2018 New Jersey Devils All-Time Team

[Classic Devil]

So, I've been doing this (almost) every offseason for a long time. I think I started in the summer of 2006, which was the 23rd year in Devils history, the first year that allowed a full 23-man roster.

It's basically a puzzle challenge: make the best roster you can out of players in Devils' team history.

But there are a few rules to make this harder than it might immediately seem:

(1) You're selecting players by season. So, for instance, you can take Patrik Elias' 2000-2001 season. But you can only take one player per season. If you take Elias 2000-2001, you cannot take Mogilny 2000-2001; the 2000-2001 team only gets one player to represent it.

(2) You can only select a player once. So, if you take Elias 2000-2001, you can't have Elias 2005-2006 also.

(3) You cannot have two players wearing the same number. If you take Bruce Driver, you cannot also take Scott Gomez (each gets assigned #23). For players who wore more than one number in Devils history, they're assigned the one they wore for longer (so, if you're taking Rolston, he wears #14, which he wore for 7 seasons, and not #12, which he wore for 3 seasons).

You can otherwise make selections based on any criteria you want. You can choose players based off their regular season performances, or playoff performances; you can focus on choosing only long-time Devils or go for best single-season performances . Whatever feels right to you, go ahead and run with it.

Also choose a head coach and two assistant coaches. No restrictions on these, you can pick anyone from the team's history.

Once you have your team selected, assemble a lineup (lines and pairings, reserve forwards) and post!

I'll be posting mine sometime today or this weekend. I'm going to start from scratch and see what I come up with, without looking at old ones.

Suggestions:

You can find all numbers worn in team history here, but you'll probably remember the numbers of everyone who qualifies for the team. Start by picking numbers which are going to be represented on basically every team: Brodeur, Stevens, Elias, Niedermayer have lots of good years to pick from and no competition for their numbers (Peter Stastny notwithstanding). Then pick between #9s (Parise/Muller/Hall), #23s (Gomez/Driver), #17s (Sykora/Kovalchuk/Sundstrom), #15s (Langenbrunner/MacLean), etc; these numbers are all also likely to get representation.

HockeyDB is your friend in this endeavour, you can look at all years here and click through to see season statistics. You're almost certain to take players from each of 1987-1988, 1993-1994, 1994-1995, 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2002-2003, 2011-2012, as those seasons each featured deep playoff runs, so check through them and see which players pop out as potential additions. In general the mid-late 1990s and 2000s tend to be very well represented on these teams, but feel free to go back to the 1980s or use players from recent teams (a Schneider season will be most people's backup goalie, I think, but there are other options).

Click to read more...

 

[Emperoreddy]

These are always so tough.

Hall is taking over as the #9 for me though. That is for sure.

 

[Zippy316]

These are always so tough.

Hall is taking over as the #9 for me though. That is for sure.

Found last years thread. This is what you said in there:

The #9 debate for this should be interesting in a year or two.

Pretty prophetic although I don't think anyone will pick Parise's 2008-09 over Hall's recent year.

 

[Classic Devil]

Found last years thread. This is what you said in there:



Pretty prophetic although I don't think anyone will pick Parise's 2008-09 over Hall's recent year.

Yeah I think Hall's 2017-2018 is going to be a staple from here on out. That was always one of the biggest debates: which #9 do you take? Kind of amazing that he so decisively knocks Parise and Mueller, two of New Jersey's best ever forwards, out of the lineup.

