307 replies to this topic

[thefiestygoat]

If Kovy leaves, he's not leaving for half a season - it'll be for good.

And I'm sorry but the above is nonsense...he has an obligation to the team he signed an ironclad deal with for a decade and a half, not one he signed a temp deal with. Besides, the Devils didn't lock him out, the league did.

Everyone's so obsessed with the $6.6 million of cap space after his playoff run and yet it was such a great cap deal when we signed him before he'd done a darn thing for us And the Devils are STILL better off cap-wise (now) than most of the NHL.

Like I said earlier, he'll be back in NJ so this whole debate is really for nothing. I'm just saying I can understand if he is pissed with the way the NHL handles business and disrespects players like him. I know I would be if I was in his shoes.

[NJDevs4978]

Because, as usual when he's over there, he's the one *talking*. He did the same thing between contracts in 2010 where he was whining he'd go play for SKA. I'm sure some of it is editorializing, but it's a trend with him.

More to the point, he goes too far trying to pacify the locals.

Like I said earlier, he'll be back in NJ so this whole debate is really for nothing. I'm just saying I can understand if he is pissed with the way the NHL handles business and disrespects players like him. I know I would be if I was in his shoes.

Twenty-two other players plus coaches in the room, they're all going to show up and pretty much none of 'them' could earn any real money or play during the lockout, at least Kovy could do both.

[Triumph]

I have little doubt that besides the 4th liners, pretty much anyone else on NJ who wasn't in the AHL could've played somewhere else and made decent money, they just chose not to.

[thefiestygoat]

Twenty-two other players plus coaches in the room, they're all going to show up and pretty much none of 'them' could earn any real money or play during the lockout, at least Kovy could do both.

So it's Kovalchuk's fault that he is more talented than the other players and able to create more oppurtunities for himself? I'm not saying you have to agree or disagree, but I don't think it's that far fetched to understand if he is upset at the league (not the Devils). This is all for nothing though, he'll be back, the media just needs a story until the CBA finally gets ratified.

[newarkdev01]

Honestly I expect this all to be irrelavant in a week and Kovy to be back but I do think the rumors of Putin offering money to stay to be kind of funny if only because it seems believeable.

[CarpathianForest]

Henrique is going to give us MOST of Parise's production. This just in: Parise was near invisible during the playoffs. We should have signed Semin and Kostitsyn when we had the chance.

Whoa there, Cowboy! Parise put up 15 points in the playoffs.

[Mayday]

Is there a part of the NJD management/ownership that might actually HOPE that Kovy stays in Russia?

- potential voiding of $83 million remaining on Kovy's albatross of a contract
- cap space out the wazoo to rebuild, very flexible roster positions
- helps ownership with cash flow & future debt

Not saying it would ever happen, but it has to be in the back of the minds of JVB/Lou.

Our offensive would go to absolute utter sh!t.

[devilsfan26]

Whoa there, Cowboy! Parise put up 15 points in the playoffs.

Almost all the talk on here about Parise being invisible in the playoffs happened after he signed with the Wild. Before that everyone was praying he would re-sign.

[njd3b1ink]

Whoa there, Cowboy! Parise put up 15 points in the playoffs.

He was invisible. How many of those points were empty net points? At least 4 maybe 5 and look at his plus minus. I don't remember the exact number but it wasn't very good.

[caron14]

i said it before resigning him that parise was invisible in thwe playoff.. He was a hard working guy and i loved him but he just didnt show up in the playoff..

I love Kovalchuk and him 98 % pourcent that kovy will be back in Jersey. But if he dont...He still show up he the playoff and i will still think he is a better player than parise.. By a lot! Im not gonna star a bashing on him.

anyway Kovy will be there and cup will be ours

[njd3b1ink]

Almost all the talk on here about Parise being invisible in the playoffs happened after he signed with the Wild. Before that everyone was praying he would re-sign.

I think a lot of people were saying he was invisible during the playoffs. I was definitely one of them, but I still wanted him to re-sign. He's a good player and I felt that with him on the team we were only a piece or so away from a championship. But the fact is he got paid like a Crosby, and he is just not that dynamic of a player.

[devilsfan26]

He was tied with Kovalchuk for most goals on the team and was second in points. I doubt his empty-net points are really inflating his stats that significantly.

EDIT: If he was invisible in the playoffs then I guess the whole team was except for Kovalchuk. Where are the people ranting about Elias being invisible? He had half as many points as Parise and had fewer assists than Brodeur.

Edited by devilsfan26, 08 January 2013 - 07:29 PM.

