Colorado Rockies 1976

fvck off baseball gods. That’s all I got.

Brooks definitely doesn’t hesitate to shred that team (which also caters to the NY fan, as they’ll do the same, often too much). Brooks usually harps on ice time for certain players as his main sticking point. I wish Valiquette could give up 10 goals every game. Someone really needs to remind him that his Ranger career amounted to 39 GP, 27 starts, and 14 wins. Dude, you were barely a footnote in Blowshirt history...stop carrying yourself like your jersey number is overdue for a rafter hanging. fvcking douchenozzle.

Only problem with that is from what I’ve read, he’s not a guy who will help right away. Bratt has at least shown nice flashes of being a good player in the present (just has to stay healthy and find consistency). But I get it, gotta give the team holding the lock holding the team something. Yeah, if Caufield’s projected to be a Top 15 pick, then maybe the price to land him would be too prohibitive...I was hoping his size might scare teams off just enough, but it was crazy to think he had any chance to fall into the second round. I only mentioned two seconds as a starting point, really...sure, you’d have to give the team willing to trade the pick at least one more asset, possible two more.

(Lack of) size sometimes scare teams off, and guys like him can drop. If Shero really likes him, and he doesn’t go that early, he can even try to move up to snag him (offering a pair of seconds or something like that).

If Caufield is available when the Devils make their first second-round selection, they have to think about snagging him.

Mets only had Nimmo and Lagares on the bench at that point...and obviously Lagares would've been the only one available...can't see it having gone much better with him. Unfortunately that was one time where the Mets just didn't have much choice but to let Broxton hit. But yeah, my first thought when I saw that he was coming up was "Yeah right...no way he makes contact here." Outside of one hot streak in 2016 (21 games) and another in 2017 (28 games), he's largely been a zilch who hits an occasional home run...think Anthony Recker. He's just a really bad hitter. I don't think they need to IL him, but yeah, be VERY careful. I can't handle Lagares and Broxton splitting ABs. You've already got one not-good bat in Rosario.

We're probably getting ahead of ourselves (like I said, was kinda mental spitballing), but that will probably be his only shot to get (over)paid and snag some big money as a UFA. And the Devils simply not be in the position to give him what he's looking for, even if there's a little bit of a discount (look what friggin' Henrique is making...based on that, if I'm Palms, I think I'm worth at least $6.5 million per season, maybe even a little more). Ideally, you have young, cost controlled players who can step in and quickly approximate what the departed UFA veteran was providing, but at a much lower cost, and for longer. Of course this is a very forensic way of looking at things...it doesn't take into account team chemistry, what Palms brings beyond numbers, etc...sometimes guys like him bolt and it can leave a real hole in the lockerroom...some guys do bring more than stats. Don't get me wrong, it would suck to lose him. But it may become a "We would absolutely love to keep him, but..." kind of situation.

Agree, that's why I would go 3+ years at that term (I consider 3+ "long term", 2 or less short term), as I had originally posted when I put him in the "long term" category. The salary's not so high as to ever be crippling (or unmovable), and low enough where it could be a bargain sooner rather than later. Like I said, sometimes you gotta take relatively low-cost (from a financial standpoint) risks. And on Zacha's side, he'll get life-changing money for a while, even though he's still very much a work-in-progress.

I get this, but at the same time, sometimes you take a gamble with one of your younger players...the Devils will be doling out multiple raises soon...it's never a bad thing to have one guy locked up at a very reasonable term. If you go short term with him (say 1-2 years) and he starts finding himself in a "3C/PK/defensive forward who can provide some offense" kind of role, that's another guy you may have to give a raise to...just when Palms goes UFA (more on him in a bit). Doing this for Zacha is definitely a risk, but not too too crazy of one. The fact that I'm advocating this is somewhat ironic in that I'm not exactly some huge Zacha fan, but I do believe that in a nicely defined role where he's put in the best position to succeed (and not asked to do too much offensively), that he can work out and help this team. Re: Palms, crazy as this sounds now, I was thinking about this, and I think when his contract's up after the 2020-21 season, he'll go to the Rangers. The fact that he's on record as having grown up a fan of them is only a small part of it. I think it's more that he really genuinely seems to love being in this area and very much considers it home, and obviously joining the Blowshirts would allow him to stay right where he is, without much disruption to his off-the-ice life. The fact that he'll be a UFA (hence, ripe to get overpaid as many UFAs do) factors in too. Of course, we're assuming a lot of things will go right with the Devils' young guys (and that Hall will be staying), but by that time, several guys will be getting paid handsomely or will be due to be very soon...Hischier, Hughes, Bratt, Smith, Hall, Vatanen, Coleman...sure, some guys will be coming off the books too, but the question becomes, do the Devils want to pay a 30+ year old Palms $6 - 6.5 million per year? Everyone here knows how big of a fan I am of his, and I would love nothing more than for him to still be here when the Devils finally get over the hump, but I'm not so sure Palms will represent great value at an inflated UFA price point...and there could be cheaper, younger players in the system ready to take his spot by then (always nice to have those to stave off being capped out). Given the overall state of the defense, if Shero wants to overpay for a UFA, he may be better served spending such money on a good UFA defenseman. Of course the above is just random off-season mental spitballing while waiting for the draft. But I wouldn't be that surprised if Palms wound up signing a 5-year, $32.5 million deal or thereabouts to be a Blowshirt...it's the kind of backpage splash that would just be so Ranger-like.

