MantaRay Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Why do you have so much stock in Bergfors and Oduya, Manta? Oduya has been quite bad minus one end-to-end rush against the Hurricanes a year ago. He's noticeably softer on defense this year than ever before. Bergfors is good and all, but he's already 23 or 24 right? How much more real development does he have within this organization? He isn't going to be our future first-line RW. Also, where has he been 5-on-5 the past 2 months? So, I feel the exact opposite. These are the type of players you can do away with for a rental-caliber player like former #1 draft pick Kovalchuk. A player that has 31 goals in only 49 games so far this year. What's the Devils biggest glaring weakness right now? Scoring. I still don't truly believe the rumors until something happens. But this is all doable. We haven't seen anything from Oduya yet, he is still developing, now Steven and Larry are his tutors. He is getting more confidence leading the rush and jumping in the play he is going to be a great D in the next few years (he is a rare find). Bergfors is going to be another potential star in two or three years, similiar to Zajac and his development. I would hate to throw away years of talent on a whim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 manta has this theory about winners and losers - chris pronger can't win a stanley cup, for instance, because he just can't. likewise ilya kovalchuk doesn't care about winning because just look at him. same with alex mogilny and jason arnott - they are born losers, like george c. scott says in the hustler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 No? It won't be shocking if guys like Cormier, Josefson, Halischuk, Zharkov, Eckford, or Corrente make the team next year, I think. Then you've got guys like Vasyunov, Tedenby, and Urbom who all could have dark horse shots. Alot of people thought that about Vrana too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allthegoodnamesweretaken Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 TG hasn't denied it because he, like everyone else, doesn't know what Lou is gonna do. He has said numerous times that we shouldn't get our hopes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 We haven't seen anything from Oduya yet, he is still developing, now Steven and Larry are his tutors. He is getting more confidence leading the rush and jumping in the play he is going to be a great D in the next few years (he is a rare find). That's last years Oduya you're talking about, right? Not this years or 2 years ago certainly. I'm just busting chops though, Oduya has looked much better his last 5 games. At 28 or 29 I don't think he's going to be getting any better than last year though, so you've got him signed to a contract that is fair valued as long as he is playing his best, which he hasn't come close to this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 manta has this theory about winners and losers - chris pronger can't win a stanley cup, for instance, because he just can't. likewise ilya kovalchuk doesn't care about winning because just look at him. same with alex mogilny and jason arnott - they are born losers, like george c. scott says in the hustler. Always insightful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Alot of people thought that about Vrana too. Yes, that's 1 player versus 6 guys that seems right there and a 3 that are on the outside. 1 player planning out is a lot less likely than 1 or 2 our of 9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMONPETEYD Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Clearly you don't watch Kovalchuk. And who are you? You are just like any one of us here.... I dunno, you come off real smug by making judements like that. So maybe instead of saying he doesnt want to win, maybe you say.. sometimes he doesn't give his 100% effort on the D side of the puck. does that mean a guy doesnt want to win. no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJayDevil Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 We haven't seen anything from Oduya yet, he is still developing, now Steven and Larry are his tutors. He is getting more confidence leading the rush and jumping in the play he is going to be a great D in the next few years (he is a rare find). Bergfors is going to be another potential star in two or three years, similiar to Zajac and his development. I would hate to throw away years of talent on a whim. Haven't seen anything from Oduya yet? This is his 4th season. And he's 29. What are you waiting to see? Scotty has been his mentor all this season, and yet it's his softest yet. Maybe what Scotty is preaching isn't getting through to Oduya. Bergfors is a good player, don't get me wrong. But I don't know if star is the right way to describe him. He is expendable. He won't be what Zajac has eventually turned into. He doesn't have the vision, the defensive awareness, nor the center position like Zajac does. The Devils farm has an ample amount of wingers who can be just as good if not better than Bergfors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatansDevils Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 None of which are ready, nor will they be in a year. and how do you know this Manta? FYI, Corrente and Eckford are ready NOW. Tedenby and Josefson could be playing in 2-years. Zharkov will have this years experience to even get better for next season. Future still looks bright even without an underachievers like Bergfors and Oduya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 From Andy Strickland's blog, he's a pretty reliable guy: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=26028 Kings? Speaking to a source with inside knowledge of the Kings organization I can tell you they don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 bergfors was only drafted a year after zajac, fyi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HellOnICE Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 You have to look at Kovy as a rental, because the Devils don't have the money to sign him long term - unless they got a discount (hahahahaha (which won't happen). Vanderbeek has little say about what LL does player personell wise. LL wouldn't stand for that. This talk about Kovy being a defensive liability is not concerning, you put him out there with four guys that are, chances are he'll be ok - and we have a good goalie. I still think this is a Kubina deal. I'll keep saying it. However, Tri is right, the Dudley/Waddell visits have to mean Kovy is in there somewhere, because it just seems like too much detail to be paid to a Kubina deal...unless of course the Devils are blowing this deal up.. i.e. trying to get Kubina, White, and Kovy and trade a ginormous package the other way. 731, TG and Lebrun reported it as fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 731, TG and Lebrun reported it as fact. I know they reported him at the game but I take that as different than having a meeting together, unless you're saying the meeting was confirmed by TG and Lebrun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv4Life Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Vanderbeek has little say about what LL does player personell wise. LL wouldn't stand for that. If, and I mean if he's traded here, Vanderbeek would have something to do with it imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sickman Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 (edited) This talk that letting Oduya, Bergfors, Palms and a pick go for Kovalchuk would be hurting our future is ridiculous. I would do that trade all day long. Oduya stinks. Even if he rebounds what is he really going to bring to this team that is so great? 