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

[apice3*]

My only ownership related complaint is that we didn't let the Wendy's guy buy a share. I wanted free baconators, dammit

I'm boycotting Wendy's. I will not pay 1.80 for a junior bacon cheeseburger that I paid 99 cents for a couple years ago.

 

[Bleedred]

I'm boycotting Wendy's. I will not pay 1.80 for a junior bacon cheeseburger that I paid 99 cents for a couple years ago.

I know it sucks. To be fair though every place has jacked the prices of their food up.

 

[Tundra]

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've read all week.

You want to cry about Sullivan's 12 points? That's 6th among forwards on our team. His 6 PP points is more than anyone on our team. 7th rounder? Are you joking? The last three 7th rounders we drafted to play for us were Pikkarainien, Leblond, and Eckford.

Anyone who thinks trading a 7th rounder for a player who improves our PP and gives us depth is a complete buffoon. How can you possibly complain about this trade?

If you think it's so easy to do his job, please explain to me what young, promising players you want Lou to magically grow? Were Dags and Loki not good enough? You want more? Lou practically robbed two GMs because they had logjams and we're still going to complain about his work.

Lou gets an A for how he handled this season. The only thing I wish he did differently was to get rid of a D-man, but it sounds like the price wasn't right. The team gets a D- for execution.

There is no possible way to blame this season on Lou at all.

You really give Lou an A?????????? He gave Salvador and Zajac both ridiculous contracts. And then he banked his season on a tandem of 40 year old goaltenders as well as an intra-organizational replacement of Parise on the top 6. I personally think that Lou deserves a C-/D for this year. Last year, he would have gotten a A-/B+.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

In all honesty...

I would not mind if they tank got down to a top 5 pick.

Really though... I'd rather us miss the playoffs.

 

[apice3*]

You really give Lou an A?????????? He gave Salvador and Zajac both ridiculous contracts. And then he banked his season on a tandem of 40 year old goaltenders as well as organizational replacement of Parise on the top 6. I personally think that Lou deserves a C-/D for this year. Last year, he would have gotten a B+.

The same people complaining about the Zajac contract are the same people who would complain if we didn't resign him. I'd do that signing over again every day of the week. No one expected Zajac's offense to fall off a cliff.

The Salvador contract I wasn't a huge fan of, I'll admit.

He banked the season on two goaltenders that got us to the Cup finals last year, and Brodeur has still been solid. Hedberg was rough during the stretch, but I'm not entirely sure what goaltender you think was just begging to come play for us.

As for the Parise replacement, I don't really understand how you can fault Lou for Parise getting ridiculously overpaid by another team. No GM can replace his talent.

But yeah, Lou sucks.

 

[Bleedred]

I'd give Lou a C for this year. We'll see how he responds next year though. We need to add somebody, and there will be UFA forwards. There won't be a player like Parise, but something close enough as we can get I'm sure can be had.

I wish we could get that Salvador contract back though. Not so much that he's on the team as much as the cap hit is too high for him. I never once criticized him for giving us two 40 year old goalies. I still am not either. While I give Pete a pass for most of what's gone on his handling of Larsson/defenseman rotation, and the way he stuck by Moose like he was pre 2010 Marty Brodeur. Those are my only complaints with him.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

The same people complaining about the Zajac contract are the same people who would complain if we didn't resign him. I'd do that signing over again every day of the week. No one expected Zajac's offense to fall off a cliff.

The Salvador contract I wasn't a huge fan of, I'll admit.

He banked the season on two goaltenders that got us to the Cup finals last year, and Brodeur has still been solid. Hedberg was rough during the stretch, but I'm not entirely sure what goaltender you think was just begging to come play for us.

As for the Parise replacement, I don't really understand how you can fault Lou for Parise getting ridiculously overpaid by another team. No GM can replace his talent.

But yeah, Lou sucks.

Zajac's contract is fine, I agree... But it doesn't look like it right now. If we could add another top 6 forward to a HEALTHY offense, then Zajac would meld back into his game I feel, with the lineup changes and set chemistry that would build.

 

[Scott04]

I'm boycotting Wendy's. I will not pay 1.80 for a junior bacon cheeseburger that I paid 99 cents for a couple years ago.

Fair point. I didn't get the Jr. Bacon much though so it hasn't affected me. That and I really cut out almost all of my fast food intake. But since I would stick almost entirely value menu, I'm none too happy about the price increases either.

