Off season Prediction

[Onddeck]

Yea we can't trade that pick. Forfeiting is turning it over to the league, we can't inherit any value for it. Bobby Ryan would be fantastic but landing him gets very complicated

[DevsMan84]

Tedenby was a bad pick from the start.

Josefson is capable of handling tough minutes at 22 years old. That's pretty rare. The offense may never come, but I don't see why he can't be a 35 pt 3rd line center

Sky is the limit for Larsson

 

Tedenby was probably the biggest bust since the 2005 lockout.

 

Josefson is good, but I think he was sold as more of an Elias type player rather than a 3rd or 4th line center.  I am a little disappointed in him so far, but he has at least shown promise.

 

I think the jury is still out for Larsson.

 

Bergfors was decent, but his greatest asset was being part of the Kovy trade.

[leeski]

Tedenby was probably the biggest bust since the 2005 lockout.

 

Josefson is good, but I think he was sold as more of an Elias type player rather than a 3rd or 4th line center.  I am a little disappointed in him so far, but he has at least shown promise.

 

I think the jury is still out for Larsson.

 

Bergfors was decent, but his greatest asset was being part of the Kovy trade.

Could have gotten Oshie instead of Bergfors. Oshie is such a NJ type player too.

[Jerzey]

1. Want Nichushkin but I think he'll go before #9 so I'll say we get Shinkaruk.

2. Elias, Zubs, Zids

3. Someone to replace Parise's scoring please. Ryan sounds good. Don't really want to give up too much to be honest but that issue needs to be addressed somehow. I'm willing to deal Larsson for a top line winger because of our depth on D in the system but if we're dealing Larsson I want more/younger than than Ryan. Eberle or Yakupov?

4. Volchenkov but I don't think it will happen. Don't think Lou will buy anyone out.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Jerzey Devil

[slasher72]

In all likelihood, Lou will get either Elias or Clarkson done. Zids will be resigned too. Forgot about him. As far as free agency, Lou won't sign anyone significant. If we do manage to pickup anybody it will be a utility player on the cheap. That's my bold prediction.

[JacobPaul1995]

Lou almost NEVER goes after high profile players. we were in the running for Jagr at the deadline, and Lou dropped the ball. ditto for Iginla

[sundstrom]

Lou almost NEVER goes after high profile players. we were in the running for Jagr at the deadline, and Lou dropped the ball. ditto for Iginla

 

dropped the ball? the devils did not have nearly the package that was worth iginla who would've never waived his NTC to come here. the jagr trade would've cost something like gelinas + 2nd - no thank you.

[DevsMan84]

Lou almost NEVER goes after high profile players. we were in the running for Jagr at the deadline, and Lou dropped the ball. ditto for Iginla

 

Although rumored I am not sure how much the the Devils were in the hunt for Jagr.  Also I do not think the Devils had the assets for Iginla and we need a long-term fix, not these short stop-gaps to help with team scoring.

[Devil Dan 56]

Lou almost NEVER goes after high profile players. we were in the running for Jagr at the deadline, and Lou dropped the ball. ditto for Iginla

Kovalchuk and Mogilny say hi.

And I really wouldn't say he dropped the ball not going after Jagr. The price was too steep. The devils weren't really looking like a playoff team at the time, so it was very possible they'd acquire a rental literally for no reason.

[Devilsfan118]

Lou almost NEVER goes after high profile players. we were in the running for Jagr at the deadline, and Lou dropped the ball. ditto for Iginla

dropped the ball? the devils did not have nearly the package that was worth iginla who would've never waived his NTC to come here. the jagr trade would've cost something like gelinas + 2nd - no thank you.

This, so true.

Can you imagine the fail if the Devils had shipped a good pick and prospect off just to miss the playoffs?

[cgb6397]

I have a conversation I'd like to bring up, but don't really think it deserves a new thread, but it has to do with the direction the team is traveling, so this seems like a good spot to spark it.

Basically, I was thinking about defensemen, ours, and others around the league, specifically the Rangers. What I started thinking at first, is that their D-Core is a lot better, but as I continued thinking about it, I got a few different ideas. All of them basically had to do with how expendable our D Men were.

I don't think it's a secret we don't have super stars along the blue line anymore. (Keep in mind this isn't a bash our defense idea) but does PDBs system not call for the star,stay at home D Men we were used to in the Jacques, trap days? If so, what was the order of events? Did Lou want to put more an emphasis on forward play, and take the team in that direction? Or maybe PDB came in, realizing our Stevens,Nieds and Dano days are long gone, and work with what he had?

So I want to know what you guys think, do you think it's just a matter of time before we see a D Core of Larsson,Fayne,Gelinas, Urbom and Merrill before we return to playing lockdown D? Or are we a franchise that now looks to bring in scores, to fit our aggressive forechecking system?

