on a strategic level. We could have easily given up this pick and been none the worse for it, especially taking into account what we may lose in the next 2 years.

Also, is it possible Lou has something up his sleeve to get out of penalty? Sure, but I think it's extremely unlikely.

The difference between, say, the 20th overall pick and the 29th overall pick is really not that large. The Devils need forwards in their system - Matteau immediately becomes their top forward prospect. Yeah, the Devils could've given this pick up, but they'd be kicking that forward problem down the road another year.

[NJDevs4978]

When Lou & Co decided to keep the pick this year, I thought it was because they had a very special or needed player in mind, or they were planning on trading up. In essence, I assumed there was a REAL reason to keep that pick.

One doesn't make any sense, there's absolutely no way of knowing who's going to be there at 29, I don't care if you're Lou, some guy from TSN or the mailman. It would have been a terrible reason to keep the pick to expect a particular player. Two maybe, but they have a pretty good record of trading up at the draft...if they saw nobody worth trading up for (or at least nobody clearly above what they were selecting in the 7-8 picks before us), they weren't going to trade up.

Yes, the pick is likely to be lower in two years when we give it up (assuming we don't give it up next year when we don't have a 3rd rounder either), but would it really be so terrible if we're giving up a 18-20 pick two years later? The only thing that would make waiting terrible is if disaster struck and it was a top twelve or so pick.

[MadDog2020]

You aren't going to get a sure fire 50 goal scorer at 29th. Lou and conte interviewed matteau at least twice. Clearly they see something in him, especially if they decided to use the pick. I don't know why people refuse to trust these guys.

Apparently according to RDS, we turned down the 31st overall and another 2nd rounder for the 29 from Montreal because they also wanted to take Matteau. That's down 2 spots plus an extra 2. They like the kid. A lot.

[NJDevs4978]

Apparently according to RDS, we turned down the 31st overall and another 2nd rounder for the 29 from Montreal because they also wanted to take Matteau. That's down 2 spots plus an extra 2. They like the kid. A lot.

Wow...well at least that ends the fear that we were 'stuck' with Matteau and wanted someone else.

It was more than two spots though - Kings 30, Jackets 31. I think you meant four spots?

Edited by NJDevs4978, 23 June 2012 - 09:34 AM.

[capo]

I'm not so mad in the pick itself, as I am in the sheer (non)necessity of it. We have the 29th pick - the only way we can get any lower is by winning the cup itself. I know we all think we're gonna win the cup every year, but in all honesty will likely have a higher draft position in the next two years. When Lou & Co decided to keep the pick this year, I thought it was because they had a very special or needed player in mind, or they were planning on trading up. In essence, I assumed there was a REAL reason to keep that pick. As much as I don't MIND this pick on a purely player level, I think it sucks on a strategic level. We could have easily given up this pick and been none the worse for it, especially taking into account what we may lose in the next 2 years.

Also, is it possible Lou has something up his sleeve to get out of penalty? Sure, but I think it's extremely unlikely.

I'm with you on this. I'm thinking that he had a plan in place for a particular player and that player was off the board or they tried to trade up and the deal wasn't right. Otherwise, this pick just doesn't make sense. It would be nice if the kid surprised and we all ate some crow on this but I don't see it.

[Amberite]

Maybe Lou believes picking 29th in this draft is better than picking say 24th in the next draft. Maybe he doesn't see that kind of depth next year.

There's no way to accurately predict next year's draft at this time, nevertheless two years from now. Also, by all accounts this was a pretty weak draft year.

The difference between, say, the 20th overall pick and the 29th overall pick is really not that large. The Devils need forwards in their system - Matteau immediately becomes their top forward prospect. Yeah, the Devils could've given this pick up, but they'd be kicking that forward problem down the road another year.

Actually 20th and 29th can be quite the difference. I can think of a lot of great players that were picked around 20th, and not so many in the 30th area. Also, what if something goes wrong next year and we end up with the 15th, 10th, or 5th? What if we get that happening two years from now and we're forced to give it up? I'm just saying there was no need to take this pick this year and risk this happening down the road.