To stay on topic though, I don't think Lou can possibly be given an A. I feel like that's something reserved for when you have a real complete team. One with no real weaknesses, totally well filled out, and all because of high impact moves made to get there. Our roster isn't complete. There are some good things, there are some bad. Lou made some moves that have had a pretty decent impact (and been good moves to boot in terms of value). I can accept a B+ for sure. An A is a stretch. If there was an Executive of the Year award in the NHL like there is for the NBA, anyone I would give an A to is someone I would say should be a finalist for such an award. Lou hasn't been bad, but I wouldn't give him that award, or a nomination, for this season (if it existed. And if it does, then I'm partially an idiot).

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

I'm boycotting Wendy's. I will not pay 1.80 for a junior bacon cheeseburger that I paid 99 cents for a couple years ago.

Wendy's is so good

And as for Lou's grade... C-
And DeBoer's grade... C-

 

[Bleedred]

Zajac is 7th in the league in faceoff winning percentage. I wouldn't have been surprised to see him get close to what he's getting right now on the UFA market. He's also got more offensive upside than say Jay Beagle or frickin Steckel. Dudes who provide just faceoff wins. I'm not complaining about his contract, but his contract + Clarkson at overpayment could be pretty bad.

 

[apice3*]

If Zajac's offense was up to par, he'd be a Selke finalist this year. His defense is better than it's ever been.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

Unless it's under 3.5 mil, I do not want Clarkson back

Yes, 3.5 mil. 4mil if it's a short contract

 

[Bleedred]

If Zajac's offense was up to par, he'd be a Selke finalist this year. His defense is better than it's ever been.

To be fair some of the lines have been incomplete, and have messed up his offense a little bit. Poni-Zajac-Kovy was a bad line except for their first game together. Matteau-Zajac-Kovy was a joke of a line as was the revolving left wingers there. We had Matteau, Josefson, Tedenby, Zubrus, Poni, and the younger guys wouldn't even play more than 9 minutes a game and then they were benched.

Then he moved down with Patty, and they scored on one of their first shifts together. Since then Clarkson has been invisble, and that's given Zajac nothing to work with. There really hasn't been much stability, and when there was Clarkson vanished.

 

[Tundra]

The same people complaining about the Zajac contract are the same people who would complain if we didn't resign him. I'd do that signing over again every day of the week. No one expected Zajac's offense to fall off a cliff.

The Salvador contract I wasn't a huge fan of, I'll admit.

He banked the season on two goaltenders that got us to the Cup finals last year, and Brodeur has still been solid. Hedberg was rough during the stretch, but I'm not entirely sure what goaltender you think was just begging to come play for us.

As for the Parise replacement, I don't really understand how you can fault Lou for Parise getting ridiculously overpaid by another team. No GM can replace his talent.

But yeah, Lou sucks.

The Zajac contract is horrendous because of the length (2020 completion) and because he's being paid like a first line center. I'd rather spend that cap space on a legitimate first line player as opposed to a two way luxury piece.

Now regarding the aging goalie complication , I have no problem with Marty but if you go forward with him you better have a younger, more durable backup just in case. Lou apparently thinks that Marty and Johan are robots regardless of their advanced age. Goaltending is a grueling burden on your body and Lou should know this. There should have been a contingency plan set in place in the likelihood Marty went down.

Now regarding Parise, I can't blame him for not finding a replacement in the thin free agent pool, but he had to blind to not see the writing on the wall and prepared accordingly a year or two before. More often than not, our star players leave the organization when contract opportunities become too lucrative elsewhere.

 

[Bleedred]

I think the Zajac contract goes until 2020-2021.

 

[Tundra]

Zajac is 7th in the league in faceoff winning percentage. I wouldn't have been surprised to see him get close to what he's getting right now on the UFA market. He's also got more offensive upside than say Jay Beagle or frickin Steckel. Dudes who provide just faceoff wins. I'm not complaining about his contract, but his contract + Clarkson at overpayment could be pretty bad.

No way he would have gotten close to 6 million annually for 7 years. He would have probably gotten 3/4 years at 4.5/5 mill in the open market. He'd be paid close to what Bergeron makes and he's not nearly as good.

 

[Bleedred]

No way he would have gotten close to 6 million annually for 7 years.