I don't envy Ray in this spot...it's a tough one. I don't think that he's going to get terribly good offers this offseason...I know some embrace the "OMG can't lose guys for nothing get whatever you can!" mentality to the hilt, and yeah, it would REALLY suck to lose Hall for zilch (especially since this upcoming season doesn't figure to be a "Now we're ready to contend for a Cup!" kind of year)...but part of me can't help but wonder if he would bring back a better return at the deadline, if he manages to stay healthy and is having a big year, but the Devils are not looking like a legit playoff team. Of course, if Hall doesn't re-sign and there's a GM willing to make a fair offer prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, I think Ray's gotta take it. Again, I'm hoping we're more crossing our fingers that he's going to stay healthy AND productive...after he's already signed his extension this offseason. It's a big risk and I get the feeling the return won't quite be what we were all hoping for, but I'll embrace him staying.

BVW has that “I’m so much smarter than everyone else” vibe that makes him very difficult to embrace. If you want to tell me that 1-4 in the rotation will improve, fine...they have yet to ever do it consistently as a foursome, and the hype can only go on for so long, but ok, I’ll live with that. But when the fifth guy is Vargas, and it looks like Oswalt and Flexen are next in line...don’t insult everyone’s intelligence pal. We’ll be around far longer than YOU will be.

I say don't take any risks and move him if he seems like he's not sure about staying, but things are definitely complicated in that he's coming off a season where he missed a fvck-ton of games, and has a bit of an injury history (he misses games, just no way to dispute that fact). I think Devils fans do need to prepare for the fact that if he is moved, the return isn't going to be as sexy as they're hoping for. His missing so much of last season will have GMs trying to buy on the low side...if it's all low-ball offers, can't see Shero automatically just giving him up. Hopefully it never comes to that.

Kinda sucks when the guy coming up to the plate with the game on the line is Keon Broxton...guy just isn't much of a hitter. Of course he strikes out. Oh well, did get interesting at the end. And at least most of the pen got a day off.

Wheeler turns in a "quality start" (assuming he doesn't start the 7th and give up any ER). Guess considering how the starters have been pitching lately, 6 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB and 2 HR is a major leap forward. EDIT: OK, it's only fair to give him a little credit here...after throwing 62 pitches through the first three innings, he gets through the next four with just 47 pitches...and actually completes 7 innings as a result (109 pitches). Hopefully he can build off this.

Typical Wheeler...needs 27 pitches to get through the second inning, and issues an 11-pitch walk after being up 0-2 on the 7th-place hitter. Because Heaven forbid the Mets' starters can put people away and not have seemingly every AB turn into a 6+ pitch battle. 51 pitches to get through innings 2 and 3. 3 BB in 3 IP. It will be a miracle if he gets through 6 IP. Because apparently that's a real rare feat for a Met SP these days. And naturally Arrieta breezes through HIS half of the inning with just SIX pitches thrown. A very tidy 52 pitches through four innings for Arrieta. Or one more than it took friggin' Wheeler to navigate through TWO innings.

Yes and no. It's a little like having a young kid in baseball who seems like he has a chance to be a good starting pitcher, but after a few years you realize that he's simply not cut out to be one...at which point, you make him a reliever...and THEN he finds success. It's like I said in a previous post, with Hughes very likely coming aboard (and who is clearly going to get every chance to be the 1C, with Nico almost being more like a 1A-C if all REALLY goes well), Zacha could really do quite well in a less glamorous (and more clearly defined) role. No guarantees (and of course if Hughes or Nico ever got hurt, everything goes to sh!t), but I think you gotta give Zacha one more year to see how he could do in a situation where everyone involved knows what he'll be doing.

Yeah, indifferent in general...my hatred is pretty much saved for the Rangers and certain a$$hole players (like Marchand, Kucherov, etc). I'm actually kind of indifferent to Lou as well...he did do a nice job in bringing in Trotz (even if that was the "obvious" move to some) and Lehner's worked out for him, but I'm more concerned about Devil-related matters. Lou is now a rival GM, so I can't root for him or his team to have success.

Karlsson's goal-scoring has really dried up too...he averaged 19 G per 82 GP from 2011-12 through 2016-17. He also averaged 81 GP per season in the five non-lockout years in that stretch. He's scored 12 G over the last two seasons, covering 124 GP (8 G per 82 GP), and he's missed a total of 38 GP over those two years to boot. He's still put up plenty of points (107 total), but yeah, whatever high-priced deal he signs has serious albatross potential.

Yeah agree on the bolded...three years left at a big cap hit ($9.5 million), and he's missed almost 100 games over the last 6 seasons combined...13 years, 852 regular season and 162 playoff games makes one wonder if he's a candidate for an early decline. Was a -25 this year too...I usually don't pay that much attention to +/-, but it's by far and away the worst on the Pens. He did manage 98 points in 2017-18 though...makes one wonder what some team might be willing to give up for him (assuming Malkin is willing to waive his NMC). You'd be getting his age 33, 34, and 35 years.

One more...ouch

Wow...Lightning win 62 games...and not one in the playoffs.

Yeah, I’m rooting for the clap to beat syphilis. That’s about how it feels.

Damn...Vasilevsky made a ton of huge saves with his team reeling, Lightning make it 3-3... then the Jackets make it 4-3. This game is insane.

What a bunch of frontrunners the Lightning turned out to be. Watching this game and the Jackets are just all over them. Now 3-1. Lightning look helpless.

Sucks, but he is injury-prone. Never a surprise when he gets hurt.