Please, fire away because these thoughts have been swirling around my head and I'm eager to see how you guys feel

[ATLL765]

I have a conversation I'd like to bring up, but don't really think it deserves a new thread, but it has to do with the direction the team is traveling, so this seems like a good spot to spark it.

Basically, I was thinking about defensemen, ours, and others around the league, specifically the Rangers. What I started thinking at first, is that their D-Core is a lot better, but as I continued thinking about it, I got a few different ideas. All of them basically had to do with how expendable our D Men were.

I don't think it's a secret we don't have super stars along the blue line anymore. (Keep in mind this isn't a bash our defense idea) but does PDBs system not call for the star,stay at home D Men we were used to in the Jacques, trap days? If so, what was the order of events? Did Lou want to put more an emphasis on forward play, and take the team in that direction? Or maybe PDB came in, realizing our Stevens,Nieds and Dano days are long gone, and work with what he had?

So I want to know what you guys think, do you think it's just a matter of time before we see a D Core of Larsson,Fayne,Gelinas, Urbom and Merrill before we return to playing lockdown D? Or are we a franchise that now looks to bring in scores, to fit our aggressive forechecking system?

Please, fire away because these thoughts have been swirling around my head and I'm eager to see how you guys feel

It's a matter of time. PDB has been here two years and there's been 0 turnover in the d corps aside from Foster coming and going. My guess is the team has wanted to make over the defense from within for years and as such have been drafting good defenseman for a while and now have a few stockpiled.

I, for one, cannot wait to see our defense become more mobile. We only have Green, Larsson and Zid as decent PMD, Harrold is ok, Fayne is mobile, but doesn't have too great a shot and isn't a fantastic passer either. In the NHL today, your whole defense needs to be agile and able to add to the offense at all times. We don't need tons of Drew Doughty's, but I think if we can graduate half of our high level d prospects to the NHL in the next 5 years, we'll be looking pretty good on D.

[JacobPaul1995]

i agree with the Fayne having a bad shot. remember last years finals where Fayne had a HUGE opening in the net to shoot at *and mind you he was not even 2 feet away from the net* in OT in game 2 and he shot it OVER the net. either he choked or he is a horrible shot

[Devils731]

i agree with the Fayne having a bad shot. remember last years finals where Fayne had a HUGE opening in the net to shoot at *and mind you he was not even 2 feet away from the net* in OT in game 2 and he shot it OVER the net. either he choked or he is a horrible shot

He was playing with ligament damage in his wrist that he had surgery after the season that had a 3-4 month recovery time.

[Triumph]

I have a conversation I'd like to bring up, but don't really think it deserves a new thread, but it has to do with the direction the team is traveling, so this seems like a good spot to spark it.

Basically, I was thinking about defensemen, ours, and others around the league, specifically the Rangers. What I started thinking at first, is that their D-Core is a lot better, but as I continued thinking about it, I got a few different ideas. All of them basically had to do with how expendable our D Men were.

I don't think it's a secret we don't have super stars along the blue line anymore. (Keep in mind this isn't a bash our defense idea) but does PDBs system not call for the star,stay at home D Men we were used to in the Jacques, trap days? If so, what was the order of events? Did Lou want to put more an emphasis on forward play, and take the team in that direction? Or maybe PDB came in, realizing our Stevens,Nieds and Dano days are long gone, and work with what he had?

So I want to know what you guys think, do you think it's just a matter of time before we see a D Core of Larsson,Fayne,Gelinas, Urbom and Merrill before we return to playing lockdown D? Or are we a franchise that now looks to bring in scores, to fit our aggressive forechecking system?

Please, fire away because these thoughts have been swirling around my head and I'm eager to see how you guys feel

 

The Rangers D corps is not better than the Devils.  McDonagh is definitely better than anyone the Devils run out there.  Then you've got Girardi, who is average.  When he was put with Marc Staal, he was eaten alive 2 years ago.  McDonagh shows up and all of the sudden Girardi is a Norris-trophy winner?  No.  He's a nice player to have, but he's no better than Andy Greene.  Del Zotto makes some nice offensive plays but gives it all back on the back end - he's reaching a point where if he doesn't get better, he's going to be one of these Jack Johnson types who is paid like a top D man but is not.  Stralman did very well with soft minutes, part of me is upset that NJ couldn't sign him 2 seasons ago.  Staal's career is on hold and even before that, while he's got the name of some great players, and while he's a fine stay-at-home D, he was never dominant like the media made him out to be.

 

I guess though the presence of Salvador makes NJ worse than the Rangers because they don't quite have someone that bad eating up top minutes.

 

And the Rangers' D depth is atrocious.  NJ credibly went 8 deep this year, Steve Eminger is awful.