Probably not for 7, but I could see him getting $5 million. After this crappy season. I think he'll bounce back, but probably not to where he was with Zach. Get boobs like Clarkson, and players like Poni off of his line. I'm not sure if he works good with Kovy, but we have Loki for that.

 

[Marshal Rochambeau]

No way he would have gotten close to 6 million annually for 7 years. He would have probably gotten 3/4 years at 4.5/5 mill in the open market.

I would actually say there is 100% he would get 6 mil+ in FA.

Also, 5.75 is not a first line cap hit, for whoever said that.

 

[Tundra]

I would actually say there is 100% he would get 6 mil+ in FA.

Also, 5.75 is not a first line cap hit.

But for a much shorter duration. Highly doubtful a team would have given him even 5 years (take him to age 32). He's too much of an offensive uncertainty despite his defensive prowess.

 

[Marshal Rochambeau]

But for a much shorter duration. Highly doubtful a team would have given him even 5 years (take him to age 32). He's too much of an offensive uncertainty despite his defensive prowess.

No matter what though, GMs would be paying for the 60 point, top ten faceoff and defensive center. There is a GM aggressive enough to do whatever necessary to get that whether its a bad contract or not.

 

[Tundra]

No matter what though, GMs would be paying for the 60 point, top ten faceoff and defensive center. There is a GM aggressive enough to do whatever necessary to get that whether its a bad contract or not.

But is he really a 60 point player when all is said and done???? 2 of 5 professional seasons, he's cracked 60 and he no longer has his trusty birddog on the left wing. Secondly, I think in terms of cap albatrosses you'd like to live with just one longterm unmovable contract, which is Kovy's as opposed to worrying about Zajac's as well. You can tolerate the undesirable characteristics of Kovalchuk's deal because he is a rare, generational talent. Zajac not so much.

 

[Marshal Rochambeau]

Only time will tell right now he isn't though. I dont mind his contract as long as he can win faceoffs and shut down top lines. He is a rock.

 

[Bleedred]

Volchenkov is the worst contract on the team, but we seem to get into that every day!

Funny thing is Volchenkov got signed for 6 years, and $4.2 each year on the cap hit. Zajac's isn't so bad when you think about that.

 

[Tundra]

Only time will tell right now he isn't though. I dont mind his contract as long as he can win faceoffs and shut down top lines. He is a rock.

I don't think many would be complaining if Travis got a 4 year deal for $5.25 mil a year. It would take him through his prime years without a sizable commitment. But I have a strange suspicion that Lou and Co. panicked after the Parise departure and overvalued what Zajac brings.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

Lou has been pretty up and down since the lockout (the 04/05 lockout). Hes had some good years and some bad ones. We were in cap hell for a few seasons which was because of the horrendous Mogilny, Malakhov, McGillis contracts in 06/07 and then in 2011 mainly because of the Rolston contract. We couldn't even ice a full damn team at the start of that season because our cap was a mess. We were icing 11 forwards for a few weeks which is completely inexcusable. Having said that he has been much better recently. The Sykora, Bernier, Carter, Poni, Lokti, Hedberg, D'Agostini pickups were all solid in my opinion. We shall what happens with Sullivan. I have a good feeling hes gonna help us down the stretch here. Lets also not forgot about Zubrus who has been outstanding for us. I've loved signing him since the day it happened back in 07. The Salvador, Tallinder, Volchenkov contracts are pretty bad but at the time we had no options but to sign the Euro's because Martin walked so we had to replace him. Salvador was phenominal during the playoffs and we obviously knew he was gonna get paid but the length of the deal I have a problem with.

My biggest beef with him which has been mentioned many times on here is the decision to go with Tedenby, Josefson, Butler, Matteau, and Barch instead of picking up a few guys via FA that would have been much better and safer. I know people say "Well who hell was available? Semin was never coming here." I think someone like Parenteau would have worked out well. Hudler as well. Those guys wouldnt have killed our cap and would have been decent fits here. Now if what some people have said is true about Vanderbeek and him having no money this past summer then I guess that negates that argument but I dont think I believe that.

In the end hes whiffed on a few signings, trades, and draft picks but what GM hasn't? You cant hit a home run on everything you do. We went to freaking finals last year and got HUGE contributions from guys Lou picked up. We have made the playoffs every year except twice since 95. Thats pretty damn good