176 replies to this topic

[DH26]

I was a huge Parise fan. I raged with the way he left, as I'm sure most will recall. However, even if you polled me in July, if I could absolutely have only one or the other, I would've chosen Zajac. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find good 2-way centers? Guys who can center the first line, score, kill penalties, play the power play? They're insanely hard to find. After a shut-down #1 defenseman, there is no harder to find commodity in the NHL than a top 2-way center. When you find one, you don't let the guy go. Zach Parise will do well in Minnesota and we will miss him, no question- but losing Zajac would've been an absolute disaster. You can replace a Zach Parise MUCH easier than you can replace a Travis Zajac. That's a fact.

Especially if Parise doesn't get back to being a PPG player. You can find guys like Matt Moulson and Joffrey Lupul to put up similar numbers on the scrap heap.

[Devil Dan 56]

I was a huge Parise fan. I raged with the way he left, as I'm sure most will recall. However, even if you polled me in July, if I could absolutely have only one or the other, I would've chosen Zajac. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find good 2-way centers? Guys who can center the first line, score, kill penalties, play the power play? They're insanely hard to find. After a shut-down #1 defenseman, there is no harder to find commodity in the NHL than a top 2-way center. When you find one, you don't let the guy go. Zach Parise will do well in Minnesota and we will miss him, no question- but losing Zajac would've been an absolute disaster. You can replace a Zach Parise MUCH easier than you can replace a Travis Zajac. That's a fact.

Additionally, I think Zajac can play the game he plays longer than Parise will be able to. Parise will find it harder to get the dirty goals as he gets beat up. Unless he's a Dino Ciccarelli type who did it forever...

[Revan]

Yeah the main weird thing about Parise was that when he signed the one-year deal the previous year, he said "with the intention of signing a long-term deal" the next offseason.

Well, technically, he *did* sign a long-term contract this offseason, so it all falls into place.

I'm on the "overpaid" wagon, when it comes to Zajac. It feels kind of funny coming here saying that while, on another forums, I'm convincing people (not Devils fans) that he in fact *is* a good two-way player (they seem to think Subban, Benn and O'Reilly make Trav look like a pee-wee player, lol), but yeah: all in all, he got overpaid. We couldn't afford to let him go, we need those two forwards on long-term contracts to build the team around, so I can stand it, but I still gotta admit 5,75M for 8 ys for him is a big, risky deal.

[njd3b1ink]

Stereo I completely agree that Zach is an amazing player. And losing him hurts. I think we need to get a top 6 forward if we are ganna have any chance of getting to where we were last year. But i want players on my team that are going to come up big in the pressure situations. And if in going to to throw the world financially at a player he better be someone that will be a game breaker and come through in the pressure situations. And I don't think there is an argument that when looking over Zach's entire devils career that we can say that he is that player. As has been said before, his biggest play ever wasn't even in a devils sweater.

[MadDog2020]

Additionally, I think Zajac can play the game he plays longer than Parise will be able to. Parise will find it harder to get the dirty goals as he gets beat up. Unless he's a Dino Ciccarelli type who did it forever...

Excellent point.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Additionally, I think Zajac can play the game he plays longer than Parise will be able to. Parise will find it harder to get the dirty goals as he gets beat up. Unless he's a Dino Ciccarelli type who did it forever...

I think the Devils already got Zach's best, and at incredible cost effect. I don't think he's going to suck for the Wild, but they won't get nearly the value for him that the Devils did.

The Devils might have already gotten Zajac's best too, but at least this contract is a lot less outrageous than Zach's, and Zajac probably has a better chance at being solid for more of his deal, then Zach will for his. If Zajac is struggling in Year 6, that's only two more seasons the Devils are on the hook for. If Zach is in the same boat, that's 7 more seasons for the Wild.

[Zubie#8]

Zajac has the smarts to not have a massive decline.

[RizzMB30]

Zajac has the smarts to not have a massive decline.

Your implying that "smarts" is part of getting old?? Like if someone is smart they won't decline. I don't think that's how it works. Usually people just get old and I think Zajac will be 36 at the oldest at the end of this contract. That's the length I would have wanted Parise for with a higher cap hit.

Edited by RizzMB30, 17 January 2013 - 06:34 PM.

[thefiestygoat]

I think the Devils already got Zach's best, and at incredible cost effect. I don't think he's going to suck for the Wild, but they won't get nearly the value for him that the Devils did.

The Devils might have already gotten Zajac's best too, but at least this contract is a lot less outrageous than Zach's, and Zajac probably has a better chance at being solid for more of his deal, then Zach will for his. If Zajac is struggling in Year 6, that's only two more seasons the Devils are on the hook for. If Zach is in the same boat, that's 7 more seasons for the Wild.

Perfectly stated. I'm not a Parise hater, but I think with his style, he's going to have the physical ailments catch up to him a lot faster than Zajac. Even if Zajac declines a ton towards the end of the deal (which I doubt) he can still be a solid 3rd line center.

