USC09

I know this team will make the playoffs, its just a matter of how well they play in the last 10-15 games that will likely dictate their destiny. The past 2 years, the Devils collapsed down the stretch which killed a lot of the teams confidence going into the playoffs. Every team will go through slumps throughout the season, so they have to be prepared mentally for that and then adjust. This team will be a work in progress for the early part of the year, but I think Lou will definitely have to make a trade at some point of the season to get more scoring something he failed to do pretty much ever since the Kozlov and Hrdina trades in 2004. He only brought in scoring in the offseason, but those players happened to be less impressive. Friesen was the last big offensive acquisition that has actually helped the team, but when it comes to the trade deadline, Lou has to be creative and use his smart instincts and go out of his conservative comfort zone a little bit. But like I said up top, you have to play your best brand of hockey int he last 10-15 game all year. It is vital to a team like the Devils.

I do not think Lou will certainly rush to bring in a center outside the organization. Like he said to TG and Chere, he will wait until after camp to evaluate his team and make a plan to move forward. I would assume he would want to see how the team plays with Elias at center before he makes a move. If either Elias or Zubrus do not work at center, then he will look to Lowell first to see what type of chemistry he can create and if that fails, he will think about making a trade, but thats the path I think he will take.

I think its a good trade for both teams, because the B's get younger and Kessel is still not in his prime, so I think it will pay off for both teams. The Leafs do sacrifice future youth, but Kessel is one of the most finesse players in the league and draws comparison to a very healthy Mogilny, but he has a physical element to his game as well and has good puck handling ability. The Bruins do lose in the scoring department, because they were one of the highest scoring teams last season.

Knowing Brian Burke, he will find a way to get back a 1st round pick in the Draft. But this is a good move for Toronto without having to give up Kaberle, Schenn, or Kadri.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=291601 I think its a great trade for the Leafs if he agrees to a contract definitely better than the Raycroft for Rask deal during the 2006 Draft which was the start of John Ferguson Jr's. demise, actually the Owen Nolan deal was the start of his demise.

Both shots were stoppable. Marty is somewhat to blame, but it was our inexperienced defense that cost us. They should not have let Eric Staal in the zone easily, and obviously clear the damn puck out of the zone before the tying goal. Somebody should have pulled a Stevens type hit on Staal. But I think its time to look forward and not talk about what would have been. I actually think the way Pittsburgh or Detroit played, the Devils had little chance of beating them.

http://njmg.typepad.com/devilsblog/2009/09/lemaire-sitting-on-third-period-leads-no-longer-effective-in-nhl.html Best comment ever in the past few years by a Devils coach. Finally summed up the Devils playoff struggles, which is why they have to score first and often whether in the regular season or playoffs. They have to think more offensively which puts less pressure on defense something they failed miserably against the Canes, they are a team who feels no pressure if they are down a goal. Finally, someone summed up not only the Devils problems, but other teams problems who have trouble scoring.

I think Cormier is ready to make the team, I don't think Lou will has to rush to make a deal unless the team has a slow start and continues it when Patty gets back, but its not a panicking injury. They have to be above .500 when he gets back and they'll be fine. So our projected forward line-up right now is: Parise Zajac Langenbrunner Rolston Zubrus Bergfors Pandolfo Cormier Clarkson Pikkarainen Pelley Shanahan Extras: Leblond

As long as it keeps Par99 from posting anything I am fine with it.

I will say this, if San Jose doesn't win the cup in the next two seasons, they lose in this trade, but for now they win. Heatley is younger than Cheechoo by a year. Cheechoo has battled injuries the past few years, so his play diminished since his 56 goal outburst in 2005-06. Michalek is a great player, but I am surprised the Sens did not get 1st round pick.

Hey Par99, I made a post about Kessel, don't make new posts about it just respond to the Leafs might be close post.

I think he will likely miss at least maybe the first two weeks of the season in my guess. I don't expect Lou to add a center as he will likely go with what he has right now.

Somebody in Newark better murder that fvck that did it.

