Around the NHL: OMG HOCKEY Edition
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NYR Viper
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Blue Blooded
Most people rejected his message
Two years, $2.5M/year.
More than Hagelin for a worse player, hardly a sweetheart deal. And I don't care it was UFA, still a "prove it" contract. I doubt Brunner had a lot of other NHL options.
gary laser eyes
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- Apr 6, 2007
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The Devils signing one-dimensional guys like Brunner and Ryder and old/slow guys like Clowe and Jagr is definitely not their usual M.O.
I'm very curious to see how it works out for them. From afar, it looks like a patchwork cleanup to make up for all the key guys that left. It's definitely not the right way to build a contender, like we saw during the dark years here or like what Florida did two seasons ago with Upshall, Bergenheim, Fleischmann, Goc, Versteeg, Kopecky, etc...
It may be enough to help them make the playoffs, but I don't see them making any noise.
I'm very curious to see how it works out for them. From afar, it looks like a patchwork cleanup to make up for all the key guys that left. It's definitely not the right way to build a contender, like we saw during the dark years here or like what Florida did two seasons ago with Upshall, Bergenheim, Fleischmann, Goc, Versteeg, Kopecky, etc...
It may be enough to help them make the playoffs, but I don't see them making any noise.
NYR Viper
Registered User
Schnieder was their key pickup and they'll live and die by him for at least this year IMO. Their offense will probably still struggle a lot I think
NYR Viper
Registered User
I think their offense will be VERY good. Their depth is also VERY good. Totally different team this year.
NYR Viper
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Paulie Walnutz
HFNYR JUST AS SOFT AS NYR
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Raspewtin
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I think the Rangers of old proved a bunch of FA signings a good offense does not make. The Devils will have a great PP but I don't see them cracking the top-20 scoring teams. The entire team are shooters, and their passers really need to step up (Zajac, Henrique, although I don't think Henrique is anything more than a 50 pt player). Clowe will get injured multiple times, Brunner got like half his points in the first 10 games on a very superior Red Wings team last season, Ryder is a good PP option but not good for anything else, Jagr can't play more than 14 mins a game. They will have a good PP but I don't think their offense does much beyond that.
I don't buy it. Rangers went with "depth scoring" in the past and it didn't work terribly great.
They don't have a single player left who can really drive the offense or be a catalyst on the team, they have a bunch of pretty decent players who will go through long slumps during the year because that's just what players of that caliber do.
aufheben
#Norris4Fox
I could see them having a 11-12 Florida Panthers type season, but they'd need everything to go right just to get to that "level". Someone like Elias misses even ~10 games they'd be in serious trouble.
I also think depth is sometimes confused with having no one that's really that good. The Boston Bruins, that's depth. Like I said, say Elias, Henrique, hell even Jagr miss any time, that ship is sunk, I think. I don't see how they got any better offensively.
I also think depth is sometimes confused with having no one that's really that good. The Boston Bruins, that's depth. Like I said, say Elias, Henrique, hell even Jagr miss any time, that ship is sunk, I think. I don't see how they got any better offensively.
Blue Blooded
Most people rejected his message
Patrik Elias is still that player. But outside him I agree that they have a ton of middle-6 forwards, Elias is the only true first liner they have. Their main problem is at center though. Neither Zajac nor Henrique is what you want in a top line center. They aren't even 1B centers.
However, I don't think the loss of Kovalchuk will be as big as many think. He was a basically a complete non-factor 5v5 the past few years, scoring at a third line level while posting bad possession numbers. Still great on the PP and was a big shorthanded threat, but the bulk of the game is 5v5 and he wasn't getting it done there.
If the Devils can play as good a possession game they did last year they'll easily make the playoffs. Schneider will see to that.
aufheben
#Norris4Fox
Their goaltending was terrible last year, which is why I said getting Scheider was their big move. Getting at least decent goaltending from him could get them into the playoffs, but it's always tough to say those things with authority, especially since the divisions re-aligned, etc
Judging by a lot of Devils fans, Marty will be the starter to begin this year. Say he ***** the bed and Schneider overtakes him, can a guy who's never played more than 35 games in a season go straight into 50+ games? I watched like 4 Canucks regular season games last year, the ones where Schneider started he was terrible imo
Boruto
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- Jun 27, 2011
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Blue Blooded
Most people rejected his message
Exactly. If Schneider can give them even league average goaltending in 50+ starts and Brodeur can be at least mediocre in his, they should be in as a wildcard if they can maintain their possession game. Anything above that is gravy.
They replaced Kovalchuk and Clarkson with Jagr, Brunner, Ryder and Clowe.
Over and 82 game season Jagr and Clowe are not going to hold up. Jagr especially. He will be good at the beginning of the year and then will completely slow down. This happened in his Rangers days and we are 5 years removed from that.
Clowe is not the same player he was.
Brunner and Ryder are good signings but do they replace Kovalchuk, not in any way shape or form. They can't log as many minutes, nor do they attract the top defenses.
The top d-men on other teams are now going to be concentrated on Ryder, Elias and Henrique. Without Kovalchuk, they won't be as free to roam as they were previously.
When a team loses a player of that caliber, it isn't just his offense they lose, they lose his prescene. Prior to devils games the last couple seasons, teams were going in saying if we stop Kovy, we have a good chance of winning.
Now they go into games saying, if we stop Elias and Henrique, we have a good chance of winning.
That's a huge difference and regardless of the "depth" they signed it is going to have an impact on them. Unless a couple kids like Matteau and Larsson REALLY step up, the Devils are going to have a very mediocre year.
The Rangers did the same thing when Jagr left, they thought they could replace him with a couple good (at the time) depth players. Naslund, etc.
Some of those guys came in and performed fine, but it still didn't make up for it.
gary laser eyes
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- Apr 6, 2007
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I love reading all the posts from Devils fans defending Clowe. Remember how they bashed him to no end when the Rangers traded for him?
The irony is delicious.
The irony is delicious.
darko
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- Feb 16, 2009
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