Confirmed with Link: Coleman to Tampa Bay for 1st and Nolan Foote

[Emperoreddy]

I disagree. I think he had to say we’d be competitive next year after trading a fan favorite win now piece. The reason I say that is because Abbey apparently has an interview dropping tomorrow from an interview earlier today where he says they won’t be contenders for the next couple years.

He could easily just give a non-answer about “reassessing or reevaluating” especially with no guarantee this is going to be his mess.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I think it’s lost on a few people that we don’t just need two new LD. We need two really good LD. A top pairing LD and a top 4 LD.

plus you simply can’t ask Smith in his D+2 year to be that. It’s possible he does end up being able to, but you can’t assume it and it was unwise to assume it this year.

There was no way to fill those holes with just Hall’s return and free agents.

also that doesn’t take into account that our left side is Subban and Severson, which isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire.

 

[ninetyeight]

Twitter is PISSED. Only bastion of rational discussion on this trade is here right now.

Twitter fans are clueless and know nothing about hockey, they have no idea what rebuilding means nor have ever heard about Nolan Foote (or any other prospects, Bahl and Merkley included). It’s the same sh*t everytime. Especially if the player is some handsome guy like Henrique, the female fans are heartbroken,.

 

[njdevils1982]

I understand the value was good but I still don’t like it.

there's a hole in my heart with no coleman….but yes, kind of have to make the deal

 

[Emperoreddy]

Abbey also said they won’t contend the next two years. Not compete. We can be competitive next year, but we shouldn’t be passing on high end returns just to guarantee we are on the bubble. That’s stupid.

Bubble team and a contending team are not the same thing. It’s obvious we are not contending for a cup next year or the year after. Jack and Nico aren’t ready for that.

 

[Devils731]

I said to so many posters on the main board and here, I didn't want to even entertain the idea of trading Coleman because there is no way we get back for him anything equal to what he brings to the team.

Thanks a lot Fitz, make me look like a fool.

Also a good example that even if fans or the national media don’t know how good a guy is, the GMs around the league probably do.

 

[JK3]

Fitz really has no obligation to go out there and pay that kind of lip service when he might not even be here next year.

If he is here and has control, I believe he will try to make next year’s team as competitive as he can.

He also isn’t going to mortgage the future to do it though. He isn’t going to go out there and hand out big contracts to middling Dmen to force short term success.

I'm still a bit unclear on what we're doing. At first, hearing of the trade with Coleman I thought ok we're blowing it up (moving UFA Green really isn't an indicator one way or the other). Then in the presser Fitz said they weren't actively shopping Coleman but there was no way they could refuse the offer. Then he goes on to saying they want to be competitive next year but of course he's going to say that.

 

[JrFischer54]

I don't like the trade. We trade the one overacheiving player we've had from perhaps the last 15 drafts while the team lacks talent, to get two more shots that are unlikely to reach his level. Foote is a second round prospect; lesser talented brother of two kids of an ex-NHL star. He may become another Zacha but not sure we really need two. Another first rounder would be good for a team with a strong ability to draft NHLers outside the top position overall but our last ten first rounders (other than Nico and probably Jack) are likely to be lesser players than Coleman even if they make more money. Perhaps it's an acknowledgement that the scouts need three shots to hope to pick out a talented kid.

It's Edmonton Oilers trading: asking to be in perpetual rebuild by continually giving up on the present and immediate future. It helps to destroy any remaining belief that we can develop the team's own players into a winning outfit, both in the fan base and the organisation. Presumably it's the kind of trade Shero wouldn't countenance, hence his departure.

lol that seriously might be candidate for worse post of the year and we are only in February. If the devils can’t draft talent in the first round? Well then they might as well just pickup and move the franchise. I don’t know too many rebuilding teams that wouldn’t trade a 29 year old year away from ufa for 2 first round picks lol. Whatever team does that? Well then I don’t want to root for them.


What do you think a return for Coleman should be

 

[Triumph]

I don't like the trade. We trade the one overacheiving player we've had from perhaps the last 15 drafts while the team lacks talent, to get two more shots that are unlikely to reach his level. Foote is a second round prospect; lesser talented brother of two kids of an ex-NHL star. He may become another Zacha but not sure we really need two. Another first rounder would be good for a team with a strong ability to draft NHLers outside the top position overall but our last ten first rounders (other than Nico and probably Jack) are likely to be lesser players than Coleman even if they make more money. Perhaps it's an acknowledgement that the scouts need three shots to hope to pick out a talented kid.

