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

[Jack Griffin]

I truly believe our poor defensive play is a direct result of the forwards inability to maintain posession time and generate scoring chances.

In that case, the solution is as said above, someone needs to get hot, or we need someone to come in red hot.

Also not scoring seems to magnify any defensive struggles.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Also not scoring seems to magnify any defensive struggles.

Not scoring first even more so, we have been horrific this year when chasing a lead.

 

[DevHock]

I truly believe our poor defensive play is a direct result of the forwards inability to maintain posession time and generate scoring chances.

In that case, the solution is as said above, someone needs to get hot, or we need someone to come in red hot.

I'd agree with that. Remember last years team had a propensity to break down when they had a multi goal lead. It happened 3 times in the Florida series and twice against the Rangers. The forecheck backed off a bit and our defense would get exposed.

I think another factor is the lack of any legitimate top pair defensemen. It creates a situation where the team is always vulnerable to a breakdown. Also forces a bit of an unfair assignment for whoever happens to be our top d pairing that game

 

[DevHock]

Or we're a team that isn't going to pay exorbitant amounts for marginal improvements. Not making a splash doesn't have to mean its a "budget" operation. Savvy maybe, but I wouldn't paint it as being cheap.

Yea. We're already down a 1st and a good amount of other picks. I'm not sure what anyone was realistically expecting from Lou today

Agreed, the asking price for anyone significant was thru the roof this year. Lou isn't someone to make a bad deal in reaction to a void.

That being said, I can see why people would be upset. IMO this team needed to make a significant addition to make the playoffs with Kovy out. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't like our chances right now.

 

[RJK]

i agree that the offense isn't doing enough to help alleviate the defensive pressure a good majority of the goals against have been due to the inability to break out, just clear the zone, and occasionally just lazy play.

 

[slammer]

Sullivan is a good fit for this season...

but LOU, can you finally add a long-term top 6 forward under 30years of age to this team?

THANKS!

 

[MartyOwns]

ok im seeing Sullivan penciled in on a few 1st lines in this board. what am I missing here? this is steve sullivan, right? idc if we have injuries or not, this would probably be worse than poni on the 1st line.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Glad Lou did not trade any prospects for a band aid fix.

The real issue is we lack dynamic skiilled players with size and speed in NJ right now outside of Kovy and Henrique.

We have some in the pipeline more on D so Lou needs to be active in July in the FA market.

 

[njdevil26]

Well my UFA target is now Nathan Horton.

 

[Tundra]

Sullivan is a good fit for this season...

but LOU, can you finally add a long-term top 6 forward under 30years of age to this team?

THANKS!

Stalberg is 27 and possesses attributes we are in dire need of. He has Grabner like speed with the frame of Zubrus.

 

[njdevil26]

Stalberg would be an awesome addition.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

We currently have 12 games left to play before the end of the season. Here's our remaining schedule...

@Boston (L)
Toronto (W)
@Buffalo (L)
Boston (L)
Ottawa (W)
Toronto (W)
Philly (L)
Florida (W)
@Rangers (L)
Montreal (W)
Pittsburgh (L)
@Rangers (L)

Out of all those games, what is the realistic target in terms of pts? If I had to predict, I'd say somewhere between 9 and 13 pts. All of the remaining teams we're facing are fighting for something except the Panthers and I seriously think that the Rangers, Caps and Flyers are going to go a in a surge and we'll continue to deflate.

We can't score any goals and when we do score, our defense let's us down. This post might be a downer to the majority but if we look at the big picture, I really think we'll be on the outside looking in come the 28th of April.

 

[NJDevilsZG]

Now that their GM has showed them he fully believes in this team, I fully expect them to go on a tear and roll into PO on a high note.

 

[DevilChuk*]

We currently have 12 games left to play before the end of the season. Here's our remaining schedule...

@Boston (L)
Toronto (W)
@Buffalo (L)
Boston (L)
Ottawa (W)
Toronto (W)
Philly (L)
Florida (W)
@Rangers (L)
Montreal (W)
Pittsburgh (L)
@Rangers (L)

Out of all those games, what is the realistic target in terms of pts? If I had to predict, I'd say somewhere between 9 and 13 pts. All of the remaining teams we're facing are fighting for something except the Panthers and I seriously think that the Rangers, Caps and Flyers are going to go a in a surge and we'll continue to deflate.

