Triumph Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Well, that little tidbit about Sykora is very interesting.. someone on the board speculated that that was the case.. Probably for financial reasons, I imagine Tverdovsky and Friesen make around 6 million combined, whereas Sykora only made 4.. I don't think Lou would've kept Sykora, but he would have tried to move him out for prospects rather than established players. The #89 story is interesting as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge18 Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 As i see it Sundstrom the O'Donnell move really does matter. Mitchel was the one who was ready to take Dano's spot. Thats one less thing to worry about. Also with him i doubt Albelin ever gets signed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 JimmyLeeds: He also said that Sykora for Friesen/Tvo would NOT have happened if LHRB had signed.Also, he said Mogilny called him up begging for Lou to match Toronto's offer, and Lou told him to immediatley hang up and accept Toronto's $$. Damn, that's more honest than I'd expect Lou or any other GM to be. The Mogilny part doesn't really suprise me, though since Mogilny made it perfectly clear he wanted to stay here even at his first press conference in Toronto. Unfortunately it probably came down to the no-trade that he got from Toronto which Lou never gives in writing. The Sykora/Holik collaboration does surprise me, especially after what Sykora did and Matt's on-air statement that Sykora lost the respect of his teammates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chort Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Pretty interesting answers. Just when I was starting to get over the Mogilny departure........I see Sweet Lou confirm that all he had to do was match the Leafs..........something the Mogilny was saying all along. I promise not to start re-hashing the Mogilny thing.........still, what coulda been! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 wow, I'm surprised Lou revealed so much nice to know Almo wanted to be here, Lou is the one to blame. It's hard to believe he would let him slip away to such a huge rival. I wasn't happy when Lemieux was traded for the first time but when the deal came down I thought it was very fair. Claude Lemieux was coming off 2 excellant playoffs in 93-94 and 94-95. But the 94 regular season was very average and his 95 season was poor, but back then I didn't know about the personal problems he was going through with the divorce and all. Call me crazy(Triumph probably will) but going into the 95-96 season, Thomas was only 1 year removed from a 42 goal year in 94 and a 37 goal year in 93 with a great playoff. I though he was going to score 40 for us. Heck he probably would've scored around 30 goals and 80 pts in 96 had the supporting cast been better, but those guys just couldn't score to save there lives. Richer had his injuries and personal problems, Maclean dropped off bigtime, Nieds took a step back, Stevens wasn't scoring 50-70 pts anymore, Zele wasn't the same, Driver & Nicholls were gone. Thomas never did anything in the big games which was dissapointing because he'd been a playoff wizard before coming to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redruM Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 I have to admit I was very excited about Thomas coming to NJ, but "7" is right, he did not doa THING int he playoffs, which was the whole reason he was here!!! The Almo story is histerical, but I think Syk would have been gone either way, but like someonelse said it probably would yhave been for prospects and a salary dump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 I didn't know very much about other teams in 95, ^7^. I will say that Thomas was a 'playoff wizard' before and after coming to New Jersey, but never in Jersey. I also remember from his tenure here that he used to float up near center ice a lot, more so than Guerin or #89 did. Steve Thomas was a huge disappointment in New Jersey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepperkorn Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 nice to know Almo wanted to be here, Lou is the one to blame. It's hard to believe he would let him slip away to such a huge rival. I agree ^7^ - nice to know. It doesn't really change my opinion I'm just glad to know Lou's being fully accountable for it. Even though I shared the sentiment would I ever have the balls to make that call? I'm so freaking wishy washy if someone said "Please just match this" and he was talented...it would be really hard for me to say no. - what's a million here or there? Lou makes me feel like a total sap. And the Almo thing makes me think Bobby LHRB is a buttwipe hypersensative weenie. Seems like a double standard huh? To me Lou has conviction and Bobby the LHRB is greedy! heeheehee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 Red: I have to admit I was very excited about Thomas coming to NJ, but "7" is right, he did not doa THING int he playoffs, which was the whole reason he was here!!! Yeah...I was never a big fan of the deal myself. I thought Thomas was a okay player but I was like, Steve Thomas? For the Conn Smythe winner? I understood why Claude was dealt, but I didn't like the deal itself. He tried hard, but he was the little engine that couldn't unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Leeds Posted October 7, 2002 Share Posted October 7, 2002 red...refer to my last post....the Sykora deal would NOT have happened if your buddy has stayed. Lou was very believable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redruM Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Jimmy I beleive he said it, but IMHO Syk had to be traded after his horrifc performance in the playoffs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddDog Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 red...refer to my last post....the Sykora deal would NOT have happened if your buddy has stayed. Lou was very believable. Assuming this is true, I still don't really understand the trade then. We lose Holik which is size down the middle, and a bit of scoring. We lose that, but is his replacement supposed to be Friesen? Friesen is a winger and he's not nearly as moose-like as A$$holik, although the scoring is probably comparable (?). So who replaces Sykora - no one? Tverdovsky is a defenseman. Did Lou decide to just change the direction of the team and load up on defense once he lost a key forward???? Or is he hoping Gionta types pick up the slack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueNJ97 Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Did he say he wouldn't have dealt Sykora at all if Holik had signed? Or that he wouldn't have made that particular deal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Leeds Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Let me clarify this a tad....... what Lou said was that if the LHRB had resigned, the Devs would not have been able to take on the extra $$ of the combined contracts of Friesen and Tvo. He stated