76 replies to this topic

[SterioDesign]

Getting all tingly now the camp has started. Will definitely be staying up late to watch the match! Wondering if there'll be any trading going on in the next week too, with Parise and Sykora gone. Have we got enough fire power for a short season?

imo we absolutely need to sign someone or trade for more offence... there's no way we can make it with that roster

[Zubie#8]

imo we absolutely need to sign someone or trade for more offence... there's no way we can make it with that roster

I honestly think we are ok. The key is having Zajac for a whole season and when Henrique returns we will be fine.

Without Henrique I see this

Butler Zajac Kovalchuk
Tedenby Elias Zubrus
Darche Josefson Clarkson
Gionta Carter Bernier

Just replace Tedenby with Henrique and thats a solid lineup. Plus a trade will still be an option through the season.

Edited by Zubie#8, 13 January 2013 - 07:31 PM.

[iceowl14]

imo we absolutely need to sign someone or trade for more offence... there's no way we can make it with that roster

None of the UFAs really excite me to be honest. We would probably need to trade to get a 20-30 goal-a season forward but I can't see many teams wanting to trade with a short season. They'd want to keep their fire power.

[CarpathianForest]

Lou's not going to make any more signings or anything. This lineup is who's gonna bring us to the dance.

[DevsMan84]

Are the devils the only team in the league not opening up at least one day of camp to the public?

[Satans Hockey]

Are the devils the only team in the league not opening up at least one day of camp to the public?

Are you shocked? This is how it's gonna be until Lous done.

[DevsMan84]

Are you shocked? This is how it's gonna be until Lous done.

Lol not in the least bit. You would think the devils would throw the fans a bone after the lockout and this would be the least an easiest thing to do.

[NJDevs26]

Lol not in the least bit. You would think the devils would throw the fans a bone after the lockout and this would be the least an easiest thing to do.

I can't entirely dismiss it as Lou just being Lou since they did have open practices at South Mountain. Makes it more of a mystery why they don't now. They should have been able to figure out their so-called security concerns after five years in Newark.

But yeah, it's a missed opportunity especially with all these reports around the league of fans packing practice arenas to welcome their teams back. Seems like most fanbases are annoyed at Bettman only, not their teams or players.

[Daniel]

I can't entirely dismiss it as Lou just being Lou since they did have open practices at South Mountain. Makes it more of a mystery why they don't now. They should have been able to figure out their so-called security concerns after five years in Newark.

But yeah, it's a missed opportunity especially with all these reports around the league of fans packing practice arenas to welcome their teams back. Seems like most fanbases are annoyed at Bettman only, not their teams or players.

Geez the open practices from South Mountain are a blast from the past. I remember when my mom took me out of school for an hour so I could take pictures with the players for my Bar Mitzvah sign in board. Don't know if it's still around, but had pix with Richer and Randy McKay whileI had my green and red braces. Tom McVie must have been pissed at Richer because he had him doing sprints at the end of practice.

[SterioDesign]

I honestly think we are ok. The key is having Zajac for a whole season and when Henrique returns we will be fine.

Without Henrique I see this

Butler Zajac Kovalchuk
Tedenby Elias Zubrus
Darche Josefson Clarkson
Gionta Carter Bernier

Just replace Tedenby with Henrique and thats a solid lineup. Plus a trade will still be an option through the season.

So 2 guys in our top 6... One wasnt even good enough for ottawa and another one who wasnt good enough for us last year... And they should replace zach and sykora?

[Zubie#8]

So 2 guys in our top 6... One wasnt even good enough for ottawa and another one who wasnt good enough for us last year... And they should replace zach and sykora?

Our current lineup is okay to start the season with and we will go from there. Lou does this year in and year out, him and Deboer got this team better and better as the season went on last year. Although the season is shortened they will do the same thing and when Henrique comes back we will be even better. We will be fine. Everyone should stop comparing this team to last year, we have to focus on the group of players we have right now and make the best of it. Lou will look for improvements during camp and through the season.