We can't score any goals and when we do score, our defense let's us down. This post might be a downer to the majority but if we look at the big picture, I really think we'll be on the outside looking in come the 28th of April.

You have us beating almost every team above us and losing to almost every team below us..

not sure how that's realistic

 

[Tundra]

We currently have 12 games left to play before the end of the season. Here's our remaining schedule...

@Boston (L)
Toronto (W)
@Buffalo (L)
Boston (L)
Ottawa (W)
Toronto (W)
Philly (L)
Florida (W)
@Rangers (L)
Montreal (W)
Pittsburgh (L)
@Rangers (L)

Out of all those games, what is the realistic target in terms of pts? If I had to predict, I'd say somewhere between 9 and 13 pts. All of the remaining teams we're facing are fighting for something except the Panthers and I seriously think that the Rangers, Caps and Flyers are going to go a in a surge and we'll continue to deflate.

We can't score any goals and when we do score, our defense let's us down. This post might be a downer to the majority but if we look at the big picture, I really think we'll be on the outside looking in come the 28th of April.

I think it's worse than that. I see us maybe winning 3 of those games (Florida, NYR, Pitt).

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

You have us beating almost every team above us and losing to almost every team below us..

not sure how that's realistic

Like I said, I think the Flyers, the Caps and the Rags are all going to go on some type of winning streak along the way.

They're too good of a team to stay below us IMO. With the moves the Rangers made over the past 48 hrs, I honestly believe that they're a wayyyyyy better team then they were before. The Flyers have the tools, they just need to play smart hockey and take care of their own end in order to rack up some W's and the Caps weren't doing anything but now that Ovy has woken up, I don't see how Washington can stay behind us.

 

[Jack Griffin]

Considering our roster and the injuries we've had this year I'm surprised we're still in the playoff picture. Personally I'd much rather miss the playoffs and take the higher draft pick. I'm sure there will be a huge over reaction if we do miss the playoffs though and people will want everyone fired and a massive rebuild.

 

[njdevil26]

Here's my view of that:

@Boston (L)
Toronto (W)
@Buffalo (L OT)
Boston (L)
Ottawa (L OT)
Toronto (W)
Philly (W)
Florida (W)
@Rangers (W)
Montreal (L)
Pittsburgh (W)
@Rangers (L)

6-4-2 for 14 Points

Finish up 21-16-11 53 pts.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

We won't win another game ever. Book it.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

Weiss and Horton?

 

[Tundra]

Considering our roster and the injuries we've had this year I'm surprised we're still in the playoff picture. Personally I'd much rather miss the playoffs and take the higher draft pick. I'm sure there will be a huge over reaction if we do miss the playoffs though and people will want everyone fired and a massive rebuild.

I know it's not the devils way, but I hope that they lose every game so we can nab a top pick. I wonder if they can lose themselves into the lottery?

 

[Tundra]

We won't win another game ever. Book it.

Not completely out of the question.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Give me a break. lol

 

[FirmestPiano]

We haven't really had that many injuries though have we? Saw some table recently which showed how many "man games lost to injury" each team had. We were one of the teams with the fewest, almost at the bottom of the table. So injuries really isn't an excuse (we all know that), just look at Ottawa.

Whole reason for us being in this position we are in right now is because this team this year has underperformed.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

Considering our roster and the injuries we've had this year I'm surprised we're still in the playoff picture. Personally I'd much rather miss the playoffs and take the higher draft pick. I'm sure there will be a huge over reaction if we do miss the playoffs though and people will want everyone fired and a massive rebuild.

I don't see us doing any type of damage, IF, we make the postseason... so with that said, I too wouldn't mind missing the playoffs in order to land a solid offensive prospect.

By us missing the postseason, it might show Lou that we actually need some offensive help and that sending 5th and 7th round picks doesn't do a whole lot but waste draft picks on players who aren't bringing anything to the table we don't already have.

This is the offseason where Lou needs to pull the trigger on a trade cause the UFA market is paper thin. We can't depend on 2 or 3 forwards to carry the load offensively all the time. We needed that secondary scoring when we had Parise, wich we got when we landed Kovy... but now that Parise threw a monkey wrench in Lou's plan, we're back to square one with "complementary" players that keep getting older and older.

I see us either making a move for one last push with Marty in nets, or just staying "status quo" and being a bubble team for the next 2 to 3 years.