731 said it best. We have seen this guy's upside over the last couple of years. I rather ditch that contract and put it toward someone who can provide a little bit more. Its nothing personal but he has been awful this season. With Martin being out he had a great chance to anchor this d-corps and he has done nothing. Peace out Oduya, its been grand. Bergfors has hit a wall big time. I wouldn't be as concerned with the scoring but he doesn't seem to be strong defensively either. I'm not suggesting the Devils should give up on him but this is Kovalchuk we're talking about here. A dynamic offenisve player. Losing Palmieri and a first round pick in a weak draft is a risk worth taking. Atlanta has to be asking for more though because this trade would be a no-brainer for the Devils even if Kovalchuk only plays here for a couple of months. Ditching that Oduya contract is a win all on its own. Edited February 4, 2010 by SickMan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oofrostonoo Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 And who are you? You are just like any one of us here.... I dunno, you come off real smug by making judements like that. So maybe instead of saying he doesnt want to win, maybe you say.. sometimes he doesn't give his 100% effort on the D side of the puck. does that mean a guy doesnt want to win. no. Almo was accused of the same thing before he came over for the first time. The full season we had with him was the best team the Devils ever had. Getting players like Kovy usually would deplete our resources too much, this year we have quite a few prospects that we could part with and still be on good ground. I can think of a bunch of reasonable scenarios that go down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneykoIsGod Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 From Andy Strickland's blog, he's a pretty reliable guy: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=26028 This is the first I've heard that Dudley's visit included a face-to-face with Lou. If true .... Usually the Devils are among the rare exceptions to the whole "Where there's smoke, there's fire" theory. But there seems to be a hell of a lot of smoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatansDevils Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Just the thought of seeing a line of Elias-Zubrus-Kovalchuk is making my hair stand up on my arms. Lol! Zubrus is a type of player that needs TWO good players and scores for him to be a threat. That has already shown with him playing with Parise and Zajac in the last several games. By getting Kovalchuk and a healthy Elias back, the Devils will finally have that 2-line scoring threat. Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner Elias-Zubrus-Kovalchuk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneykoIsGod Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Almo was accused of the same thing before he came over for the first time. The full season we had with him was the best team the Devils ever had. And didn't Almo end up getting PK time eventually? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeCups Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 (edited) Just the thought of seeing a line of Elias-Zubrus-Kovalchuk is making my hair stand up on my arms. Lol! Zubrus is a type of player that needs TWO good players and scores for him to be a threat. That has already shown with him playing with Parise and Zajac in the last several games. By getting Kovalchuk and a healthy Elias back, the Devils will finally have that 2-line scoring threat. Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner Elias-Zubrus-Kovalchuk I'd call that....the best top 2 lines in the NHL! EDIT: The possible PP combinations are making my head spin! Edited February 4, 2010 by ThreeCups Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skullsmasher Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Just the thought of seeing a line of Elias-Zubrus-Kovalchuk is making my hair stand up on my arms. Lol! Zubrus is a type of player that needs TWO good players and scores for him to be a threat. That has already shown with him playing with Parise and Zajac in the last several games. By getting Kovalchuk and a healthy Elias back, the Devils will finally have that 2-line scoring threat. Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner Elias-Zubrus-Kovalchuk Wow I really didn't even care to follow the rumors until you said that. Definitely the best two lines I can think of if we did get this guy. Although I personally still can't see it happening, I sure would love to see those two lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 And didn't Almo end up getting PK time eventually? Funny thing about Almo is that, when he first got here in 2000, it was looking like his days as a scorer were over...Almo himself seemed to accept that, and was even referring to himself as a "plumber" on the ice. IIRC he only had something like 7 or 8 goals after his first 30 games the following year, and supposedly Lou was considering trading him, when he suddenly got red-hot and went on a tear the rest of the regular season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elias26 Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 If Kovalchuk goes to NJ there will be celebration like we won the cup (which I will be apart of). He will put more fans in the seats and increase TV rating instantly. Things the Devils need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneykoIsGod Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 If Kovalchuk goes to NJ there will be celebration like we won the cup (which I will be apart of). He will put more fans in the seats and increase TV rating instantly. Things the Devils need. Seriously. A team with Brodeur, Parise and Elias already has star power. Throw Kovalchuk into the mix and suddenly even NBC might be interested in us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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