 

[NJDevs26]

#9 Taylor Hall (2017-18) - #23 Scott Gomez (1999-00) - #15 John MacLean (1990-91)
#26 Patrik Elias (2000-01) - #25 Jason Arnott (1998-99) - #14 Brian Gionta (2005-06)
#17 Ilya Kovalchuk (2011-12) - #19 Travis Zajac (2008-09) - #16 Pat Verbeek (1987-88)
#18 Sergei Brylin (2001-02) - #11 John Madden (2002-03) - #22 Claude Lemieux (1991-92)
#20 Alexander Semak (1992-93), #44 Stephane Richer (1994-95)

#4 Scott Stevens (1993-94) - #27 Scott Niedermayer (2003-04)
#6 Andy Greene (2009-10) - #28 Brian Rafalski (2006-07)
#3 Ken Daneyko (1989-90) - #2 Marek Zidlicky (2013-14)
#29 Johnny Oduya (2007-08)

#30 Martin Brodeur (1997-98)
#35 Cory Schneider (2015-16)

Coach: Jacques Lemaire
Assistants: Larry Robinson, Slava Fetisov, Jacques Caron

Wanted to get someone from all of the championship teams and all of the retired numbers in. Didn't want to put Kovalchuk in but RW was too deep for Sykie. Didn't really want to put Holik in either so went with Verbeek instead. Probably missed a couple guys or overlooked a couple, was having a little trouble with the last D so I just put Oduya as the scratch over Paul Martin. Had to put Madden in so Shanny got the shaft. Semak is a what the hell homage to the oddest one-year fluke in Devils history.

Yeah I think Hall's 2017-2018 is going to be a staple from here on out. That was always one of the biggest debates: which #9 do you take? Kind of amazing that he so decisively knocks Parise and Mueller, two of New Jersey's best ever forwards, out of the lineup.

Only thing is Hall knocking Mueller out makes C that much weaker but still had to do it. Hall over Parise's a no-brainer at this point

 

[Classic Devil]

#9 Taylor Hall (2017-18) - #23 Scott Gomez (1999-00) - #15 John MacLean (1988-89)
#26 Patrik Elias (2000-01) - #25 Jason Arnott (1998-99) - #14 Brian Gionta (2005-06)
#17 Ilya Kovalchuk (2011-12) - #19 Travis Zajac (2008-09) - #16 Pat Verbeek (1987-88)
#18 Sergei Brylin (2001-02) - #11 John Madden (2002-03) - #22 Claude Lemieux (1991-92)
#20 Alexander Semak (1992-93), #44 Stephane Richer (1994-95)

#4 Scott Stevens (1993-94) - #27 Scott Niedermayer (2003-04)
#6 Andy Greene (2009-10) - #28 Brian Rafalski (2006-07)
#3 Ken Daneyko (1989-90) - #2 Marek Zidlicky (2013-14)
#29 Johnny Oduya (2007-08)

#30 Martin Brodeur (1997-98)
#35 Cory Schneider (2015-16)

Coach: Jacques Lemaire
Assistants: Larry Robinson, Slava Fetisov, Jacques Caron

Wanted to get someone from all of the championship teams and all of the retired numbers in. Didn't want to put Kovalchuk in but RW was too deep for Sykie. Didn't really want to put Holik in either so went with Verbeek instead. Probably missed a couple guys or overlooked a couple, was having a little trouble with the last D so I just put Oduya as the scratch over Paul Martin. Had to put Madden in so Shanny got the shaft. Semak is a what the hell homage to the oddest one-year fluke in Devils history.



Only thing is Hall knocking Mueller out makes C that much weaker but still had to do it. Hall over Parise's a no-brainer at this point

I'm going to hold off on posting mine for a few days, but it's both similar and extremely dissimilar to yours.

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm going to hold off on posting mine for a few days, but it's both similar and extremely dissimilar to yours.

Looked up mine from last year, definitely some differences though I think my D was mostly the same other than one or two guys. I put Peluso-Holik-McKay as the fourth line for the hell of it then but I didn't really go for real-life lines this year, though I still did play personal bias into a few choices.

