Ray Shero Appreciation Thread

[mfitz804]

Thanks, that was my recollection. 

[Devil Dan 56]

The best way to appreciate Shero is of course to point out one thing that wasn't really his fault. 

 

Shero has done an amazing job and I hope Shattenkirk has a weird jock itch he can't seem to get rid of. Not bad. Just annoying. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Nice DD56...yeah, to sum up Shattenshart, Shero did NOTHING wrong on that one.  Shatt's wet dream was to play for the team he grew up rooting for, that team found a way to create some cap room to sign him (this being the biggest domino to fall), and Shatt was willing to take less money to make it happen.  Sometimes there really is nothing you can do. 

That being said, I have no doubts about Shero's ability to address needs...or that he won't be trying his best to explore all avenues if he decides that the current D could use an upgrade.  For now let's just see how this group progresses...two brand-new young faces and a guy in Severson who will hopefully improve AND not have as much rotten luck as he did last season...Shero obviously thought enough of him to commit pretty heavily to him.     

[mfitz804]

And, I would add, he knows that’s where our biggest hole is. I expect the Devils to be in the running for a major free agent defenseman this offseason, it just remains to be seen how major a player is available. Anyone know?

[MadDog2020]

Really depends on how the kid D develops...two of them Shero inherited (he did take a plunge in wrapping up Severson for six years), and two of them he brought in.  Depending on how those guys develop, he may not have to go too crazy in bringing in outside help via UFA or trade (but hard to think that he won't have to add a D-man or two through that route at some point in the next couple of years...just not sure what tier level they'll be). 

I think if John Carlson hits the market, it's a no-brainer. I just don't think he'll make it to July 1.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MadDog2020]

And, I would add, he knows that’s where our biggest hole is. I expect the Devils to be in the running for a major free agent defenseman this offseason, it just remains to be seen how major a player is available. Anyone know?

As I mentioned in my previous post, Carlson is the guy- I just doubt he'll get to the market.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, MadDog2020 said:

As I mentioned in my previous post, Carlson is the guy- I just doubt he'll get to the market.

Capitals are pretty much capped out this season, and don't really have THAT much money coming off next year:

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/capitals

But I think if he ever made it to the market, Shero would pursue him aggressively and gladly overpay him to come aboard.  And Carlson did grow up in Woodbridge, NJ, for what that's worth...but apparently was a more of a Bruins fan (though he did have some interest in the Devils due to proximity and being able to go to their games):

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/john-carlson-was-not-a-fan-of-rangers-growing-up-1.3714955

[mfitz804]

25 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Capitals are pretty much capped out this season, and don't really have THAT much money coming off next year:

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/capitals

But I think if he ever made it to the market, Shero would pursue him aggressively and gladly overpay him to come aboard.  And Carlson did grow up in Woodbridge, NJ, for what that's worth...but apparently was a more of a Bruins fan (though he did have some interest in the Devils due to proximity and being able to go to their games):

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/john-carlson-was-not-a-fan-of-rangers-growing-up-1.3714955

Never a Rangers fan...I like him already. 

[NJDevs4978]

On 10/10/2017 at 5:20 PM, pattyelias said:

Shero has done a bit of that with old Penguins like bringing in Hynes and signing Lovejoy and Bennett.

He also cut bait on Bennett after a year when he could have just brought him back, and now Lovejoy's a healthy scratch in year two of his three year deal (though that probably only lasts as long as Butcher can play 12 minutes without being a tire fire).  He's been a bit quicker to hold guys accountable than Lou at the end.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

16 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

He also cut bait on Bennett after a year when he could have just brought him back, and now Lovejoy's a healthy scratch in year two of his three year deal (though that probably only lasts as long as Butcher can play 12 minutes without being a tire fire).  He's been a bit quicker to hold guys accountable than Lou at the end.

Yeah I like that Shero doesn't just seem to let guys hang around, once he's made up his mind about what they can (or can't) bring to the Devils long-term.  If Bennett and DSP were Mets, they probably get at least another year, possibly two...Lovejoy would've gotten at least a half-season's worth of considerable playing time, regardless of performance (see Reyes, Jose).  Who knows how long a guy like Josefson would've gotten?  Shero was clearly in full-on "Some guys have got to go" mode...no waiting to see if they could bounce back, improve, etc. 

I still think Lovejoy will still factor in at some point...just hard to fathom that everyone in the current six will stay healthy.  But I like that he's been correctly identified as the "in case of emergency" guy...Hynes and Shero saw the same sh!tstorm we did last year, and while that was OK last season, it wouldn't be this year.

[lazer]

im repeating myself but i can only imagine Shero still uses that 1-5 grading system he had in the HBO winter classic.

 

[LittleBallofHate]

Bumping this thread to add a few things that I found elsewhere that made me appreciate Mr. Shero (& Hynes & this team so far this year...): 

1. This bit about St Louis (from here: https://www.stlouisgametime.com/2018/2/19/17029252/seven-years-later-a-familiar-storm-brews): 

Jeremy Rutherford is now with The Athletic, and released a mailbag this week (subscription required) in which he expressed some unusually pointed criticisms of the team.

“Every May,” he wrote, “I see a despondent group of players and every October-April I see the same group making the same mistakes and excuses.”

Rutherford went on to mention that some players may be wary of Vladimir Tarasenko’s work ethic, and delivered this rebuke which was stronger than any I can remember reading from him in recent years:

“Guys are just playing hockey, many of them not playing FOR EACH OTHER. And I haven’t even mentioned the guys who are just playing for the paycheck or the lifestyle, which in this case I’m not going to name names, but they know who they are.”

That’s an alarming passage to read from a reporter who has been around the team nearly every day for more than a decade, and it seems to bring a problem of locker room culture into sharp relief.

