Sockeye

I agree, that if Gomer got a "decent" contract, things could be different. I would consider decent in the $2.5M range. But I'm just don't think, from my own feelings and what I'm hearing, that is going to happen. Gomer has done well during the regular season, but hasn't produced quite as well during the post-season (although few put up better numbers), so I just don't think Lou is going to raise the anty that much.

My understanding is for a variety of reasons. I would agree that Gomez has been treated fairly well in NJ, but I don't believe its as rosy of a relationship as some might think. I think its somewhat similiar to the Morrison situation. I believe Gomez feels he didn't get a fair contract 2 years ago. He produced pretty well at a young age, won the Calder, and a Stanley Cup. His contract was for $1M. Other young stars that came into the league at the same time he did are making much more. Gagne $2.6M, York $2M, Tanguay $1.5M. Tanguay has a few more points than him over those five years, but he's also been playing regularly with Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, and others in a more offensive system. I think the reason for this move is as much because of Gomer as it is the Devils. Gomer has had success (winning 2 cups), and I think now he may want something else, such as playing in a style more suitable to his skills and making more money. He knows the Devils history of contract negotiations, and my guess is that he's not going to get the money he thinks he deserves from Lou. Look at the Morrison situation and its very similiar to this one. Gomez comes in as a rookie, similiar to Morrison, who isn't happy about what Lou is offering, and Morrison is shipped out and Gomez fills his spot. Same thing is going to happen with Gomer and Parise. Gomez is due for salary arbitration, and you can bet that he is due for a very large increase, which Lou just isn't going to pay with Parise coming aboard.

I was thinking sockeye is either Neverson; or used Neverson as his source Nope, I'm not him, and he's not my source. But Gomer is as good as gone.

That's okay, instead of continuing the parting shots, I'll just put a smile on my face and have the last laugh when its done. I'm sure there are lots of people on this board that "make predictions" based on some type of information. I'm not making any predictions, just passing along the information from someone I know that seems to think they know whats going to happen, so we'll see what happens and find out who looks the most foolish.

Isn't Gomer a RFA, and doesn't that mean other teams can make an offer that NJ must match or lose him? My understanding is that there are some teams out there may be interested in making a pretty big offer for him. He's is very gifted with the puck, has great vision, and would be a great playmaker for a scoring winger. Plus he has a ton of playoff experience, has gotten much better on faceoffs, and has learned to play a little defense. Let's face it, he's just not the prototypical Devs type of player, but for some other organizations might turn out to be a superstar. He could get a very big offer that the Devs just won't match, which means he may be gone for nothing.

Let me just say that I'm not posting on this board to try and predict something and then bask in the glory of being right. I don't have any history of making predictions or trying to look like the guy with the scoop. There may be others that post just to stir the pot or make ludicrous predictions, but thats not the case here. I merely thought I would pass along that I know someone that is close to the inside of a certain situation and they tell me that Gomer will not remain a Devil, and I'll just leave it at that.

NJay, fine, I'm not going to say how I know this, but I won't say anymore about it, just to make you happy, because I guess this is a forum where we need to adhere to your wishes, right? And enough with the tough talk okay kid, we all know what a big man you are......

I'm not disagreeing with anyone, I think the Devs would be foolish to trade him for all the reasons that have been pointed out, but I'm telling you I know someone close to the organization (and Gomez) who tells me that Gomez won't be playing for the Devils for another full season. One of the reasons was Parise, and another reason is Burns. I think we all know that Gomer didn't start off too well with him, and I'm told that the relationship isn't very good. I don't want to start any more trade Gomez rumors because I don't want to see him go, but I'm just telling you what I'm hearing from a reliable source. I don't post on this board very often, just thought I would pass it along.

