2013 New Jersey Devils (Team News, Player Discussion - Part VI)

[Zippy316]

I like that team.
Can Lou pull it off without mortgaging the future?

Gagne for Tallinder and a 2014 conditional pick.

Gagne-Zajac-Kovalchuk
Elias-Henrique-Butler
Ponikarovski-Zubrus-Clarkson
Carter-Gionta-Bernier
Loktionov, Josefson

Greene-Larsson
Salvador-Zidlicky
Volchenkov-Fayne
Harrold


I like that team a lot.

 

[apice3*]

I'm starting to feel like Zajac and Kovy don't belong together. I'd really like to see Elias play with Kovy.

 

[Bleedred]

I'm starting to feel like Zajac and Kovy don't belong together. I'd really like to see Elias play with Kovy.

I'd like to see them too, but I'm not sure if we have the depth for that. We definitely need a defined top 6 winger here to try that.

 

[apice3*]

Gagne for Tallinder and a 2014 3rd round pick.

Gagne-Zajac-Kovalchuk
Elias-Henrique-Butler
Ponikarovski-Zubrus-Clarkson
Carter-Gionta-Bernier
Loktionov, Josefson

Rather than Gagne on the top line and Zubrus as a 3rd line center, I think it's more realistic that we put Zubrus into a complimentary 1st line role with Zajac and Kovy and get Weiss to center our 3rd line.

Our centers are all struggling offensively during this brief stretch.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I am still not sold on Butler.
He has shown flashes of scoring ability but no consistency yet.

 

[Zippy316]

Rather than Gagne on the top line and Zubrus as a 3rd line center, I think it's more realistic that we put Zubrus into a complimentary 1st line role with Zajac and Kovy and get Weiss to center our 3rd line.

Our centers are all struggling offensively during this brief stretch.

Weiss will cost more and require us to give us young guys as they'd be looking for futures.

LA will be going for the cup, so they wouldn't sell Gagne off for futures, thus being the perfect opportunity to dump Tallinder. They'd be looking for guys that help them now, Tallinder offers that.

 

[Zippy316]

I am still not sold on Butler.
He has shown flashes of scoring ability but no consistency yet.

I know we use the excuse, but when he's played so far, he's had to try to do it all himself. I think if you give him linemates that can do some of the work he'd be more effective offensively. Right now, he's playing a fourth line role and it's more of a "play a solid two-way game and don't get scored on but the points are a bonus."

Honestly, how many points have we gotten from a fourth line at even strength. Matteau-Josefson-Janssen to Barch-Loktionov-Butler.

If I recall correctly, it's a big fat zero. Butler's only points came on the PP, Josefson's came immediately after a PK, and Matteau has only put up points with Zajac and Kovalchuk. Barch is pointless and so was Janssen.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Stralman would make us a better team. Hard to think we let him go.

 

[kiwidevil]

Oh my. You have got to me kidding me.

 

[Status Quo*]

Not sure where to put this but does anyone know if they make player hoodies with name and number like the player t-shirts? My sister asked me about this earlier today and got me wondering.

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm starting to feel like Zajac and Kovy don't belong together. I'd really like to see Elias play with Kovy.

Kovy-Zajac is the new Elias and Gomez...two talented players you would think would be able to work together, but they really weren't for years, until the lockout and the rule changes opened it up in 2006.

Then again at what point DO we start to worry Travis isn't the 65-point player he used to be with Parise/Langs?

 

[Bleedred]

Stralman would make us a better team. Hard to think we let him go.

Haha what? Who would he be better than that we currently have?

 

[Saugus]

Somebody actually liked Stralman? What the hell? We saw in our playoff series against the Rangers exactly why we didn't keep Stralman. Our forecheck abused him.

I'm fond of saying that the Rangers tried to take us on with four and a half defencemen last season. Stralman is the half.

 

[kiwidevil]

Yeah that was a classic whinge post after Stralman scored to put the Rangers ahead, while we lost our last game.

That guy is the most schizophrenic poster on these boards though.

 

[NJDevs26]

If we had Stralman we might not have bothered to get Zidlicky, or Foster for that matter. But yeah it's pretty hard to complain about not having a decent player when our D's full of decent/better players.

