152 replies to this topic

[Vinnie]

Funny, reading the descriptions of Klee he kind of sounds familiar....kind of like a certain River Rat making $2.2M...

[MissionHockey]

Yeah, Klee really fills our needs. Tomorrow Lou will be trying to fill our hole at pitcher.
We needed Klee like a fish needs a bicycle.

Your kidding yourself if you didn't think the Devils couldn't use another defenseman. This means the banishment of Sean Brown and allows the Devils to sparingly use Abelin. Would you want to go into the playoffs seeing those two potentially have prominant roles? Abelin is good, but I don't think he can be put in the post season as an everyday defenseman.

Plus he is a right handed shot, and would be better on the 2nd pp unit replacing White.

[Devils731]

A move like this doesn't surprise me. I've figured Suggy was going to be moved at the deadline even though I think he'd help the Devils right now. The Devils I don't think are likely to move any of their bigger prospects as no forward they can get both fills their scoring need and fits the Devils system and the Devils philosophy. The Devils ended up making a smaller move on defense and I think the team feels that, as assembled, they can beat anyone in a 7 game playoff series. One of the best records in the league since Elias came back left the Devils feeling like they should tweak rather than overhaul.

[Tretyak 20]

This team may be able to beat anyone in any given one game, but no chance in seven. Too easy to totally shut down the scoring.

[MissionHockey]

This team may be able to beat anyone in any given one game, but no chance in seven. Too easy to totally shut down the scoring.

I disagree, if the team can sustain the streak they've been on since the begining of the year, there is no reason to believe they couldn't beat anyone in the East.

[halfsharkalligatorhalfman]

This move is silly. When have these deadline deal trades for veteran dmen ever worked for lou? They always seem lost and a step slow in the system. So much so that Tommy albelin always ends up playing no matter what. Hell Ken Sutton was better suited at times than the scrubs lou brings in.

If suggs is not a part of the future plans at least trade him for something that IS.

[Derek21]

I think this is a decent deal for the Devils. Albelin is 41 folks. He can't play every night. Klee is physical and a righty D and can play some power play and PK. For what you gave up (guy who was never going to play), it makes sense. It gives your team much needed blueline depth.

[RowdyFan42]

The news of this trade made me feel ill. I've had a pit in my stomach all night from thinking about this. Other than that, I really don't know what to say at this time.

[David Puddy]

Suglobov was not a chip. He is much more likely the second coming of Juraj Kolnik or Pierre Dagenais than he is Pavel Bure. The fact that he can score at the AHL level is nice, and who knows, he may be successful in the NHL, but the Devils will never call up rookies and put them on the 2nd line and tell them to score. The disappointment in us not calling him up to help the club makes me wonder what franchise you guys have been following for the last 12 years, because the New Jersey Devils that I know would never consider such foolishness.

Word up

[Jas0nMacIsaac]

Am I the only one who likes Klee. He is big, physical, good defensivly, reliable, and has an underated offensive game. He will fit right into New Jersey's system.
The way I look at this trade is we add a defensmen who can log 20 minutes a game and is going to have 100 hits and 100 shot blocks this season. The player I really wanted Lou to go after was Brad Lukowich

Edited by Jas0nMacIsaac, 09 March 2006 - 12:53 AM.

[Derek21]

You don't want Lukowich Jason. He is inconsistent and slow as molasses. He has been victimized a ton by the Rangers in our wins.

[elias2600]

This trade is so much better than all of you think. reasons to consider.

1. The value of Klee: With albelin being old, brown not doing so well (check his +/-, worst on the team), and matvichuk potentially out for a while (or even less effective while his back is sore), we need more defensive help. Yes this team can't score, but they are picking 6 out of 8 points while barely scoring because their defense it good. Lou knows this is important. Look at Klees stats for Toronto, he has played almost every game, and is second in +/- for their defense (with only McCabe ahead of him). For Dmen +/- is the most important stat. Even rafalski has a worse +/- than Klee.

2. The value of suglobov: suglobov has no value to this team whatsoever. He doesnt fit into our system because he isnt a 2-way player. simple as that. Look at his stats for one game played. He was -2. Lou has given him time to turn it around, but it hasn't happened. His time is up and lou got something for him. Better than losing him for nothing.

I guess the main thing is that people are saying that our need for offense is greater than our need for D. I think they are about the same. When Elias is back, our offense will be no doubt better, though we will still likely need a second line player, but we need dmen just as much.

who knows, maybe suglobov doesnt fetch another forward, especially a 2nd liner.

I am not saying this move is awesome, but it certainly isn't bad, and it certainly makes sense.

Edited by elias2600, 09 March 2006 - 01:18 AM.