Some folks may not believe me, because I'm not going to give my source up, but a very trusted source tells me that Gomer will not be back. He may be signed by the Devs, but will be traded. The organization feels that Parise is going to be a suitable replacement for him (which he may be, who knows yet), but it will be highly unlikely that Gomer remains a Devil. I wish that wasn't the case, but I think he'll flourish in a different system.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?i...artnersite=espn Friday, April 23, 2004 ESPN.com news services Former NFL defensive back Pat Tillman was killed in action while serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, ABCNEWS reported Friday. He was 27. Tillman was killed in direct action during a firefight in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, Pentagon sources told ABCNEWS. A Pentagon source told ABCNEWS that Tillman was killed when his Rangers patrol was attacked by small arms fire and mortars during a coordinated ambush. One enemy combatant was killed, and Tillman was the only U.S. soldier killed during the ambush, said Pentagon sources. His brother, Kevin, is in the same platoon. No other details were yet available. Tillman played four seasons for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals as a safety after starring at Arizona State University. In May of 2002, Tillman announced his intentions to join the Army, turning down a $3.6 million contract offer in the process for $18,000 a year and an uncertain quest to become an Army Ranger. Tillman and his brother Kevin decided to enroll in the U.S. Army Rangers after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. Both Pat and Kevin, a former minor league baseball prospect in the Cleveland Indians organization, committed to three-year military terms, landing spots with the elite U.S. Army Rangers. The Tillmans' goal to join the Rangers was not an easy one to achieve. Only 35 percent of all candidates get to wear the coveted black and gold Ranger Tab. The two served in the Middle East as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pat and Kevin were recipients of the 11th annual Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2003 ESPYs. Their younger brother, Richard, accepted the award while the brothers were away. In 2001, Pat Tillman turned down a $9 million, five-year offer from the St. Louis Rams to remain with the Cardinals for less money. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Pat graduated summa cum laude with a 3.84 GPA from Arizona State, with a degree in marketing. While a student, he used to meditate atop a 200-foot light tower above the university's stadium. "If you don't know Pat, then you would think he's crazy," Phil Snow, who coached Tillman as Arizona State's defensive coordinator, said at the time of Pat's enrollment in the Army. "The planes flew so close to him that he could damn near reach out and touch them. He's just fearless." Tillman's decision to join the Army's elite infantry unit did not come as a surprise to friends, as he was always setting challenges for himself. Bored before the 2000 season, Tillman ran a marathon. After setting a franchise record with 224 tackles in 2000, he prepared for the following season's training camp by competing in a 70.2-mile triathlon. "You don't find guys that have that combination of being as bright and as tough as him," Snow said.

How bout Gomer winning 15 of 20 draws. That's not something we're used to seeing from him, but he's been pretty good lately.

On Sportscenter last night they said Gomez has the most points in the NHL since the Allstar break 9-30-39. That's sweet!

Yeah, when Gomer complains about that, Lou can tell him he heard from a girl that Gomer made over $20M. ha ha

"According to North Dakota coach Dean Blais, in a radio interview this morning, Parise signed a three-year deal worth over $4 million" I wonder how well this will go over with someone like Gomer. Very similiar players, but Gomer has won 2 Stanley Cups and put up some pretty decent numbers in the NHL, yet he was just signed to a contract that pays him much less than what Parise just signed for, assuming this is accurate. Interesting.

From what I can tell the EGG line was put together for good 24 games ago, but during that time Little G missed 7 games. Nevertheless, in those 24 games Elias and Gomez have put up some amazing numbers: Gomez (24 games) 7-30-37 +21 Elias (24 games) 16-14-30 +16 Gionta (17 games) 10-4-14 +16 Those are some pretty amazing numbers. If you projected that over 82 games, Gomer would have 126 points (103 assists) and Elias would have 103 points (55 goals). If you project Little G's numbers based on 17 games, his would be 67 points (48 goals). Obviously those are not realistic numbers, but it just shows what a tear they have been on. Also, the +/- numbers are very impressive as well. To compare with the top scoring leaders in their last 24 games: St. Louis 10-19-29 +16 Sakic 10-18-28 +4 Kovalchuk 13-15-28 -1

Gomer now with 54 assists, I think tied for the NHL lead in that category

This is not really a big deal, but I heard from a friend of mine today who works with a university booster from Fairbanks that Aaron Voros signed today with the Devils. For those who don't know who he is, he is a big, physical winger with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. I think he's about 6'4" and 200 lbs. I've seen him play quite a few times and is pretty productive, mostly stands in front of the net taking abuse and causing havoc. I was just wondering if anybody knows where one might find a link to this signing? Bio: http://www.uafhockey.com/0304/roster/avoros.html

Elias 7-5-12 Gomez 2-12-14 Gionta 5-2-7 Combined 14-19-33. Unreal!