 

[Zippy316]

#9 Taylor Hall (2017-18) - #23 Scott Gomez (1999-00) - #15 John MacLean (1988-89)
#26 Patrik Elias (2000-01) - #25 Jason Arnott (1998-99) - #14 Brian Gionta (2005-06)
#17 Ilya Kovalchuk (2011-12) - #19 Travis Zajac (2008-09) - #16 Pat Verbeek (1987-88)
#18 Sergei Brylin (2001-02) - #11 John Madden (2002-03) - #22 Claude Lemieux (1991-92)
#20 Alexander Semak (1992-93), #44 Stephane Richer (1994-95)

#4 Scott Stevens (1993-94) - #27 Scott Niedermayer (2003-04)
#6 Andy Greene (2009-10) - #28 Brian Rafalski (2006-07)
#3 Ken Daneyko (1989-90) - #2 Marek Zidlicky (2013-14)
#29 Johnny Oduya (2007-08)

#30 Martin Brodeur (1997-98)
#35 Cory Schneider (2015-16)

Coach: Jacques Lemaire
Assistants: Larry Robinson, Slava Fetisov, Jacques Caron

Wanted to get someone from all of the championship teams and all of the retired numbers in. Didn't want to put Kovalchuk in but RW was too deep for Sykie. Didn't really want to put Holik in either so went with Verbeek instead. Probably missed a couple guys or overlooked a couple, was having a little trouble with the last D so I just put Oduya as the scratch over Paul Martin. Had to put Madden in so Shanny got the shaft. Semak is a what the hell homage to the oddest one-year fluke in Devils history.



Only thing is Hall knocking Mueller out makes C that much weaker but still had to do it. Hall over Parise's a no-brainer at this point

I like a lot of this but Greene 2013-14 >>>>>> Greene 2009-10.

I'd rather take Greene's 2013-14, throw Zidlicky out of there, and take a season like Tom Kurvers (1988-99).

Whoops. Missed your Johnny Mac season. Bruce Driver's best year is taken by Verbeek as well. Not sure what extra defender I would take then...

 

[Classic Devil]

I like a lot of this but Greene 2013-14 >>>>>> Greene 2009-10.

I'd rather take Greene's 2013-14, throw Zidlicky out of there, and take a season like Tom Kurvers (1988-99).

I agree on Greene... but lots of good forwards in 1988-1989. Go with Cirella (#2) from the early-80s instead. Or Kasatonov (#8). Or Tapio Levo (also #8 I believe), perhaps, if you want a PP specialist.

 

[NJDevs26]

Kurvers only had one monster season and one other decent one so he's easy to miss if you weren't around for the early years. I'd rather just put him in then flip Greene to the #7D and boot Oduya. I'd have to change the MacLean year from '88-89 to '90-91 but it's doable.

 

[Zippy316]

I agree on Greene... lots of good forwards in 1988-1989. Go with Cirella from the early-80s instead. Or Kasatonov. Or Tapio Levo, perhaps, if you want a PP specialist.

I'm having trouble finding a defender because a guy like Driver's number is taken by Gomez and a guy like Kurvers has his best year when the old-era forwards had great years.

Greene's 2013-14 season was absolutely dominant though. I would rather take his 2013-14 + an early 80s defender or even Larsson's 2015-16 rather than Greene 2009-10 and Zidlicky 2013-14.

A lot of these rosters end up being nitpicking though. It's usually narrowed down to the same chunk of players and maneuvering the rest around to coincide with career years.

 

[Classic Devil]

Kurvers only had one monster season so he's easy to miss if you weren't around for the early years. I'd rather just put him in then flip Greene to the #7D and boot Oduya. I'd have to change the MacLean year but it's doable.

Lesser Known D Options: Joe Cirella 1983-1984 (#2); Tapio Levo 1982-1983 (#8); Alexei Kasatonov 1990-1991 or 1991-1992 (#8)

Kasatonov in particular is a really good option if one of those two years is free.

I always use Driver instead of Gomez, myself.

 

[Zippy316]

Going a bit out of the box with some of the names here. Little bit more of an old school flair as well.