[metallidevils]

this is going to be the trade guys that wins us the cup, i know it...suglobov for klee, going to make the front page of the daily news tomorrow

[skeeter]

Looks like this was due to Matvichuck being worse than we thought...This is from the Ledger.

http://www.nj.com/de...0000.xml&coll=1

Because he doesn't know exactly what caused his back to start aching for the first time in his career and he is likely to be sidelined longer than expected, Devils defenseman Richard Matvichuk is understandably worried.

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello had the same concern. So, with the NHL trade deadline arriving today at 3 p.m., Lamoriello strengthened his club's depth at defense by acquiring veteran Ken Klee from the Toronto Maple Leafs yesterday for rookie right winger Aleksander Suglobov.

"Matvichuk's situation certainly was a factor," Lamoriello said last night about what may not be the only deal he makes. "He is going to be out for a bit. It's going to be longer than we thought. His back is too sore and too tight to skate."

Matvichuk underwent an MRI yesterday and the team will seek a second opinion on what is believed to be a muscular problem.

"There's something going on with my lower back," Matvichuk said. "It's obviously frustrating. Hopefully, it won't be too long. This is something new."

He then said jokingly: "It should be fine after 3 p.m. (today)."

Klee, who'll turn 35 on April 24, isn't an offensive-minded defenseman but he is a good fit for the Devils' system.

"He played enough years in Washington and against us for Toronto. We've certainly seen him enough," Lamoriello explained. "His style of play will not take much adjustment to the style we play."

[ice dog]

this is an excellent move!
suglobov was as soft as a new born baby's backside.

[elias2600]

yeah, I dont see why everyone is so down on it. yeah, of course we need to see how it pans out, but the prospect of what it gives us given our situation is nice. now we just need some scoring depth.

[Vinnie]

yeah, I dont see why everyone is so down on it. yeah, of course we need to see how it pans out, but the prospect of what it gives us given our situation is nice. now we just need some scoring depth.

Our top-scoring AHL'er for a low-level 20 game rental who will not make the difference getting us to the second round. I would honestly rather have Friesen.

[njdevil26]

i was hoping we would land witt... but klee is okay... we need a forward now... lets get tkachuk!

[Sickman]

yeah, I dont see why everyone is so down on it. yeah, of course we need to see how it pans out, but the prospect of what it gives us given our situation is nice. now we just need some scoring depth.

Ok, I know I dont have a lot of posts on this board but I have been lurking here for a long enough time to know that the majority of the posters on this board know what they are talking about, so hear me out on this one. Like elias2600 said ,I too cant understand why this trade is being bashed as much as it is. I will be the first to tell you that this team needs balanced scoring more then anything. Seriously though, who thinks this was going to come from Suglobov? Lou Lams might have made a few bad moves this season but I will give him the benefit of the doubt in this situation. If Suglobov was going to be the one who would help our offense, he would have surley been on the team by now, no?. I dont know, I happen to like this move. Granted, Klee might not be the greatest of the defenseman out there but hes a veteran player who has been around the block a couple of times. If Matty is hurt worse then then the Devils are letting on, you never know this move might turn out to be golden for us. Maybe I have been drinking to much koolaid but I really feel like this team is one move away from making some noise in the playoffs. If Elias is healthy, we have a killer first line. If you consider that we have a fantastic checking line who can shut down any line in this league, I feel the Devils are a lot closer then people think. Maybe Im wrong, but I feel Marty is playing at an insane level right now and if he keeps his play up, I wouldnt be surprised if he steals a round or two for us. All Im saying is that this team despite its shortcomings has a lot going for it. If the Devils can somehow find a way to balance out the scoring on this team, I am sure they will do some damage come April. We boast the best goalie in the world, who is also on fire right now, and we have 3 of the best players in the league on our first line. If anything, todays trade will gaurantee that we have depth on our blue line, which is NEVER a bad thing. Is this really that bad of a move? I tend not to think so. I just wish people would have a little bit more faith in our GM I guess. THINK POSITIVE GUYS & GALS. I know I doubted Lou when he picked up Grant Marshall is 2003, but he sure made me feel stupid when the Devils won the Cup that year. I really hope that Lou finds a way to steal a decent scorer for us by 3 p.m today but if he doesnt, at leat he improved the Devils defense a little bit. Maybe Im to optomistic for my own good I guess, I dont know. Either way LETS GO DEVILS and welcome aboard Ken Klee.

[LucifersDog]

When the Devils don't have cap room and anyone worth trading one can't expect much in return. The Devils can't aquire a scorer by trading because they don't have anyone worthwhile to trade for that potential scorer and then there is the cap issue.

The Devils are what they are this season.

Gionta is God without him... this season is a bust thanks to wasteful spending.