I understand that's supposed to be the purpose of this stat, but my point is that it really is too inconsistent to be meaningful. As someone stated, you can really only compare players on the same team. And even with that, with 60 games played, Gomer's +/- is better than Maddens and Langenbrunners. Does that mean you think Gomers a better 2-way player than those guys? I don't think so.

Just last week people were dogging Gomer for being one of the few guys on a winning team with a minus. Some people feel like this is a very meaningful stat, others disagree (like me). All you have to do is look at what has happened in the last week to understand why. Gomez went from something like a -3 (one of the worst on the team) and is now a +6, which is fourth best on the team among forwards. This in just a weeks time. Given how many games that have been played thus far, this is a good example of how fragile that stat is. If you looked last week, he's one of the worst on the team, and now he is one of the best. Go figure.

Little G is second on the team in GOALS, but he is 8th on the team in scoring.

Hey, say what you want about Gomez, someone always will. But he's a guy that has made well under $1M for each of his 4 years in the league, has finished either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd on the team in scoring each of those 4 years, and has won 2 cups in 4 years, made it to the finals another year, and the only year his team hasn't made it to the finals he was out hurt for the entire playoffs. I'd say the Devils have gotten the bang for their buck! Enough said.

Ice Man, I don't know why I'm replying to a bonehead like you, but I guess I just felt compelled. I haven't been on this board for a while, but can someone clue me in, is this Ice Man just another flake that shouldn't merit any response?