 

[Bleedred]

I don't even know if I'd take STRAWman over Harrold.

 

[Wingman77]

 

[Chessarmy]

best gif ever!

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Kovy-Zajac is the new Elias and Gomez...two talented players you would think would be able to work together, but they really weren't for years, until the lockout and the rule changes opened it up in 2006.

Then again at what point DO we start to worry Travis isn't the 65-point player he used to be with Parise/Langs?

That's what I'm starting to think about too...People can talk about his defense and faceoffs as much as they want, bottom line is if he isn't putting up 60+ points a year, he's got one of the worst contracts in the league. It would probably be top 10 worst if he ends up only getting 40 some pts a year. I think he'll return to form, but if he doesn't, man we're in trouble.

 

[apice3*]

Stralman would make us a better team. Hard to think we let him go.

Uh, what? Stralman was cut for a reason. He couldn't make the team over a rookie Larsson, a 2nd year Fayne, or Salvador one year removed from the league.

Stralman would be the 9th best D-man on this current team.

Kovy-Zajac is the new Elias and Gomez...two talented players you would think would be able to work together, but they really weren't for years, until the lockout and the rule changes opened it up in 2006.

Then again at what point DO we start to worry Travis isn't the 65-point player he used to be with Parise/Langs?

Zajac is an elite defensive center. He may not be a 65 point center, but his defense is worth the contract.

 

[apice3*]

That's what I'm starting to think about too...People can talk about his defense and faceoffs as much as they want, bottom line is if he isn't putting up 60+ points a year, he's got one of the worst contracts in the league. It would probably be top 10 worst if he ends up only getting 40 some pts a year. I think he'll return to form, but if he doesn't, man we're in trouble.

If you think a 40 point, top 5 defensive center being paid 5.5 mil per season is a top 10 bad contract, you seriously need to browse capgeek for about 15 seconds. I can name probably 10 contracts in the Atlantic alone worse than that.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

If you think a 40 point, top 5 defensive center being paid 5.5 mil per season is a top 10 bad contract, you seriously need to browse capgeek for about 15 seconds. I can name probably 10 contracts in the Atlantic alone worse than that.

5.75. Regardless of that minute point, we'd have a HORRENDOUS contract on our hands. So you wouldn't be upset with the deal, because there are more than 10 other deals that are worse? I'd like you to list some names please too.

 

[apice3*]

5.75. Regardless of that minute point, we'd have a HORRENDOUS contract on our hands. So you wouldn't be upset with the deal, because there are more than 10 other deals that are worse? I'd like you to list so names please too.

No, I wouldn't be upset at all. Would I want Zajac to put up 60 points? Absolutely, but 40 points and Selke caliber is not among the top 10 worst contracts in the league. When you look at those type of terrible contracts, you think of overpaid AND contributing nothing, like the prior contracts of Gomez and Redden. At least Zajac would still be contributing.

As for 10 worse Atlantic contracts than that hypothetical, off the top of my head: Dipietro, Streit, Salvador, Volchenkov, Bryzgalov, Richards, Nash, Briere, Pronger, Martin.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

No, I wouldn't be upset at all. Would I want Zajac to put up 60 points? Absolutely, but 40 points and Selke caliber is not among the top 10 worst contracts in the league. When you look at those type of terrible contracts, you think of overpaid AND contributing nothing, like the prior contracts of Gomez and Redden. At least Zajac would still be contributing.

As for 10 worse Atlantic contracts than that hypothetical, off the top of my head: Dipietro, Streit, Salvador, Volchenkov, Bryzgalov, Richards, Nash, Briere, Pronger, Martin.

Briere is at the tail end. Nash/Richards shouldn't be there. Pronger? cmon. But still, the others are some of the WORST IN THE LEAGUE. The contract would be among the worst in the league and I'd be furious with it.

 

[Bleedred]

Zajac's line with Kovy has absolutely sucked for most of the season. Tedenby? LOL! Matteau? Seriously? He has business being on the first line? And Josefson? GAH! Even Kovy has one even strength goal all season. He's got more special teams points than anything.

Poni looked good with them the first game. The last two games we were so flat that you can't judge on that. I don't expect them to have a monster game like that Philly game, but I also don't think they'll be as quiet as the last two ****fests either.