And Darche is a very suitable 3rd/4th liner. He is no slouch. Wont be surprised at all if he starts Saturday, and Butler had a great first season with Ottawa but injuries hurt him last year and had limited minutes on the 4th line. Butler has some good potential especially when he has the right linemates.

Edited by Zubie#8, 13 January 2013 - 09:53 PM.

[Devil Dan 56]

So 2 guys in our top 6... One wasnt even good enough for ottawa and another one who wasnt good enough for us last year... And they should replace zach and sykora?

Butler spent a lot of last year injured and playing low minutes. His first year was good and he's been fine in the AHL so far.

As for Tedenby, this is his make or break year, just like last year was Palmieri's. People need to get over Sykora. He could hardly keep up last year and he was useless by the end of it. I like him, but his time is done here.

[Triumph]

I don't care about missing Sykora - Butler should be able to do most of what he did. I care about Ponikarovsky - after his acquisition, the Devils basically won 2/3rds of their games. They were 36-20-4 playoffs and regular season after his acquisition, that's .633 point percentage. Darche is in the same mold but cannot replace him.

[Zubie#8]

Yeah its going to be hard to replace that big body and point production that Poni gave us. That was the most annoying thing about the offseason for me. I knew there was a high chance of Parise leaving but I thought the Devils could have easily locked up Poni, so I didnt even worry about it.

Edited by Zubie#8, 13 January 2013 - 10:58 PM.

[SterioDesign]

Good new is we may be able to get him back at the trade deadline

Edited by SterioDesign, 13 January 2013 - 11:03 PM.

[NJDevs4978]

Whatever the team's ills, DeBoer himself gives me confidence, the fact that he talked about how he and the staff saw every minute of Albany this year, and the fact he's talked with multiple coaches that went through the '95 shortened season reminded me anew how on the ball he is.

Ironically people forget just how perilous that regular season was for the Devils too - starting at about 1:00 of the video (of course we know how the story ended):

Edited by NJDevs4978, 13 January 2013 - 11:21 PM.

[DJ Eco]

I don't care about missing Sykora - Butler should be able to do most of what he did. I care about Ponikarovsky - after his acquisition, the Devils basically won 2/3rds of their games. They were 36-20-4 playoffs and regular season after his acquisition, that's .633 point percentage. Darche is in the same mold but cannot replace him.

Yeah, surprising amount of people not talking about Ponikarovsky; he was the missing puzzle piece last year (probably to the shock of Hurricanes fans), really thought we should have resigned him in the offseason. If we're lucky, maybe Darche or Butler can be this year's Poni...

[SterioDesign]

TG
DeBoer on Matteau: "He looks like an NHL player."

Ledger
DeBoer says Stefan Matteau definitely looks like an NHL player. "It's a matter of when."

Ledger
DeBoer says the Devils have 8 NHL caliber defensemen and "two more" knocking at the door in Albany

Edited by SterioDesign, 14 January 2013 - 12:26 PM.

[ThreeCups]

Idiotic for us not to sign Sykora, ESPECIALLY because it is a shortened season. That would really be beneficial to an older vet like Petr. Do not like the move one bit....

This year will be the official crowning of Tedenby as another Devils' prospect BUST

[Colin226]

TG
DeBoer on Matteau: "He looks like an NHL player."

Ledger
DeBoer says Stefan Matteau definitely looks like an NHL player. "It's a matter of when."

Ledger
DeBoer says the Devils have 8 NHL caliber defensemen and "two more" knocking at the door in Albany

It would be sick if Matteau made the team.. We can start a tradition of chanting his name 3 times after he scores a goal to mock Ranger fans

In terms of our D, we have too much at this point with Merrill not even in the system yet. I say we either bring in a top scorer or we survey the draft and try to trade up for a very high pick