Well its been a busy summer in the NHL this year. The Free Agent market opened with a splash in week 1, but it slowed down after the 4th of July holiday, but this summer was mostly about the Coyotes mess. Any case with camps upon us here are my new predictions for this season. Eastern Conference: 1. Pittsburgh Penguins 2. Carolina Hurricanes 3. Boston Bruins 4. Philadelphia Flyers 5. Washington Capitals 6. New Jersey Devils 7. Montreal Canadiens 8. Toronto Maple Leafs 9. NY Rangers 10. Florida Panthers 11. Ottawa Senators 12. Buffalo Sabres 13. Tampa Bay Lighting 14. NY Islanders 15. Atlanta Thrashers Western Conference: 1. Detroit Red Wings 2. Vancouver Canucks 3. San Jose Sharks 4. Chicago Blackhawks 5. Anaheim Ducks 6. Calgary Flames 7. Columbus Blue Jackets 8. Dallas Stars 9. St. Louis Blues 10. Edmonton Oilers 11. Minnesota Wild 12. Nashville Predators 13. Los Angeles Kings 14. Colorado Avalanche 15. Phoenix Coyotes Now here my playoff projections, don't buy them, just simply my opinion: East: Penguins vs Leafs(Penguins in 5) Hurricanes vs Canadiens(Habs in 7) Bruins vs Devils(Devils in 6) Flyers vs Capitals(Capitals in 7) Round 2: Penguins vs Canadiens(Penguins in 6) Capitals vs Devils(Devils in 7) Round 3: Penguins vs Devils(Penguins in 7) West: Red Wings vs Stars(Red Wings in 5) Canucks vs Blue Jackets(Canucks in 5) Sharks vs Flames(Sharks in 7) Blackhawks vs Ducks(Blackhawks in 7) Round 2: Red Wings vs Blackhawks(Red Wings in 7) Canucks vs Sharks(Canucks in 7) Round 3: Red Wings vs Canucks(Canucks in 7) Stanley Cup: Penguins vs Canucks(Canucks in 6) I am picking Vancouver not on paper, but I think they can pull it off with their youth and experience on the blue line and can learn from their collapse last year against Chicago. Plus being able to retain the Sedin's at an affordable contract was huge. Obviously I was pro-Devils in a way, but I think it will come down between Pens, Devils and Caps in the final. I know Montreal usually finds a way with 1st round upsets, so I picked them. But I like something about Vancouver this year. But I think Lou will make some moves at some point this season for a playoff run unlike the past few years where he stood pat and Salvador was not that great of a deal since he did not get any offense.

I didn't believe the deal from the start, just another soap opera, I think he'll get traded some day, but I give Bryan Murray a lot of credit for his handling if this situation. While I know his best bet is to trade him, he is still risking distraction from inside the locker room to the media and the fans. I applaud him for his stance and his charisma of not trading Heatley for the sake of dealing him at his request, but that the deal has to be right for him and the team going forward. He is thinking like Lou, who won't fill the center void just for the sake of filling it. It has to be a guy who fill in within our team chemistry, which is why I say that Lou is not going to rush a trade, but see the team be a work in progress for the early part of this season and then wait to make a deal in order to have a shot at advancing past round 1, which this team absolutely has to do. I will post my new predictions including playoffs. Sorry to divert from Heatley.

I'll wait til TSN or RDS have it, I bet TSN and RDS are busy with the Coyotes news still, so it might take some time to get it up, but there is the issue that both Murray and Wilson deny the deal which leads me to believe that they might have agreed on the framework of the deal and are waiting for Dany Heatley's ok or there is no deal. I bet Darren Dreger should get on top of this pretty soon when he gets all the Coyotes details in order from today's hearing.

I couldn't find Bucci's twitter, so I am not buying this. I don't think Heatley will be traded and Murray said nothing is close and is status quo on Heatley. Unless there is an offer he can't refuse, Heatley will be Senator. But like I said unless a TSN or RDS article confirms it I am not buying the tweet. I just read on ESPN the deal is false as Murray and Wilson deny the trade. But it involved LA, not NJ.

This sounds more reasonable than the NJ/OTT/SJ deal and Lou has stated he will wait til the end of camp to evaluate the team and if to make moves before the season starts, so he might not be satisfied with his current roster especially if Elias is not available for opening night. So for now our depth at center is likely Zajac, Zubrus, Pelley and Walter if Elias is not there. I do think that Lou will make a move if the team struggles early, but definitely before the trade deadline. But again I said this I will wait til TSN or RDS have the story before trusting the deal.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=290631 It seems like Kessel is through with negotiating with the Bruins and according to his agent will try to sign an offer sheet with one of the other twenty-nine teams. This really improves the Leafs or Sharks chances of getting him now that Heatley is unlikely to get traded this year, so I'll stay on top of that front. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli intends to match any offer sheet extended to Kessel, but I think with today's activity it seems the B's might have to relinquish him because they have to save money for next year to resign Marc Savard who becomes an UFA. But this will take sometime because Kessel is out til mid-November after having shoulder surgery this summer.

ESPN Insider is such a waste of time and money. Just like this rumor is, again I see a deal happening maybe closer to the trade deadline than right now. I think the focus for this season is be consistent and finish well down the stretch. So Lou is probably in no rush to make a move, maybe later during camp, if the team struggles early on, or closer to the trade deadline, but not now. If Lemaire doesn't see Elias doing well at center during camp and Cormier does not make the team, then Lou will likely make a move, but I don't think it will be Marleau or Comrie, maybe Dominic Moore or Malhotra who are great two way players and could score, they are Lou's type of players. I know it sound unpopular among some of you, but that is the direction I think he will go in if he were to sign someone. If there is a trade, I don't want to predict which way they are going only to say its not Marleau.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=497922 Skoula invited to Panthers camp.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=290427 Balsillie's chances are now increased of winning the auction now that Ice Edge has withdrawn its bid.

In Canada it would be major attention and league revenues will go up, maybe the cap will go up and Lou could finally do more business that he could not do this summer. They should have given him the Predators, but they stupidly did not. If he fails with the Coyotes, which I hope he does not, he will shift focus to either the Thrashers or Panthers.

Way to go Jim. Good Luck on Thursday. I hope he whoops Bettman's ass and the other bid in court this week.

I am definitely going vs Montreal on Jan 22nd. Then I'll may be go to one more in March during Spring Break in college and I'll go to one or two more if they have the college nights promo again this year.