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Will we get a veteran center? If so, who?


Quinn01

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John Madden isn't exactly a 2nd line center. Idek if he's on the 3rd line whereever he's at now. I don't really want to see a trade...Play Zubrus on the 2nd line as a center with Kovy and NaPalm. Parise-Elias-Sykie. We can survive with that top 6 i think. If we lose another foward in our top 6, then i think it might be a time for a trade

We've lost two centers already and our first game without Josefson we got mauled. Its possible we "survive", but its a slippery slope espc since our next 10 are all against decent teams (bar the Jets and even they torched us last year). At this point, its damned if we do, damned if we dont. As much as I like Henrique and I believe he deserves a shot, I dont think we have a very long time to test those waters. The last thing we need is to get into a rut like we did last year. Its also arguable we needed another center even before Zajac & Josefson got hurt.

The last thing I want to see is a former Devil stop-gap like Madden. Madden is probably my favorite player from that era and I will always wish him well, but if we're going to make a deal for someone, I want it to be something worth doing. Id rather see another rookie than Madden.

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This cripples what little depth this team has. Either that or Lou has to have a trade in place so the second line could be Elias-New Center-Tedenby and the third line would be Sykora-Zubrus-Clarkson or whatever.

I have no idea but I really don't like this move.

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This cripples what little depth this team has. Either that or Lou has to have a trade in place so the second line could be Elias-New Center-Tedenby and the third line would be Sykora-Zubrus-Clarkson or whatever.

I have no idea but I really don't like this move.

this implies that kovalchuk and parise are NJ's two best forwards, which isn't true. and that's what makes it at least plausible.

Edited by Triumph
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this implies that kovalchuk and parise are NJ's two best forwards, which isn't true. and that's what makes it at least plausible.

In terms of the fact that Kovy and Parise are our two best offensive players... yeah.. it's true.

Besides the occasional goal from Elias, what can the second line do? Sykora has shown ZERO since the regular season started. Zubrus is never going to carry a line offensively. He needs Parise/Zajac to be productive. The thing that line will do properly is make sure the puck doesn't get in their own net. The third line will have Tedenby, Henrique who is a FAR unproven rookie, and Clarkson who will have a gem of a game one in every ten and other than that he'll be falling all over himself trying to cycle and toe drag past everyone in sight. Obviously the fourth line provides no offense. What happens tonight when the Kings match Penner-Richards-Brown against our new top line and shut them down? Gagne Kopitar Williams is definitely the better second line and after that the Devs have nothing besides a defensive group that is annually in the bottom fourth of the league in offensive production.

The Devils NEED a center. Even when Zajac and Josefson come back... I would (if I were Lou) gladly trade one of Urbom and Merrill and a second or first to Phoenix for Turris.

Parise-Zajac-Zubrus

Kovalchuk-Turris-Elias

Tedenby-Josefson-Clarkson

Henrique-Mills-Boulton

THAT is a respectable, young, and fast lineup.

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In terms of the fact that Kovy and Parise are our two best offensive players... yeah.. it's true.

Besides the occasional goal from Elias, what can the second line do? Sykora has shown ZERO since the regular season started. Zubrus is never going to carry a line offensively. He needs Parise/Zajac to be productive. The thing that line will do properly is make sure the puck doesn't get in their own net. The third line will have Tedenby, Henrique who is a FAR unproven rookie, and Clarkson who will have a gem of a game one in every ten and other than that he'll be falling all over himself trying to cycle and toe drag past everyone in sight. Obviously the fourth line provides no offense. What happens tonight when the Kings match Penner-Richards-Brown against our new top line and shut them down? Gagne Kopitar Williams is definitely the better second line and after that the Devs have nothing besides a defensive group that is annually in the bottom fourth of the league in offensive production.

The Devils NEED a center. Even when Zajac and Josefson come back... I would (if I were Lou) gladly trade one of Urbom and Merrill and a second or first to Phoenix for Turris.

Parise-Zajac-Zubrus

Kovalchuk-Turris-Elias

Tedenby-Josefson-Clarkson

Henrique-Mills-Boulton

THAT is a respectable, young, and fast lineup.

dude, i hate to break it to you, but turris sucks. phoenix wasn't an offensively dynamic team and yet turris couldn't crack the top 6, and really the top 9. he was used sparingly and when he was used, he was massively protected. turris has the potential to be a decent player, but right now he is nothing. he is certainly not worth moving a D prospect AND a pick for. what has he done in his career that's impressive, other than being drafted 3rd overall 4 years ago?

the devils right now cannot play parise and elias on the same line, the rest of their team is not good enough to allow that to happen. when all of your lines are going backwards, it leans on your 'top' line to get things moving forward. it's a vicious cycle. you start a shift in the d zone, you often end up there. right now NJ is relying on the parise-elias combination to dig them out. but if they're not able to move forward, they get stomped on. it's especially bad on the road, where the opponent can get favorable matchups - they can put out their best line against parise-elias.

elias made things happen with rolston and zubrus last year, he can make a sykora-elias-zubrus line work as a 'checking' line. that line can actually match up with other 2nd lines. kovalchuk with zubrus and palmieri? i don't think that can match up with a richards or kopitar line. it's asking to be steamrolled. i don't know if parise will work well at center, but i think/hope deboer's intention is to try to start that line off in the offensive zone a high % of the time, if the elias and henrique lines can get them there.

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In terms of the fact that Kovy and Parise are our two best offensive players... yeah.. it's true.

Besides the occasional goal from Elias, what can the second line do? Sykora has shown ZERO since the regular season started. Zubrus is never going to carry a line offensively. He needs Parise/Zajac to be productive. The thing that line will do properly is make sure the puck doesn't get in their own net. The third line will have Tedenby, Henrique who is a FAR unproven rookie, and Clarkson who will have a gem of a game one in every ten and other than that he'll be falling all over himself trying to cycle and toe drag past everyone in sight. Obviously the fourth line provides no offense. What happens tonight when the Kings match Penner-Richards-Brown against our new top line and shut them down? Gagne Kopitar Williams is definitely the better second line and after that the Devs have nothing besides a defensive group that is annually in the bottom fourth of the league in offensive production.

The Devils NEED a center. Even when Zajac and Josefson come back... I would (if I were Lou) gladly trade one of Urbom and Merrill and a second or first to Phoenix for Turris.

Parise-Zajac-Zubrus

Kovalchuk-Turris-Elias

Tedenby-Josefson-Clarkson

Henrique-Mills-Boulton

THAT is a respectable, young, and fast lineup.

Your forgetting a lot of things...Zubrus is not very productive no matter what line you put him on. This lineup is ridiculous. Clarkson has actually been producing recently and Zubrus has nothing. Zubrus can play with Elias and he proved that last year, Zubrus can play anywhere, but don't expect a ton of points from him where ever you put him. Your putting Turris in a role where we currently need a solid proven center. Parise can play center apparently, so it may be what we need...don't expect a trade unless the team takes a nose-dive.

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Your forgetting a lot of things...Zubrus is not very productive no matter what line you put him on. This lineup is ridiculous. Clarkson has actually been producing recently and Zubrus has nothing. Zubrus can play with Elias and he proved that last year, Zubrus can play anywhere, but don't expect a ton of points from him where ever you put him. Your putting Turris in a role where we currently need a solid proven center. Parise can play center apparently, so it may be what we need...don't expect a trade unless the team takes a nose-dive.

the thing is... and i dont have any stats to prove it but imo Zubrus may not have lots of point but "created" a fair amount of plays that led to a goal or a chance for his linemates... he may be really expensive for that... but anyways

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