[DJ Eco]

Nice piece by Todd Cordell about the availability of Burmistrov:

 

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Todd-Cordell/The-New-Jersey-Devils-Should-Call-The-Winnipeg-Jets-About-Alex-Burmistrov/159/51702#.UZz5kqXpzlI

[DJ Eco]

The Rangers D corps is not better than the Devils.  McDonagh is definitely better than anyone the Devils run out there.  Then you've got Girardi, who is average.  When he was put with Marc Staal, he was eaten alive 2 years ago.  McDonagh shows up and all of the sudden Girardi is a Norris-trophy winner?  No.  He's a nice player to have, but he's no better than Andy Greene.  Del Zotto makes some nice offensive plays but gives it all back on the back end - he's reaching a point where if he doesn't get better, he's going to be one of these Jack Johnson types who is paid like a top D man but is not.  Stralman did very well with soft minutes, part of me is upset that NJ couldn't sign him 2 seasons ago.  Staal's career is on hold and even before that, while he's got the name of some great players, and while he's a fine stay-at-home D, he was never dominant like the media made him out to be.

 

I guess though the presence of Salvador makes NJ worse than the Rangers because they don't quite have someone that bad eating up top minutes.

 

And the Rangers' D depth is atrocious.  NJ credibly went 8 deep this year, Steve Eminger is awful.

 

Agree on all counts. Girardi has looked very human this offseason, as opposed to last when everyone was high on praising him. If anything, almost all of the goals in Boston-NY Game 2 were while he was on the ice I think. In most cases, they were indirectly caused by him doing what Tortorella told him to do: lying down on the ice to block shots. The pucks bounced off him (or players skated around him), and beat Lundqvist. His defensive style is easy to figure out, he's a 1-dimensional player, an embodiment of Tortorella's "system", or lack thereof...

[Devils731]

Nice piece by Todd Cordell about the availability of Burmistrov:

 

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Todd-Cordell/The-New-Jersey-Devils-Should-Call-The-Winnipeg-Jets-About-Alex-Burmistrov/159/51702#.UZz5kqXpzlI

 

It'd be interesting to see what Atlanta will want for Burmistrov.  Atlanta is in a bad spot, I think, they have a player saying he wants out who is a former 8th overall pick but who hasn't lit it up at any level yet.  I imagine that is going to make teams wary of forking over a ton of value for Burmistrov so I think Atlanta is going to end up getting 75 cents on the dollar.

[Daniel]

It'd be interesting to see what Atlanta will want for Burmistrov.  Atlanta is in a bad spot, I think, they have a player saying he wants out who is a former 8th overall pick but who hasn't lit it up at any level yet.  I imagine that is going to make teams wary of forking over a ton of value for Burmistrov so I think Atlanta is going to end up getting 75 cents on the dollar.

 

Do you intentionally refer to them as Atlanta for some reason?

[Devils731]

Do you intentionally refer to them as Atlanta for some reason?

 

Crap, no, I was thinking back to when Burmistrov was drafted and knew it was the same team.

[Triumph]

The other problem is that you have to get Burmistrov's name on a contract else he could just run to the KHL if he doesn't like what his new team is offering.  Since NJ already got the ersatz Burmistrov in Loktionov there should be no interest there but Burmistrov reminds me of Mikhail Grabovski - just a solid player to have, doesn't do anything great but does everything well.

[CarpathianForest]

Make a three way deal and land MA Fleury.

[cgb6397]

It's a matter of time. PDB has been here two years and there's been 0 turnover in the d corps aside from Foster coming and going. My guess is the team has wanted to make over the defense from within for years and as such have been drafting good defenseman for a while and now have a few stockpiled.

I, for one, cannot wait to see our defense become more mobile. We only have Green, Larsson and Zid as decent PMD, Harrold is ok, Fayne is mobile, but doesn't have too great a shot and isn't a fantastic passer either. In the NHL today, your whole defense needs to be agile and able to add to the offense at all times. We don't need tons of Drew Doughty's, but I think if we can graduate half of our high level d prospects to the NHL in the next 5 years, we'll be looking pretty good on D.

So would you say once we have our prospects up, we'll go to being a trap team? Or will we keep the up tempo forecheck and let our D Men take chances and generate offense?

[DH26]

Make a three way deal and land MA Fleury.

 

Do you wanna never have an awful goalie in the playoffs for 5 million? Me neither. Aside from the year they lost to DET in the finals, he's been average to ECHL level in the playoffs and nothing more. Unless they take Salvador back, no 

Edited May 23, 2013 by DH26

[Devil Dan 56]

Make a three way deal and land MA Fleury.

 

Because this fanbase doesn't beat up the goalies enough already...