 

2. This Canes article (snippet grabbed from here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article200878794.html)

There’s no point in rebuilding around raw, young talent if that talent doesn’t get any better; Hanifin is still very early on the timeline for a defenseman’s development, but his lack of progress is increasingly disconcerting.

The goal-scorer himself, Hall, also inadvertently highlighted a major problem with the Hurricanes. Ray Shero was tasked with rebuilding the Devils after they withered in the final years under Lou Lamoriello. Like Francis, Shero has slowly added young talent to a core of older players like Travis Zajac and Andy Greene; unlike Francis, he lucked out with the No. 1 pick last year to add Swiss center Nico Hischier.

But Shero also took matters into his own hands: In his second offseason on the job, he made a massive player-for-player trade to land Hall for defenseman Adam Larsson. This fall, he brought in defenseman Sami Vatanen for forward Adam Henrique. Both Hall and Vatanen are elite talent in their 20s, upgrades over their predecessors. Francis, meanwhile, has yet to make a meaningful trade in four seasons as GM – nor make the playoffs. After beating the Hurricanes twice in four days, the Devils now look like they’ll make it in their third season under Shero – and with their No. 1 goalie being hurt for a good chunk of the second half to boot.

[NJDevs4978]

We're definitely spoiled with GM's...to follow a (mostly) successful 30-year run from Lou with Shero is unreal.  Yes in five years we might be singing a different tune if the Devils haven't won a playoff series or three but to go from the rock bottom of Fan Appreciation Day in 2015 to where this team is now with only one real bit of luck involved (the lottery) is definitely getting ahead of the curve.

I do agree with most of the above post too, Shero has held people accountable more than many GM's would - see: last offseason streeting Camm, DSP, Bennett and changing the culture instead of defaulting to firing the coach first when things went sour last year.  I'm not a huge fan of Hynes' lineup decisions at times but inside the room he also holds people accountable and has their respect which is at least half the battle as a head coach.  I do think calling Vatanen an elite talent is a stretch but the deal's actually been a win-win for both teams.  We needed Vat and they needed Henrique.

[Daniel]

1 hour ago, NJDevs4978 said:

We're definitely spoiled with GM's...to follow a (mostly) successful 30-year run from Lou with Shero is unreal.  Yes in five years we might be singing a different tune if the Devils haven't won a playoff series or three but to go from the rock bottom of Fan Appreciation Day in 2015 to where this team is now with only one real bit of luck involved (the lottery) is definitely getting ahead of the curve.

I do agree with most of the above post too, Shero has held people accountable more than many GM's would - see: last offseason streeting Camm, DSP, Bennett and changing the culture instead of defaulting to firing the coach first when things went sour last year.  I'm not a huge fan of Hynes' lineup decisions at times but inside the room he also holds people accountable and has their respect which is at least half the battle as a head coach.  I do think calling Vatanen an elite talent is a stretch but the deal's actually been a win-win for both teams.  We needed Vat and they needed Henrique.

Shero could pretty much go to center ice during the middle of Rangers Devils game and take a giant dump on the Devils logo and it wouldn’t matter to me.  The Hall trade is not only a giant case of highway robbery, but people forget that he somehow must have beaten other GMs to the punch.  Have we ever had a player that was in the Hart conversation?  Maybe Parise and maybe Elias, but not like Hall.

I’ve also been very impressed with Vatanen.  Guys like him also don’t become available all that often.  Elite?  Let them have a insufferable debate about that on NHL Radio.

The players seem to respect Haynes and I suppose in the end that’s what probably matters the most, although when you stop winning the respect tends to dry up.

['7']

2 hours ago, NJDevs4978 said:

We're definitely spoiled with GM's...to follow a (mostly) successful 30-year run from Lou with Shero is unreal.  Yes in five years we might be singing a different tune if the Devils haven't won a playoff series or three but to go from the rock bottom of Fan Appreciation Day in 2015 to where this team is now with only one real bit of luck involved (the lottery) is definitely getting ahead of the curve.

I do agree with most of the above post too, Shero has held people accountable more than many GM's would - see: last offseason streeting Camm, DSP, Bennett and changing the culture instead of defaulting to firing the coach first when things went sour last year.  I'm not a huge fan of Hynes' lineup decisions at times but inside the room he also holds people accountable and has their respect which is at least half the battle as a head coach.  I do think calling Vatanen an elite talent is a stretch but the deal's actually been a win-win for both teams.  We needed Vat and they needed Henrique.

You know very rarely from when the Devils became legit to about that date was the Pru center or Byrne/CAA truly 1/2 Rangers fans even though it was often claimed. That day it was probably legit 1/2 to even 60% Rangers fans. What bugs me is that we have no more MSG games this year to return the favor even though the Rags are selling.

 

['7']

45 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Shero could pretty much go to center ice during the middle of Rangers Devils game and take a giant dump on the Devils logo and it wouldn’t matter to me.  The Hall trade is not only a giant case of highway robbery, but people forget that he somehow must have beaten other GMs to the punch.  Have we ever had a player that was in the Hart conversation?  Maybe Parise and maybe Elias, but not like Hall.

I’ve also been very impressed with Vatanen.  Guys like him also don’t become available all that often.  Elite?  Let them have a insufferable debate about that on NHL Radio.

The players seem to respect Haynes and I suppose in the end that’s what probably matters the most, although when you stop winning the respect tends to dry up.

Well credit to Shero for making a bold-ish move and giving up a still productive sentimental favorite that was one of our last links to the 2012 cup runs. He didn't fear the blow-back and he correctly identified that Henrique was in fact expendable. In his last years Lou was too blinded by loyalty and it really hurt us