that Anaheim was in financial straits, and they were looking to unload, ergo, that's where he jumped in with the trade. (It's what he said). It was a $ issue, not replacement of the LHRB. One other interesting thing that I would like someone to answer for me. Lou mentioned to me that when the LHRB was in arbitration, the numbers he asked for, (what was it $6 million/6 years, I believe?) was not doable at that point because the Devs had not resigned Marty or Stevens. Is that timing correct? (I thought they were signed at that point already....but I wasn't going to question him). I'm taking him at his word there. It sounds to me that if those two had been signed already, the LHRB would have gotten those numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Let me clarify this a tad....... what Lou said was that if the LHRB had resigned, the Devs would not have been able to take on the extra $$ of the combined contracts of Friesen and Tvo. He stated that Anaheim was in financial straits, and they were looking to unload, ergo, that's where he jumped in with the trade. (It's what he said).It was a $ issue, not replacement of the LHRB. One other interesting thing that I would like someone to answer for me. Lou mentioned to me that when the LHRB was in arbitration, the numbers he asked for, (what was it $6 million/6 years, I believe?) was not doable at that point because the Devs had not resigned Marty or Stevens. Is that timing correct? (I thought they were signed at that point already....but I wasn't going to question him). I'm taking him at his word there. It sounds to me that if those two had been signed already, the LHRB would have gotten those numbers. Marty wasn't signed until the fall, I believe Stevens was too. So with the arbitration in July, then the time frame would be correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueNJ97 Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 One other interesting thing that I would like someone to answer for me. Lou mentioned to me that when the LHRB was in arbitration, the numbers he asked for, (what was it $6 million/6 years, I believe?) was not doable at that point because the Devs had not resigned Marty or Stevens. Is that timing correct? (I thought they were signed at that point already....but I wasn't going to question him). I'm taking him at his word there. It sounds to me that if those two had been signed already, the LHRB would have gotten those numbers. Marty wasn't signed until the fall, I believe Stevens was too. So with the arbitration in July, then the time frame would be correct. Neither Marty nor Stevens signed until the season had already started. Marty signed first and then Stevens. This is the same pecking order that was established the last time both Marty & Stevens signed contracts, Marty went first & then Stevens signed a few months later. This is actually what I suspected all along. Lou was following his 'order of importance' (whether you agree with it or not) and wasn't going to sign Holik until after the contracts for Marty or Stevens had been done. I don't agree with it and I can't imagine Marty or Stevens would have minded if he had just signed Holik. But then again, maybe he didn't know what it would take to sign Marty and didn't know what kind of $$$ he would have available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Lou is OBVIOUSLY talking about Claude Lemieux. You don't regret small potatoes like Willie Mitchell/Sean O'Donnell or Deron Quint. And I'm glad Lamoriello made the headcase Mogilny take the NJ discount. F- him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redruM Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 And I'm glad Lamoriello made the headcase Mogilny take the NJ discount. F- him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Lou is OBVIOUSLY talking about Claude Lemieux. You don't regret small potatoes like Willie Mitchell/Sean O'Donnell or Deron Quint. And I'm glad Lamoriello made the headcase Mogilny take the NJ discount. F- him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainScotty Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Head case? Hes weird, but you cant deny that the dude is good, and he doesnt run in circles around a pile of cash like Hole -ik. I definitely think it was the no trade bit that ruffled Lou's panties. Any chance we can resign him after he leaves Tor? The aging Mogilny retire a Devil? If nothing else, his reappearance would probably ease a couple of lingering doubts on this team.... But probably not, anyone make a list of UFAs at the end of this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Leeds Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Lou NEVER mentioned the no-trade (not to say he would)...he just said that the $ was not there at that time. Lou also said that when the team was sold, his recommendation to the new owners was to NOT hire him!!! He also said that the Devs WERE GOING TO NASHVILLE in '95.... but he never really explained why they did not go......(how their new lease came to be) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Captain Scotty, You already lost me when you mentioned Holik in the same breath as Mogilny. Holik is one of the best playoff performers to ever wear the Devil uniform. He ALWAYS showed up for the playoffs, even when the team bowed out in the first round against teams like Pittsburgh and Carolina. Mogilny was here two years and didn't score much in the playoffs. He can't wear Holik's jock, mainly because Mogilny has no balls. I know that's not going to be a popular statement, but I don't care. When the stakes were high, poor little Alex didn't show. And don't go acting like Mogilny didn't chase a pile of cash. He did. Most of the players do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewarkDevil5 Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 Wow, amazing how quickly we forget that Holik's goal in the Flyers series in 2000 was his first in over four years. He was not a playoff performer... never was and never will be. Holik was known for a long time as Mr October. He'd come to play for the first two months of the year and look like he was on pace for 40 goals then peter out till he got about 25-29. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redruM Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 I have to agree w/ Newark here, for the longest time Holik sicked once MArch hit the calender!!! yEAH HE WAS STILL A DEFENSIVE FORCE, AND THAT ALONE WAS HUGE FOR THE dEVS (sorry about he caps), but until 2001 he was notexactly Mr playoffs!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted October 8, 2002 Share Posted October 8, 2002 ND: Wow, amazing how quickly we forget that Holik's goal in the Flyers series in 2000 was his first in over four years. He was not a playoff performer... never was and never will be. A$$Holik did not perform in the playoffs when he was a FIRST line center, but he was more than fine when his role was reduced, i.e. third line center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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