It's Edmonton Oilers trading: asking to be in perpetual rebuild by continually giving up on the present and immediate future. It helps to destroy any remaining belief that we can develop the team's own players into a winning outfit, both in the fan base and the organisation. Presumably it's the kind of trade Shero wouldn't countenance, hence his departure.

The other overachiever we had just scored the shootout winner tonight.

The problem with Blake Coleman from the Devils' perspective is that A: his next season will almost certainly be the last one he has as a great value cap-wise and B: he has enormous marginal value for a team like Tampa Bay and almost no marginal value for the Devils. The Devils are currently $27 million below next year's salary cap and that will probably go even lower when they buy out Cory Schneider. It really doesn't make a difference to the Devils if Blake Coleman made $1.8M or $5M next season - they would have plenty of cap space barring an incredible sequence of events. So yeah, if they could find a team who properly valued Coleman, like Tampa, they had to make a move like this. This isn't Edmonton trading Andrew Cogliano for a 2nd round pick - this is the Devils trading a 28 year old whose next contract will find him almost entirely 30 and up and being paid a fair price for all the great stuff he does.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'm still a bit unclear on what we're doing. At first, hearing of the trade with Coleman I thought ok we're blowing it up (moving UFA Green really isn't an indicator one way or the other). Then in the presser Fitz said they weren't actively shopping Coleman but there was no way they could refuse the offer. Then he goes on to saying they want to be competitive next year but of course he's going to say that.

I think it means they don’t intend to actively tank next year. They will bring a proper back up in and attempt to fill the D holes.

But the main goal is to continue to get younger along with getting better because they want sustainable success over short term bubble success.

He implied the core is Nico, Jack, and Blackwood so you would imagine that the plan is to build around their age and timetable then.

Plus the cold reality is young talented D is really expensive. Even if you would like to do a hockey trade for D, we needed more assets then we had to successfully pull it off

 

[Emperoreddy]

No one on earth would have believed four months ago Coleman could return this. Not a soul.

Foote is not a scrub by any measure either from what I can see. A 1st is a 1st. We haven’t had this many 1sts in one draft since? Idk have we ever?

 

[JK3]

I think it means they don’t intend to actively tank next year. They will bring a proper back up in and attempt to fill the D holes.

But the main goal is to continue to get younger along with getting better because they want sustainable success over short term bubble success.

He implied the core is Nico, Jack, and Blackwood so you would imagine that the plan is to build around their age and timetable then.

Plus the cold reality is young talented D is really expensive. Even if you would like to do a hockey trade for D, we needed more assets then we had to successfully pull it off

Yeah I get all that. This defense is just plain killing us, it's going to be a looooooong time before we see any success. They way things have panned out in the past I'm not confident in Smith or Bahl until they prove otherwise. The guys we have behind them are even further off and who knows how they'll turn out.

 

[Triumph]

I'm still a bit unclear on what we're doing. At first, hearing of the trade with Coleman I thought ok we're blowing it up (moving UFA Green really isn't an indicator one way or the other). Then in the presser Fitz said they weren't actively shopping Coleman but there was no way they could refuse the offer. Then he goes on to saying they want to be competitive next year but of course he's going to say that.

The thing I've been saying since this all started is that they've got to move one of Palmieri, Coleman, and Gusev. They've done that for a solid return. They should not move all 3 of them until next year goes sideways and they have no hope of signing them long-term.

 

[Emperoreddy]

That is the plan in black and white (though he also put Blackwood in this group).

If he is here, the plan is to build a contender around that core.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

You also have to factor in the high likelihood that Coleman just signs in Dallas anyway in the summer of 2021.

He's from Texas, and his wife is a Cowboys cheerleader. They're about to have a baby, and I'm sure Texas is where he'll want to settle down.

 

[Classic Devil]

I hated trading Randy Mckay too...

This makes a lot of sense for our situation, but trading good players is always going to suck.

McKay was beyond his prime. I hated trading him because of the past. Coleman is in the middle of his prime. I hate trading him because of the present and the future.

 

[Devil X]

With Hughes, Nico, and Blackwood being the core moving forward. That means guys like Foote Boqvist and Bratt will or should play roles as well. But somewhere a defenseman needs to come into play. I don’t believe Smith and Bahl will be number 1 type players. I could see one of the Jespers being shipped out with one of those firsts in a hockey trade to land a Dman. It almost needs to happen. That or they need to get some stud in this draft.

 

[JK3]

That is the plan in black and white (though he also put Blackwood in this group).

If he is here, the plan is to build a contender around that core.