http://www.adn.com/front/story/3468782p-3500042c.html The Cup returns Anchorage's Scott Gomez brings prized trophy back to town By BETH BRAGG Anchorage Daily News (Published: July 16, 2003) The Swarthout brothers are going home to Michigan with a scrapbook's worth of memories from their summer vacation in Alaska. They crossed the Arctic Circle, they gazed up at the continent's tallest mountain, they cruised the waters of Resurrection Bay alongside humpback whales and sea lions. It was the kind of trip you can't wait to tell people about, the kind with so many stories you barely know where to start. Except brothers Bill, John and Dave Swarthout know exactly what they'll brag about when they get back to Detroit today. "The Stanley Cup!'' they said in unison. Yes, the Stanley Cup. Though they live in a city that has won three Stanley Cups in the last seven years, the men had to come all the way to Alaska to get a close look at hockey's Holy Grail. "It's the last thing on the videotape,'' Bill said, "but it'll be the first thing mentioned.'' The Swarthout brothers spent their last day in Alaska standing in line at the Delaney Park Strip and waiting for their turn to touch, kiss and view the Stanley Cup, one of the most treasured trophies in sports and the oldest professional sports trophy in North America. They had plenty of company. Police estimated that 7,500 to 8,000 people were at the Park Strip Tuesday afternoon during the trophy's four-hour appearance, which came courtesy of hometown hero Scott Gomez of the NHL champion New Jersey Devils. The irony of the situation was not lost on the Swarthout brothers. All are avid fans of the Detroit Red Wings, who won the Cup in 1997, 1998 and last season. They've tried to catch glimpses of the Cup during their city's various celebrations, but usually all they see is other people. "I went to the parade last year and there were 1.2 million people,'' Dave said. Using the zoom lens of his camera, he was able to get a brief, microscopic view of the trophy. Here in Anchorage, seeing the Stanley Cup up close is getting to be like seeing moose in your front yard. It's practically part of the landscape, what with Gomez and the Devils acting like some kind of dynasty or something. Gomez, 23, is a Stanley Cup champion for the second time in four years, and because he loves his hometown as much as his hometown appears to love him, he shared some of his 24 hours with the Stanley Cup with the whole city. Every member of the championship team gets a day with the Cup. And because this is Anchorage and not Detroit, Tuesday's crowd was in the thousands, not millions. Sure, people who wanted to stand next to the Cup and get their picture taken with it -- or put their infant children in it, or kiss it, or scan the engraved names of every member of every NHL championship team dating back to 1941 -- had to wait four or five hours. But if all you wanted was a look, there was no waiting and no real crowd to battle through. "What a great time to be in Alaska!'' said Dave Anderson, a teacher from Southern California who grew up in Detroit and remains a Red Wings fan. "I've seen it three times now -- in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame, in Detroit when they won it and now. This is by far the best view. This is very, very cool.'' For those standing in line, sunshine and hot weather helped the time go by pleasantly. A variety of vendors sold food, the Anchorage Seniors Center sold souvenir T-shirts (the center gets half the profits), a radio station handed out juice to people at the end of the line and musicians played and sang. Anchorage singer Diane Hall proved a crowd-pleaser with her version of "Johnny B Goode": "Go Scotty go, go-go/Go Scotty Gomez go/Scotty be good!'' Michael Cargill and his 8-year-old son, Connor, were first in line to see the Cup when it arrived about 2 p.m. They'd been waiting since 8:45 a.m. Within about 15 minutes the Cargills were joined by Larry Boylan and his two sons, Danny and Jacob. Cargill and Boylan didn't know each other, but after a couple of hours they were finishing each other's sentences. Cargill and Boylan both saw the Cup the last time it was here in 2000, when Gomez was a rookie. Cargill has several framed photos of himself with it, but the last time, he forgot to kiss it, so Tuesday gave him a second chance. Boylan contented himself with a touch. "Twice! Twice!'' he said. "I can go to my grave knowing I touched the great Cup twice.'' Few other trophies inspire such adulation. The aura of the Stanley Cup is its heritage -- it dates back to 1892 -- and its history. The greatest names to play the game are engraved on it: Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky. The Cup is built in tiers and once all of the tiers are covered with names, the oldest is removed and put on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame and a new tier is added. Mike Bolt, of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Cup's chaperone, said Gomez' name from this year's championship will remain on the Cup for 56 years. The Stanley Cup is so revered by players that many refuse to touch it unless their team has won it. Among those attending a Stanley Cup party Monday night were Dean Larson and Derek Donald, who played hockey together for UAA and the Anchorage Aces. Donald said Larson -- who has scored more points than anyone in UAA history and retired from the Aces this year as the West Coast Hockey League's career scoring leader -- looked but didn't touch. When asked why, Donald said Larson's answer was simple: "Not worthy,'' he said. Larson might be the only guy in town to turn down such an opportunity. Cargill and Boylan both took vacation days from work so they could be at the Park Strip Tuesday. Duane and Wendy Hallback, who saw the Cup in 2000, came back for seconds, equipped with folding camp chairs, a cooler filled with sodas, snacks, and a book for passing the time. "The last time I said this would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing,'' Wendy said. "This is old hat now.'' Jennifer Massey, who brought 18-month-old Gavin to see the Cup, was prepared to stand in line for as long as it took. She was maybe halfway through a line that was more than two city blocks long when Gomez and the Cup arrived in a Black Hawk helicopter. Gomez and his entourage -- which included Mayor Mark Begich and Lt. Gov. Loren Leman -- spoke briefly to the crowd before relinquishing the Cup to the masses. Massey was just a few feet away from where Gomez spoke and she managed to swipe her hand across the trophy. "We're good to go, man,'' she said as she relinquished her spot in line and headed to her car. "I touched it.''

The Cup is a pretty big deal up here. Arrived last night and Gomer had it up at the Hilton Hotel for a party until about 2:00am, then he and his friends were going to be partying with it until 6:00am, at which point there was a full day's worth of activities scheduled. My kids and I got a picture of it with Gomer this morning at an ice rink. After several other stops, Gomer and the Cup are being flown in on a Blackhawk to the Park Strip where it will be most of the afternoon. Gomer looked pretty tired this morning, I guess he's going on adrenalin right now.