One doesn't make any sense, there's absolutely no way of knowing who's going to be there at 29, I don't care if you're Lou, some guy from TSN or the mailman. It would have been a terrible reason to keep the pick to expect a particular player. Two maybe, but they have a pretty good record of trading up at the draft...if they saw nobody worth trading up for (or at least nobody clearly above what they were selecting in the 7-8 picks before us), they weren't going to trade up.

The scouting staff generally has a pretty good understanding of what will be available when. I would have expected them to keep this pick only if they thought that they would surely land with one of several players that would be great for the organization. Again, I have absolutely nothing against Matteau (unlike others here), and I think his scouting report is good, but I just don't see why we HAD to have to him this year. This is a player that you can get in any draft year is what I'm saying, I guess.

[MadDog2020]

Wow...well at least that ends the fear that we were 'stuck' with Matteau and wanted someone else.

It was more than two spots though - Kings 30, Jackets 31. I think you meant four spots?

Duh, my bad yeah- #34, not 31.

[SterioDesign]

You aren't going to get a sure fire 50 goal scorer at 29th. Lou and conte interviewed matteau at least twice. Clearly they see something in him, especially if they decided to use the pick. I don't know why people refuse to trust these guys.

ok now, enough with the "youre not worthy of being a fan of this team if you dont trust Lou" attitude here. I'm not just gonna get on my knees kissing his ass pretending the guy is perfect and that every single decisions he made was a good decision. Of course i trust him and he made some GREAT things through the years but he also made some pretty bad decisions too and im not gonna close my eyes on that pretending it never happened or that he cant make any more bad decisions.

since the Nierdermayer first round pick pick... Jason Smith "92, Denis Pederson '93, Vadim Sharifijanov '94, Lance Ward '96, Jean-Francois Damphousse '97, Mike Van Ryn '98, Ari Ahonen '99, David Hale '00, Adrian Foster '01, Nicklas Bergfors '05, Matt Corrente '06, Mattias Tedenby '08..... What happened to ALL those first rounders ?

actually it would have been easier to name the good first round pick since nierdermayer... Sykora, Parise, Zajac, Josefson... and god knows if Merrill will be a good pick and Larsson was a no brainer...

Again im not saying Lou is not doing a great job or that i'd do a better job... but people need to start giving sh!t to fans for doubting him once in awhile... Lou and Conte FAILED pretty damn often in the first round

[Triumph]

Actually 20th and 29th can be quite the difference. I can think of a lot of great players that were picked around 20th, and not so many in the 30th area. Also, what if something goes wrong next year and we end up with the 15th, 10th, or 5th? What if we get that happening two years from now and we're forced to give it up? I'm just saying there was no need to take this pick this year and risk this happening down the road.

There have been lots of excellent NHL players taken at both spots, and the percentage of average players doesn't change significantly. I agree, it's a risk, but again, you've got a big organizational hole at winger that the Devils have hopefully closed up a bit.

EDIT: Jason Smith and Mike Van Ryn were both very good NHL players, why are they being put on the bust list

Edited by Triumph, 23 June 2012 - 09:54 AM.

[NJDevs4978]

Duh, my bad yeah- #34, not 31.

So I guess the rumored deal was the Habs' 33 and 51 (their two second-rounders) for our 29?

Edited by NJDevs4978, 23 June 2012 - 09:54 AM.

[ghdi]

Again im not saying Lou is not doing a great job or that i'd do a better job... but people need to start giving sh!t to fans for doubting him once in awhile... Lou and Conte FAILED pretty damn often in the first round

No one can argue against that. They have made some crap picks in the past.

But, they decided to keep the pick and it very well may turn out to be a bad decision, but the book is still being written. We don't know how next year will go. We don't know how the season following will go in respect to giving up a first.

We kept the pick and took a guy the team seem confident about. Its clear the kid was targeted and "vetted" and wasnt a seat of the pants pick. Thats enough for me right now. If it turns out to be a sh!t pick, so be it. There's nothing we can do about it.

[NJDevs4978]

Again im not saying Lou is not doing a great job or that i'd do a better job... but people need to start giving sh!t to fans for doubting him once in awhile... Lou and Conte FAILED pretty damn often in the first round

You're pretty much guaranteed to fail more than you succeed in the draft. I'm sure someone could do a great study if they went back and analyzed a particular draft from 5-10 years ago, and see how many of those guys really became useful NHL players (more than 100-200 games).