Taylor Hall #9 (2017-18) - Scott Gomez #23 (2002-03) - Ilya Kovalchuk #17 (2011-12)
Patrik Elias #26 (2000-01) - Aaron Broten #10 (1987-88) - Brendan Shanahan #18 (1988-89)
John MacLean #15 (1990-91) - Travis Zajac #19 (2009-10) - Claude Lemieux #22 (1991-92)
Stephane Richer #44 (1992-93) - John Madden #11 (2007-08) - Brian Gionta #14 (2005-06)
Jason Arnott #25 (1998-99) - Bobby Holik #16 (1996-97)

Scott Stevens #4 (1993-94) - Scott Niedermayer #27 (1997-98)
Brian Rafalski #28 (2006-07) - Ken Daneyko #3 (1989-90)
Andy Greene #6 (2013-14) - Adam Larsson #5 (2015-16)
Paul Martin #7 (2008-09)

Martin Brodeur #30 (2002-03)
Cory Schneider #35 (2014-15)

Defense is hard to pick especially when I never saw any of the older guys play. I'm sure there's an older guy that would be better than Larsson, but that's likely just recency bias.

I feel like there is a glaring omission in here and I kind of just spitballed it a bit so let me know what I'm missing.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yeah I think Hall's 2017-2018 is going to be a staple from here on out. That was always one of the biggest debates: which #9 do you take? Kind of amazing that he so decisively knocks Parise and Mueller, two of New Jersey's best ever forwards, out of the lineup.

Ideally going forward it just becomes a debate of which Hall years to use

 

[Classic Devil]

Going a bit out of the box with some of the names here. Little bit more of an old school flair as well.

Taylor Hall #9 (2017-18) - Scott Gomez #23 (2002-03) - Ilya Kovalchuk #17 (2011-12)
Patrik Elias #26 (2000-01) - Aaron Broten #10 (1987-88) - Brendan Shanahan #18 (1988-89)
John MacLean #15 (1990-91) - Travis Zajac #19 (2009-10) - Claude Lemieux #22 (1991-92)
Stephane Richer #44 (1992-93) - John Madden #11 (2007-08) - Brian Gionta #14 (2005-06)
Jason Arnott #25 (1998-99) - Bobby Holik #16 (1996-97)

Scott Stevens #4 (1993-94) - Scott Niedermayer #27 (1997-98)
Brian Rafalski #28 (2006-07) - Ken Daneyko #3 (1989-90)
Andy Greene #6 (2013-14) - Adam Larsson #5 (2015-16)
Paul Martin #7 (2008-09)

Martin Brodeur #30 (2002-03)
Cory Schneider #35 (2014-15)

Defense is hard to pick especially when I never saw any of the older guys play. I'm sure there's an older guy that would be better than Larsson, but that's likely just recency bias.

I feel like there is a glaring omission in here and I kind of just spitballed it a bit so let me know what I'm missing.

There's always an omission but in this case your problem is you have Shanahan wearing #18, when for most of his tenure with the Devils he wore #11. Picking between him and Madden is one of my persistent questions, and I flip back and forth every other year it seems like.

 

[Zippy316]

There's always an omission but in this case you're problem is you have Shanahan wearing #18, when for most of his tenure with the Devils he wore #11. Picking between him and Madden is one of my persistent questions, and I flip back and forth every other year it seems like.

Hmmmm.

Would probably kick out John Madden then and move Arnott up.

 

[Wingman77]

Made a couple of changes this year. Swapped my second and third lines while adding Hall/his past season in replace of Shanahan 89-90 . I also swapped Greene's 13-14 for 09-10 and Zajac's 09-10 for 08-09. Other than that, pretty much the same. As I try to note each year, some players left out had better seasons than some guys listed, however I also I try to incorporate players with significant contributions during championship/successful seasons or who were remembered fondly as Devils for the most part.

