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

[Scott04]

Our scouts have earned poor grades overall and if Hamilton continues to outshine Larsson.......

You would be hard pressed to find people that would have taken Hamilton over Larsson in that draft. If you're going to throw our scouts under the bus with that pick in mind, you would have to throw just about every team's under the bus for it too.

I know that's not the only pick you're using for your statement, but that pick should have absolutely zero bearing on it whatsoever.

 

[downtown56]

Ledger_NJDevils: Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said "it won't be very long" before Ilya Kovalchuk starts skating. Should be some time this week.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Ledger_NJDevils: Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said "it won't be very long" before Ilya Kovalchuk starts skating. Should be some time this week.

He's made out of the same stuff Nintendo products are. Just ridiculous how durable he is

 

[RandoDoomer]

He's made out of the same stuff Nintendo products are. Just ridiculous how durable he is

Lets just hope the games still mean something when he comes back.

 

[Devils Dominion]

You would be hard pressed to find people that would have taken Hamilton over Larsson in that draft. If you're going to throw our scouts under the bus with that pick in mind, you would have to throw just about every team's under the bus for it too.

I know that's not the only pick you're using for your statement, but that pick should have absolutely zero bearing on it whatsoever.

I'm not sure other teams had Larsson as high as we did. Isles would have taken Strome anyways and Boston had Hamilton rated their #1 dman according to their GM.

Most of my displeasure is their Euro scouts and the void of skilled playmakers and goal scorers through many drafts.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

I'm not sure other teams had Larsson as high as we did. Isles would have taken Strome anyways and Boston had Hamilton rated their #1 dman according to their GM.

Most of my displeasure is their Euro scouts and the void of skilled playmakers and goal scorers through many drafts.

So...you're glad they went for Tedenby over John Carlson?

 

[Devils Dominion]

So...you're glad they went for Tedenby over John Carlson?

Ha ha, you nailed it.

What the heck were they thinking there.

 

[R8Devs]

If we drafted Hamilton and they drafted Larsson you would be saying the same thing in reverse.

 

[DevilChuk*]

I'm not sure other teams had Larsson as high as we did. Isles would have taken Strome anyways and Boston had Hamilton rated their #1 dman according to their GM.

Most of my displeasure is their Euro scouts and the void of skilled playmakers and goal scorers through many drafts.

What do you expect him to say?

"Nah we really wanted Larsson but we'll settle for the guy who's on our team"

 

[Devils Dominion]

If we drafted Hamilton and they drafted Larsson you would be saying the same thing in reverse.

Hamilton has the advantages of playing on a much better team, not being rushed to soon last season and also playing for better coaches for his development.

Larsson is going to be a fine player, he has showed flashes of good abilities.

But, at this point in their careers by watching both you can see that Hamilton is ahead of Adam in skating, puck skills, hitting and shooting.

I see a higher ceiling for Hamilton too.

I know a few fans here such as Scotty9 wanted Lou to draft Hamilton at 4.

I was not sold on Larsson that high-though as I have said dozens of times, we can't go back in time, he's a Devil and I hope to see big improvement and development to the point where he is considered an All Star and leader of our squad.

 

[Wingman77]

Came across this....terminator?

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

We need speed and size. Lou please go after stalberg in the offseason. And let Clarky walk and go hard after Horton. Yea yea concussion problems...Id take the "gamble"

Next year:

Elias-Lokti-Kovy
Stalberg-Henrique-Horton
Zubrus-Zajac-Josefson
Pesonen-Carter-Bernier

Try for this Lou!!

 

[Bleedred]

I don't want Clarkson back unless he wants to come back for under $4 million. We took a gamble on Zajac with the big contract. That's fine, but it can't happen with Clarkson.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Yeah, let Clarkson walk and see what happens to our goal totals next season.

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah, let Clarkson walk and see what happens to our goal totals next season.

Only Columbus and Colorado (with one less GP) have scored fewer goals than the Devils now, how much worse could it really get?

 

[Chessarmy]

We need speed and size. Lou please go after stalberg in the offseason. And let Clarky walk and go hard after Horton. Yea yea concussion problems...Id take the "gamble"

Next year:

Elias-Lokti-Kovy
Stalberg-Henrique-Horton
Zubrus-Zajac-Josefson
Pesonen-Carter-Bernier

Try for this Lou!!

Gionta should be in for Pesonen.

Josefson should center the 4th line.

Otherwise, that's okay.

 

[njdevil26]

Yeah, let Clarkson walk and see what happens to our goal totals next season.

So, you mean that 22 game stretch Clarkson had... someone ELSE will have to come up with the 2 goals? MY WORD!!!

 

[Chessarmy]

Clarkson gets a ton of flack on here mostly because when he isn't scoring goals, he can be a very frustrating player. I think he would thrive in a 3rd line role, hopefully Lou makes the appropriate moves next season to slot everyone where they belong. I think multiple additions need to be made. Go all out for Marty - then rebuild

 

[MadDevil]

I'm torn on Clarkson. His skillset isn't something that's easy to find, and when he's on his game he's one of the better power forwards in the league. When he's not on his game though he looks like a complete moron out there. It's not crazy to think that he's worth 5+ million on the open market, especially considering what some other forwards have gotten. What player are you going to get at that price? The 20+ goal scoring power forward or the bumbling fool that either takes stupid shots or passes to nobody?

 

[Bleedred]

I don't really want Clarkson for $5 million. If this season becomes a washout within a week then I would love for Lou to get to work early by trying to re sign guys. What distraction will there be? Finishing in 11th instead of 10th?

Poni I really do not want back. I wouldn't complain if we did take him back cause it would be for $1.5 million and only a year. He didn't even sign a multi year deal last year, and he hasn't been as good this season and is a year older. No more first line LW spot for him though.

 

[Chessarmy]

Ponikarovsky has been abysmal since his first game back. I thought he was going to find some real chemistry with Kovalchuk, then he went invisible.

This may sound crazy, but I don't think he wanted to come back here.

 

[apice3*]

He's made out of the same stuff Nintendo products are. Just ridiculous how durable he is

I think he's made out of legos.

I'm not sure other teams had Larsson as high as we did. Isles would have taken Strome anyways and Boston had Hamilton rated their #1 dman according to their GM.

Most of my displeasure is their Euro scouts and the void of skilled playmakers and goal scorers through many drafts.

Oh quit crying. Have you stopped and thought about who Hamilton plays with and who Larsson plays with?

Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins, or Andy Greene and the NJ Devils. Who do you think is a better situation?

 

[Chessarmy]

if Gary Bettman announced that NJ could take one D-man from any team in the NHL, I'd hope it was Chara

 

[apice3*]

It's pretty incredible how much he's improved from just being a gigantic body.

 

[Oneiro]

Try to remember where Clarkson started and what people expected of him going into this season.

That incredible jump is not worth $5 mil. but it's worth something. If this team is constructed properly, he's what he was last year: one of the best third-liners in the league.

The whole team can't score. Clarkson seems to value the core philosophies of the team. He walks, he's not replaced and then you guys will whine about lacking a gritty, garbage guy.

Clowe? Horton? Throughout their careers, those two players have made a habit of disappearing in games to a far greater extent than Clarkson has during this last stretch.