[SterioDesign]

anyway i'll be able to watch him play whenever he's playing in Bathurst, Moncton or St-John so we'll see. But i stand by my opinion that in this particular situation we should have forfeit this year pick. Its a big risk.

[Revan]

You think after 3 Stanley cup championships, 5 finals appearances, a playoff series sweep and a win in impressive fashion this year, in a time the Rangers have won precisely fu©k all we would be over this , but i guess not.

This +100. I know it's easier for me to say when I don't have to face Rangers fans everyday, but seriously, we have MAJOR bragging rights over them. Imagine the sh!t we would be getting from them if it was them winning three Cups since our last one. We have so much on them it's just unbelievable anyone is still getting upset when they bring up their 18-year old champnioship.

The irony and controversy is obvious, I understand people who are puzzled and have mixed feeling about the situation. But some of you folks saying we should bury him in the minors and wishing bad luck on him just because of his roots... I hope you're kidding and it's just a fresh emotional reaction to the pick. ONLY good things can result from him playing well. Not only does it help the team win, it is also a slack in the face of Rangers fans. He is a Devil now, so I support him 100%. I hope he doesn't turn out to be a bust.

Still, there's going to be some awkward moments when his dad is at the game in NJ.

Seeing the elder Matteau, a Rangers hero, in a Devils hat... priceless!

[devils26]

If anyone here still suffers from ass fury over 94, after winning three cups and knocking that team out the way we did this year, kill yourselves. I can't judge the kid because I've never seen him play but how great would it be if he makes it? I think it would be awesome to see this kid thrive while Ranger fans watch us chant his name. I'd love to have a Matteau Devils jersey, just to further shove it up their ass.

In all honesty, are you 12 years old or just an enormous idiot? Telling people to kill themselves if they have trouble getting over one of the most crushing defeats in the franchise's history? People like you need to just stop posting because you bring nothing but immaturity. I really wanted to let your stupid post go and not respond, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't care if you were kidding, which you probably were, but telling people to kill themselves really exposes you as a true idiot and baby. Please grow up a little bit before you post again.

[Onddeck]

Haha that sentence was like something you'd find on a third grader's homework assignment designed to work on your proofreading skills.

Or an iphone

[devils26]

This +100. I know it's easier for me to say when I don't have to face Rangers fans everyday, but seriously, we have MAJOR bragging rights over them. Imagine the sh!t we would be getting from them if it was them winning three Cups since our last one. We have so much on them it's just unbelievable anyone is still getting upset when they bring up their 18-year old champnioship.

The irony and controversy is obvious, I understand people who are puzzled and have mixed feeling about the situation. But some of you folks saying we should bury him in the minors and wishing bad luck on him just because of his roots... I hope you're kidding and it's just a fresh emotional reaction to the pick. ONLY good things can result from him playing well. Not only does it help the team win, it is also a slack in the face of Rangers fans. He is a Devil now, so I support him 100%. I hope he doesn't turn out to be a bust.

Still, there's going to be some awkward moments when his dad is at the game in NJ.

Seeing the elder Matteau, a Rangers hero, in a Devils hat... priceless!

Everybody who talks about the Rags rivalry from out of town always qualifies their statement with this, but seeing and interacting with Rangers fans every day is one of the main things that fuels the rivalry. You can't just take out one of the main parts of the rivalry and then assume that you understand it as well as those who have to live amongst Rags fans. I love all of our out of town posters, but without actually living in the NY/NJ area, it's tough to completely understand why Devils fans hate the Rags so much.

[SterioDesign]

Everybody who talks about the Rags rivalry from out of town always qualifies their statement with this, but seeing and interacting with Rangers fans every day is one of the main things that fuels the rivalry. You can't just take out one of the main parts of the rivalry and then assume that you understand it as well as those who have to live amongst Rags fans. I love all of our out of town posters, but without actually living in the NY/NJ area, it's tough to completely understand why Devils fans hate the Rags so much.

agreed, here im surrounded by Habs fans and thats where the rivalry is with me. I know 2-3 rangers fans so.

Happily NJ still had something with the Brodeur thing against Mtl and they owned them for yeaaarrrsss so i was in a good spot