#26 Patrik Elias (2005-2006) (A) - #25 Jason Arnott (1999-2000) - #17 Petr Sykora (2000-2001)
#9 Taylor Hall (2017-2018) - #16 Bobby Holik (1998-1999) - #22 Claude Lemieux (1992-1993)
#44 Stephane Richer (1994-1995) - #10 Aaron Broten (1987-1988) - #15 John MacLean (1988-1989)
#12 Jeff Friesen (2002-2003) - #19 Travis Zajac (2008-2009) - #21 Randy McKay (1997-1998)
#14 Brian Gionta (2007-2008) - #18 Sergei Brylin (2001-2002)

#4 Scott Stevens (C) (1993-1994) - #28 Brian Rafalski (2006-2007)
#6 Andy Greene (2009-2010) - #27 Scott Niedermayer (2003-2004)
#3 Ken Daneyko (A) (1986-1987) - #23 Bruce Driver (1990-1991)
#24 Bryce Salvador (2011-2012)

#30 Martin Brodeur (1996-1997)
#35 Cory Schneider (2015-2016)

Head Coach: Pat Burns
Assistant Coach: Larry Robinson
Assistant Coach: Viacheslav Fetisov
Goalie Coach: Jacques Caron

General Manager: Lou Lamoriello​

 

[Classic Devil]

Okay, here's my team this year:

Classic Devil's 2018 All-Time Team

#26 Patrik Elias (A) (2005-2006) - #25 Jason Arnott (1999-2000) - #15 John MacLean (1990-1991)
#9 Taylor Hall (2017-2018) - #17 Patrik Sundstrom (1988-1989) - #89 Alexander Mogilny (2000-2001)
#10 Aaron Broten (1986-1987) - #19 Travis Zajac (2009-2010) - #22 Claude Lemieux (1992-1993)
#11 Brendan Shanahan (1989-1990) - #16 Bobby Holik (1998-1999) - #21 Randy McKay (A) (1997-1998)
#44 Stephane Richer (1994-1995), #93 Doug Gilmour (1996-1997)

#4 Scott Stevens (C) (1993-1994) - #28 Brian Rafalski (2006-2007)
#6 Andy Greene (2013-2014) - #27 Scott Niedermayer (2003-2004)
#3 Ken Daneyko (1991-1992) - #23 Bruce Driver (1987-1988)
#24 Bryce Salvador (2011-2012)

#30 Martin Brodeur (2007-2008)
#35 Corey Schneider (2014-2015)

Head Coach: Jacques Lemaire
Assistant Coach: Larry Robinson
Assistant Coach: Viaschlav Fetisov
​

The key decisions:

(1) Choosing Driver over Gomez. Driver in the lineup gives the team much better defensive depth than it does without him (though Kasatonov #8 would still be a good pick from 1991-1992 would be a good addition to the lineup).

(2) No Gomez means I'm short centers, leading me to decide to include both Sundstrom #17 and Gilmour #93 in the lineup. Sundstrom has the talent, skill, and speed to keep up with Hall, and Gilmour's acquisition season makes him a good depth center. (At some point in the future I hope Hischier will take a spot on this roster, letting me shift Sundstrom out and include Sykora more permanently.)

(3) Including Mogilny. Sundstrom in means no Sykora, which lets me pick someone else from the 2000-2001 season. Mogilny and Hall is a tantalizing combination of speed, skill, and scoring, and really that line is this team's 1st line probably. MacLean replaces Sykora on the A-line.

(4) Including Shanahan. I've always liked the Shanahan - Holik - McKay combination as a defensive, physical, and scoring line: it's the Crash Line but with a PPG Shanahan instead of Peluso. Shanahan means no Madden, which is a shame.

(5) Broten - Zajac - Lemieux is a nice shutdown line, giving the team good offensive and defensive depth.

(6) Choosing Elias' 2005-2006. Elias and Richer both have half-seasons (Elias due to illness, Richer due to strike), which means that Elias and Richer split that top-line LW spot.

(7) No one from 2002-2003!

(An alternative setup: take out Sundstrom, Driver, Mogilny and replace with Gomez 03-04, Sykora 00-01, Kasatonov 91-92.)

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Mogilny was 89 was he not?

 

[Classic Devil]

Mogilny was 89 was he not?

Oops. Typo, thanks.

 

[MartyOwns]

can i take grabner for a season he wasn’t on the devils?