NJDevils1214 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 If you trade Rafalski, Gomez doesn't matter.Martin is improving but has two years before he can get to the level of Rafi. Greene???? Hasn't played a game in the NHL and you can't rush the developement of a defensemen (he is at least two years away from making it as our #6 guy). Trading Rafi is not an option if the Devils want to make the playoffs. He is our best defensemen and will be resigned next year when Mogilny & Malakhov salaries are removed. I agree with This person. Raffy is just to valuble to the Team to trade him. We can't be giving up assets like him unless we are guarenteed Talent. Lou wont trade a guy that could turn out to be our captian. I think that Lou may Bring Mogilny up from the minors and send some 1 down for a day to Trade him then bring the other guy back up. He could also Get rid of Mogilny then send Hale and Janson down to the minors to avoid a cap issue but its a toss up at this point. We can all see that we didnt rele concern ourselves with the FA besides gettin Langenbrunner and Elias back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimaira_Devil_#9 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Tallackson, Ryznar, Greene, etc. don't count against the cap if they are in Lowell. But dont they right now count towards the cap over the summer, which is what the figures quoted at the moment are. if you add all the salaries listed on the NHLPA it comes to areund $38 million for all the players with the remainder unsigned. If you cut brylin and marshal alone from that you save 2.25 million whilst still carrying a good level of depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Actually it's more like "33 year old, small, yet one of the leagues best two way defensemen making below average salary in comparison to some other defensive signings and will be re-sign before June 2007." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnderDogX Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Actually it's more like "33 year old, small, yet one of the leagues best two way defensemen making below average salary in comparison to some other defensive signings and will be re-sign before June 2007." Agreed. The only complaint I had about Rafalski is his lack of hip checks of late but that was obviously because he was trying to do too much...all season the Devils defense had some sort of handicap...whether it was Mala*cough* or Klee (yes, I still dislike Klee) but this season barring any shocking change in the Defense I think Rafalski will have a great year and show us just how great a player he is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletToothTony Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 (edited) But dont they right now count towards the cap over the summer, which is what the figures quoted at the moment are.if you add all the salaries listed on the NHLPA it comes to areund $38 million for all the players with the remainder unsigned. If you cut brylin and marshal alone from that you save 2.25 million whilst still carrying a good level of depth. Until the season begins, only one way contracts are counted against the cap, Greene counts. This as where they are at currently. Elias $6,000,000 Brodeur $5,200,000 Rafalski $4,200,000 Malakhov $3,600,000 Mogilny $3,500,000 White $3,000,000 Madden $2,926,000 Langenbrunner $2,800,000 McGillis $2,200,000 Brylin $1,520,000 Matvichuk $1,368,000 Lukowich $1,000,000 Wiemer $950,000 Greene $850,000 Pandolfo $836,000 Marshall $760,000 Parise $703,000 $41,413,000 Edited July 24, 2006 by BulletToothTony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bg. Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Those numbers there are precisely the reason Gionta and Martin's contracts haven't been announced as of yet - however you know they are done deals. Even in the off-season you are only allowed over by 10%...and being that Gomez is an unknown...cannot take the chance of announcing those two guys yet. Have no idea what each of them got (Martin I'd say about a million) but Gionta...he's got to be at least 2.5, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voros19 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Actually it's more like "33 year old, small, slightly above average defenseman making $4.2 million, due to be a free agent after 2007." There is no way you can watch the Devils and honestly think that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-Man Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 There is no way you can watch the Devils and honestly think that. Yeah, right after I watch his 100th "shovel shot" from the point be easily blocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 (edited) Yeah, right after I watch his 100th "shovel shot" from the point be easily blocked. Yes, because clearly this determines his worth, and not his defensive ability and playmaking skill. Rafalski played like an excellent #2 last year - it was easily his best season in the NHL just given that he didn't have Niedermayer or Stevens around to make him look better. He is well worth the price even if his shot from the point wasn't ever that good. There's no way I would trade Rafalski to keep Gomez. Rafalski wants to stay in New Jersey and Gomez probably does not, which means that in a year you're left without either of them. Edited July 24, 2006 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Yeah, right after I watch his 100th "shovel shot" from the point be easily blocked. So the guy's one flaw overrides everything else. Would you rather have Brian McCabe, who has a gun from the point but can't do anything else? Cause that's basically the opposite of Rafalski who can't shoot the puck over 10 MPH if his life depended on it but is utterly dependable in every other facet of the game, and a team player which can't be underestimated especially with Lou. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-Man Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Yes, because clearly this determines his worth, and not his defensive ability and playmaking skill. Rafalski played like an excellent #2 last year - it was easily his best season in the NHL just given that he didn't have Niedermayer or Stevens around to make him look better. He is well worth the price even if his shot from the point wasn't ever that good. There's no way I would trade Rafalski to keep Gomez. Rafalski wants to stay in New Jersey and Gomez probably does not, which means that in a year you're left without either of them. I'll stick with my opinion. He is slightly above average. He was a great complimentary player when Stevens was his partner. When Stevens left, his deficiencies were exposed. And he's not exactly going to get better with age. I'm not sure which team you were watching when you say last year was easily his best season in the NHL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I'll stick with my opinion. He is slightly above average. He was a great complimentary player when Stevens was his partner. When Stevens left, his deficiencies were exposed. And he's not exactly going to get better with age. I'm not sure which team you were watching when you say last year was easily his best season in the NHL. I was watching the Devils - probably saw 80 games or so last season. Rafalski didn't have Stevens around which is what made his season so great - he proved he was clearly capable of taking on the role that was given to him. He is not 'slightly above average', and the Devils would have a very difficult time finding someone to replace his minutes, as he is capable on the backline at both defense and offense. Let's look at Rafalski's salary, then take a gander at some others around the league: Brian Rafalski - $4.2 million. Pavel Kubina - $5 million. Jay McKee - $4 million. Kim Johnsson - $4.05 million. Alexei Zhitnik - $3.5 million. Is Rafalski better than all of these players? Yes. The only one who he may not be more valuable than is Pavel Kubina but Kubina takes too many shifts off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucifersDog Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Why does everyone or most want to trade Rafalski? He has done his job and done it well. He is not a Niedermayer. If Lou had gotten the right defensive players last season instead of the crap he overpaid Rafalski would have had a better year. Rafalski should stay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC Devs Fan Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 So the guy's one flaw overrides everything else. No, but it is damn annoying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 (edited) Is Rafalski better than all of these players? Yes. The only one who he may not be more valuable than is Pavel Kubina but Kubina takes too many shifts off. and likes to bank shots off the temples of defensemen the b@st@rd took six months of Scott Stevens way from me... (Yes they would have been playing into June if Stevens had been there ) A guy can live with half a nut right? I mean and still father kids and stuff too if he wanted... So I've been thinking... would I be a really bad person if I said I wouldn't be so sad if Kubina lost a nut to a slapshot hitting his cup just so? Is that really such a bad thing? I meant one nut... half a nut... that could pose problems.. hehehehehe Edited July 24, 2006 by Pepperkorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 Kubina sucks and Toronto will learn that lesson pretty quickly as he will be the fans second coming of Aki Berg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 The Devils are a Win Now team. Everything they've done points to that. You don't give Elias seven years and Brodeur a huge extension to finish his career a Devil. And don't commit six years to Colin White. Translation: The Devils will do whatever they can to retain Gomez, Gionta and Rafalski. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 There is no way you can watch the Devils and honestly think that. Simple I follow NHL hockey, based on that, I can say it without hesitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tretyak 20 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Rafs averaged 25 1/2 minutes of ice time a night. The only D's in the NHL who averaged more ice time were Lidstrom, Pronger, Chara and Zubov (aside from Kaberle and McCabe, who were the only actual Defensemen the Laughs had). So which one of those guys do you think we could get cheap to replace Rafalski's minutes? (guys who averaged equal or less TOI included Niedermayer, Bouwmeester, Ohlund, Hannan, Blake... etc. etc. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyFan42 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 The Devils are a Win Now team. Everything they've done points to that. You don't give Elias seven years and Brodeur a huge extension to finish his career a Devil. And don't commit six years to Colin White. I've thought about this and thought about this... and I can't disagree. I'm not sure I get how the reasoning supports the premise, though; how do you pass up the chance to lock up your two franchise players long-term and to do the same to one of your core defensemen? Anyway, ever since the mid-'90s, the Devils have indeed been in the mindset of "win now, worry about the future later". Obviously it hasn't gone to the extent that some other teams have taken it, where if you don't win it all this year it's the end of the world, and they haven't gone as far as to make one ridiculous UFA signing after another in an attempt to buy the Cup (the three Ms were a different kind of desperation move), but there's definitely been an unhealthy dose of mortgaging the future for various Cup runs. I'm not interested in the usual "so you would have rather not won the Cup three times/made all those Cup runs just so you could be in a better position now?" retort. I point to one simple fact: the Devils were woefully unprepared for both Stevens and Niedermayer to leave at the same time and for Elias to miss half a season. Sure, you can argue that no team would have been prepared for that, but the Devils were supposed to be the one team that was. World-class farm system, flock of interchangeable parts, all that jazz. What happened to it? It was all traded away for "that one final piece to the Cup puzzle" or left because absolutely nothing was changing up top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnderDogX Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I agree as well but its all full circle as far as the reasoning....in the beginning we sucked and got good draft picks....because of our great front office and scouts we were able to build a winning team...but eventually all that winning leads to being further down the line in the draft and without solid picks the farm team slowly became kids that were going to take time to grow and some didn't work out...give the fact that the Devils were still and are still a contending team there are years when a draft pick here and there CAN get us a piece of the puzzle that better our chances at a cup run. Sadly our well was running dry in Albany and the cap system came at a bad time for us....with our big 3 of 4 players out Lou made some desperation moves that didn't pan out...it put us in a bad spot....that combined with Lou's past thinking of signing players for 2 years max and it all falls into place with were we are now. Unless Lou works some serious magic and we start getting lucky with draft picks then it's going to come full circle were we don't contend for a few years and restock Lowell with good young players....hopefully it won't come to that but we'll have to wait and see how our team fairs with the cap restricting us.... At least Lou's smartened up with signing players for more than 2 years....we can say that 5 years for White is a bit much and the same for Langs but don't forget they are below the 35 yr old mark and at least they can be sent down/traded or whatever without a problem with the cap....the cap sadly is going to force teams to do just that pay cheap now for long term with the younger players and sign short for the vets. As always just my two cents!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils_fan4life Posted July 26, 2006 Author Share Posted July 26, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils_fan4life Posted July 26, 2006 Author Share Posted July 26, 2006 I think the devils r screwed this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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