[Zubie#8]

Your implying that "smarts" is part of getting old?? Like if someone is smart they won't decline. I don't think that's how it works. Usually people just get old and I think Zajac will be 36 at the oldest at the end of this contract. That's the length I would have wanted Parise for with a higher cap hit.

I mean he is a very smart hockey player. His body may wear down but is IQ will never go away. Patty is a good example.

[halfsharkalligatorhalfman]

Your implying that "smarts" is part of getting old?? Like if someone is smart they won't decline. I don't think that's how it works. Usually people just get old and I think Zajac will be 36 at the oldest at the end of this contract. That's the length I would have wanted Parise for with a higher cap hit.

I get what he's saying, Smart players figure out ways to still be effective players. Bobby Carpenter changed his game once his offensive skills deteriorated and he became a defensive specialist for example. Zajac's so good defensively I can see him finding a way to remain an effective NHLer for a while. A lot can change in eight years though, and $5 million is a lot for a defensive specialist but its not hard to imagine an effective Zajac at 35.

[95Crash]

I'm with Sterio on this one. I think Zach is better than some of us are giving him credit for. I think he can be a huge asset for the Wild. And rather than seeing him break down anytime soon, I can picture him getting stronger and more clutch in the years to come. However, I still wouldn't have given him that massive contract. It's too long and for too much.

As for Travis, I am glad we re-signed him, but sometimes I worry about him getting injured. He's a smart player no doubt, but he's also not all that strong.

[DH26]

I'm with Sterio on this one. I think Zach is better than some of us are giving him credit for. I think he can be a huge asset for the Wild. And rather than seeing him break down anytime soon, I can picture him getting stronger and more clutch in the years to come. However, I still wouldn't have given him that massive contract. It's too long and for too much.

As for Travis, I am glad we re-signed him, but sometimes I worry about him getting injured. He's a smart player no doubt, but he's also not all that strong.

Zajac's been injured once in his career, albeit a serious and recent injury. And Parise's already less than he was. He's never putting up 94 points again and (this is just my opinion that's probably not based on anything) it doesn't look like he has the deking/moves/shot he had in his first 4/5 years. I remember him scoring pretty goals and last year it was more garbage goals. THough that could just be from the knee recovery and this just might be my bias in remembering some stuff more

[SterioDesign]

Zajac's been injured once in his career, albeit a serious and recent injury. And Parise's already less than he was. He's never putting up 94 points again and (this is just my opinion that's probably not based on anything) it doesn't look like he has the deking/moves/shot he had in his first 4/5 years. I remember him scoring pretty goals and last year it was more garbage goals. THough that could just be from the knee recovery and this just might be my bias in remembering some stuff more

Zach used to score so many sweet crazy deflection goals... and from last year i can remember maybe... one or 2 ? he's been dominant on the forecheck and backchecking but seems like he wasnt a big danger when he had the puck. Henrique has a lot more moves and dekes than Zach

[Devil Dan 56]

I get what he's saying, Smart players figure out ways to still be effective players. Bobby Carpenter changed his game once his offensive skills deteriorated and he became a defensive specialist for example. Zajac's so good defensively I can see him finding a way to remain an effective NHLer for a while. A lot can change in eight years though, and $5 million is a lot for a defensive specialist but its not hard to imagine an effective Zajac at 35.

I love the Bobby Carpenter example. He's a perfect example of a guy changing his game in order to remain effective.

[DaneykoIsGod]

I had been saying for a good year or two that the idea of signing Parise to a long-term deal scared the hell out of me because of his frame size, his game style, and the amount of abuse he absorbs. I'm glad NJ didn't ink him to the deal Minny did.

Travis? Up until last year he had been the franchise's all time iron man. His game isn't built on skills like speed that deteriorate with age. He's smart, he can be used in any situation, he makes his linemates better. I like this deal.

[NJDevs4978]

Zajac's been injured once in his career, albeit a serious and recent injury. And Parise's already less than he was. He's never putting up 94 points again and (this is just my opinion that's probably not based on anything) it doesn't look like he has the deking/moves/shot he had in his first 4/5 years. I remember him scoring pretty goals and last year it was more garbage goals. THough that could just be from the knee recovery and this just might be my bias in remembering some stuff more

You can't say with any certainty that he's 'less than he was' until at least another full season after his injury (the end of this year). He was never going to snap back to the player he was three years ago straight off missing 90% of a year, he's not Adrian Peterson. His overall numbers would have been better last year, except for his horrid first twenty games when he was feeling his way back into the lineup.

Besides, let's not engage in revisionist history, Lou tried to sign him. Marty himself admits it'll be a big loss. He's not just another Gomez or Holik. I'd love for him to win nothing in Minnesota but I do think he has 'some' good years left. He probably won't be worth the contract, but that doesn't mean we won't miss him either.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 17 January 2013 - 09:59 PM.