Wasn't this the Shero plan though? I mean he went for it a little with Subban and Goose but those deals aren't going to hamstring us. What the hell happens if Fitz isn't given the position lol. I'm just trying to figure out our "win now" owners.

 

[glenwo2]

No one on earth would have believed four months ago Coleman could return this. Not a soul.

Foote is not a scrub by any measure either from what I can see. A 1st is a 1st. We haven’t had this many 1sts in one draft since? Idk have we ever?

I daresay that Nolan Foote is the BEST Prospect the Devils currently have and that includes Ty Smith.

 

[JrFischer54]

Wasn't this the Shero plan though? I mean he went for it a little with Subban and Goose but those deals aren't going to hamstring us. What the hell happens if Fitz isn't given the position lol. I just trying to figure out our "win now" owners.

I’m sure he is going to be the gm. There is Noway the owners let him make a statement like that and then kick him out in a few months let alone make trade to put his vision into place.

I also wonder this was sheros plan as well and pretty much everyone on here plan too so why fire shero? I’m sure if he thought he could’ve gotten this for Coleman he would’ve jumped on it

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

With Hughes, Nico, and Blackwood being the core moving forward. That means guys like Foote Boqvist and Bratt will or should play roles as well. But somewhere a defenseman needs to come into play. I don’t believe Smith and Bahl will be number 1 type players. I could see one of the Jespers being shipped out with one of those firsts in a hockey trade to land a Dman. It almost needs to happen. That or they need to get some stud in this draft.

But the main reason to be optimistic is that we could not even have these kinds of conversations 5 years ago. Could we have traded every player on the roster 5 years ago and got the returns Hall and Coleman got us?

 

[Better Call Sal]

Alright it’s been a whirlwind of a day. Thank god I was finally able to see a W live this year, good god.

That return for Blake Coleman is just too good to pass up, but it doesn’t change the fact of how upsetting it is to see him go. Everything you want in a player as a fan, never took a game or even a shift off since he’s been here. He deserves all the success in the world and I wish he could have been one of those guys who was here for the majority of his career.

Really going to miss him, he became such a beloved part of this team. All of that said, grabbing Foote is really impressive and adding another first potentially for this draft gives us a chance to hopefully couple some of our picks for a player we need now.

Maybe it’s just me but I feel like them giving Fitzgerald the ability to make a move like that is a sign they have trust in his vision.

 

[glenwo2]

With Hughes, Nico, and Blackwood being the core moving forward. That means guys like Foote Boqvist and Bratt will or should play roles as well. But somewhere a defenseman needs to come into play. I don’t believe Smith and Bahl will be number 1 type players. I could see one of the Jespers being shipped out with one of those firsts in a hockey trade to land a Dman. It almost needs to happen. That or they need to get some stud in this draft.

Until it happens, I'm not believing either of the Jespers are going anywhere anytime soon.

Besides, why would the Devils trade one of their FIRSTS when they desperately need to Draft more talent?

Unless "one of those firsts" refers to something else and I am totally misunderstanding things here....

 

[Offseason Champs]

I like when Fitz says the same thing a bunch of us have been saying on this board for a while now. The writing was on the wall with the Shero firing - he either wanted to blow the team up or keep it status quo and move to next year. Fitz selling off pieces means that this is the direction the ownership is okay with.

I didn't want to trade Coleman whatsoever unless there was a big return. This definitely classifies as a trade you just can't say no to. I would have been more than fine to keep him, he's a gamer and a fan favorite and quite frankly he's turned into an incredible player since he hit the NHL. However, 28 years old is 28 years old, and eventually you need to pick a direction: spin the wheels like Lou did at the end with free agent signings that don't move the needle or you just pick a core and run with it which is exactly what happened in the late 90's early 00's with that team. We just need to find a way to add some defensemen to the core, and now with three decent firsts we have a really great chance to add some more hopefully significant and young pieces that will be ready in a year or two when the main guys are entering their primes.

Ya hate to see Blake go, but that return could pay insane dividends for a guy who will be 30 by the time this team has hopefully righted the ship.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Wasn't this the Shero plan though? I mean he went for it a little with Subban and Goose but those deals aren't going to hamstring us. What the hell happens if Fitz isn't given the position lol. I'm just trying to figure out our "win now" owners.

That is the dirty secret some don’t want to admit.

They don’t have an issue trading to be more competitive short term if they feel they have a decent volume of assets. So 2nds and 3rds were on the table since I imagine they felt we had a good amount of picks in that area/prospects that are equal to what we could get drafting with those picks.

Extra firsts are a different deal, and we got a 1st round pick from this last draft on top of that.