[Zubie#8]

C'mon people, Parise was a HUGE part of our team and we are definitely going to miss him. A full year of Zajac and Zidlicky will help make up those points and hopefully a full year of a competent 4th line will help but they will never make up everything else Parise did for this team. Ok he didnt put up huge numbers in the playoffs but we will never ever replace the kind of work and presence he generated when he was on the ice. You cannot replace a player like that. Admit that and move on. Thats what I did and his departure does not bother me anymore nor do I need to bring up his name anymore. The only thing I look at is the teams capability of improving from this point on.

Edited by Zubie#8, 08 January 2013 - 07:36 PM.

[njd3b1ink]

He was tied with Kovalchuk for most goals on the team and was second in points. I doubt his empty-net points are really inflating his stats that significantly.

EDIT: If he was invisible in the playoffs then I guess the whole team was except for Kovalchuk. Where are the people ranting about Elias being invisible? He had half as many points as Parise and had fewer assists than Brodeur.

Elias was invisible but he also had an injury. And off of the top of my head I count 3 empty net goals and an empty net assist for Zach. Almost half of his goals were scored empty net. And if you take away those 4 points kovy, Zajac, Salvador, henrique, and clarkson all had more points then him. Not to mention they all have much better plus minus

[njd3b1ink]

C'mon people, Parise was a HUGE part of our team and we are definitely going to miss him. A full year of Zajac and Zidlicky will help make up those points and hopefully a full year of a competent 4th line will help but they will never make up everything else Parise did for this team. Ok he didnt put up huge numbers in the playoffs but we will never ever replace the kind of work and presence he generated when he was on the ice. You cannot replace a player like that. Admit that and move on. Thats what I did and his departure does not bother me anymore. The only thing I look at is the teams capability of improving from this point on.

I completely agree. But people around here make it seem like Zach was just dominating and that him leaving makes us a bad team. He worked his ass off every night but he isn't a game changer. Plain and simple. During his time as a devil how many playoff series can you say that he was dominant? 1? And that one would be the Tampa bay series in 07

[Zubie#8]

I completely agree. But people around here make it seem like Zach was just dominating and that him leaving makes us a bad team. He worked his ass off every night but he isn't a game changer. Plain and simple. During his time as a devil how many playoff series can you say that he was dominant? 1? And that one would be the Tampa bay series in 07

Of course, he is not the difference maker type player but he made the team better and nobody can deny that. Parise is the type of guy everyone needs for the regular season.

All we need to do is improve from this point on and get into the playoffs and anything can happen.

Edited by Zubie#8, 08 January 2013 - 07:47 PM.

[devilsfan26]

I completely agree. But people around here make it seem like Zach was just dominating and that him leaving makes us a bad team. He worked his ass off every night but he isn't a game changer. Plain and simple. During his time as a devil how many playoff series can you say that he was dominant? 1? And that one would be the Tampa bay series in 07

He wasn't dominating and his absence doesn't make us a bad team, but the people who think that way are overreacting just as much as the people who think he wasn't a great player.

For the record, I think we will be fine.

[njd3b1ink]

He wasn't dominating and his absence doesn't make us a bad team, but the people who think that way are overreacting just as much as the people who think he wasn't a great player.

For the record, I think we will be fine.

I think we will be fine also. And I wasn't saying he wasn't a great devil either. I just think that there were probably 8 or so other players on the team that played better then Parise in the playoffs. There is a hole to fill for sure but I think if we can retain our players this upcoming off season then that hole will be filled by next season either through a trade or from young players (mainly henrique).

[CarpathianForest]

I think we will be fine also. And I wasn't saying he wasn't a great devil either. I just think that there were probably 8 or so other players on the team that played better then Parise in the playoffs. There is a hole to fill for sure but I think if we can retain our players this upcoming off season then that hole will be filled by next season either through a trade or from young players (mainly henrique).

It's "than" not "then". You're making a comparison not mentioning something that happened in the past.
Anyway, Parise was probably right behind Kovalchuk as far as effort was concerned.

[njd3b1ink]

It's "than" not "then". You're making a comparison not mentioning something that happened in the past.
Anyway, Parise was probably right behind Kovalchuk as far as effort was concerned.

Zach was no doubt in my mind the hardest working player on the team. But that doesn't make him the best or most talented. I think you need players like Parise or Callahan on your team. Players that lead by example. But that work ethic can only get you so far. Zach wasn't dominant in the playoffs, and while I wouldn't say kovy was either he was playing with a serious injury and still out produced a healthy Parise.