General Discussion (Team/Player/Trade Talk/Speculation/News) Part XIV

[NHL Fanatik*]

for the life of me i dont understand why we would be buyers. How delusional is Lou to think this team is mediocre winger away from contending. It is ridiculous.

I love this team desperately but god i feel like as fans we need to ban together and reach out to management for answers. obviously would do no good cause we all know their air tight in whatever they do.

i just dont get it. its not like we even have the capability to get hot down the stretch either. even with parise and kovy we couldn't take LA - and now all of sudden were supposed to be able to compete on that level by adding what?? old ass briere?

then your selling assests which we have essentially none -

God i dont get it, and its eating me alive - I cant take the bullsh*t hackneyed ramshackle team building with no foresight. Meanwhile the ****ing rags are building and we are sitting here like amateurs pretending that somehow boucher, merril, gelly and larsson are gonna take us to the promise land???
Even if we keep cory, we are still several elite players away from even coming close to being in the discussion!

ahhh so damn frustrating. its just too depressing knowing how far away we are from being that perennial contender again.

To be fair, our roster is far superior to that of 2012's, minus parise and kovalchuk. But without them we were able to build a deeper, more well-rounded team, and I personally feel a LW scorer who isnt the usual washed-up NJ trade is all we need to make the playoffs and push from their. This year and this draft is not the right time to start re-building.

But yes, a player like Briere would do very little for us.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

To be fair, our roster is far superior to that of 2012's, minus parise and kovalchuk. But without them we were able to build a deeper, more well-rounded team, and I personally feel a LW scorer who isnt the usual washed-up NJ trade is all we need to make the playoffs and push from their. This year and this draft is not the right time to start re-building.

But yes, a player like Briere would do very little for us.

lol. do you realize how silly of a statement that is?

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

for the life of me i dont understand why we would be buyers. How delusional is Lou to think this team is mediocre winger away from contending. It is ridiculous.

I love this team desperately but god i feel like as fans we need to ban together and reach out to management for answers. obviously would do no good cause we all know their air tight in whatever they do.

i just dont get it. its not like we even have the capability to get hot down the stretch either. even with parise and kovy we couldn't take LA - and now all of sudden were supposed to be able to compete on that level by adding what?? old ass briere?

then your selling assests which we have essentially none -

God i dont get it, and its eating me alive - I cant take the bullsh*t hackneyed ramshackle team building with no foresight. Meanwhile the ****ing rags are building and we are sitting here like amateurs pretending that somehow boucher, merril, gelly and larsson are gonna take us to the promise land???
Even if we keep cory, we are still several elite players away from even coming close to being in the discussion!

ahhh so damn frustrating. its just too depressing knowing how far away we are from being that perennial contender again.

Let's make the playoffs and then see what happens.

I don't think the 11-12 team was much better than our current one (reverse the shootout records and this years version is way better).

 

[Eggtimer]

Players like Moulson Vanek etc would cost too much as others teams reported showing interest
Would cost too much for us to give up what would be needed to land top tier guys rumoured to be available .

I am hoping for a player that won't cost much asset wise , but yet have potential to turn things around in a new team

Players like Hemsky or Stepniak possibly Heatley
Setoguchi Havlat Bourque Gaborik

Guys with potential or previous goal scorers in slumps that can be had for relatively cheap
Gaborik I'm guessing though would require a 1st still or more though ?

Also would not mind Mathias from panthers but not sure what position he plays
Vrbada is a UFA after this year but once again would cost too much or is most likely resigning with the Yotes

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

If Lou pulls Vanek out of his hat I sincerely believe we make the playoffs and make a damn good run.

Vanek - Zajac - Jagr
Clowe - Henrique - Ryder
Elias - Loktionov - Brunner
CBGB

And you know what, Vanek on the cheap since it would be a 20 game rental or so would be a Lou move.

Devils send Josefson, Kujawinski, 2015 conditional 1st (only becomes a first if Vanek resigns with NJ. If Vanek re-signs elsewhere it becomes a 2nd. If he re-signs with the Islanders it becomes a fourth).

It's not out of the realm of possibility that Lou does that and we become a force in the playoffs. We're a Vanek away from having a shot at the ECF. That's how bad the East is. Heck even without him you can sneak in and steal a round or two.

 

[The 29th Pick]

Check out video posted on the Devils website of their super bowl picks. Carter is so awkward.

too bad they didnt ask Jags, he was yelling Omaha Omaha in the background !

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Hemsky would be a good acquisition. We could use that type of creativity, and he'd probably mesh well with Zajac and Jagr since they can do a lot of the heavy lifting down low.

 

[Devils Trap]

too bad they didnt ask Jags, he was yelling Omaha Omaha in the background !

I died of laughter when he screamed Omaha Omaha in the back

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

lol. do you realize how silly of a statement that is?

No I dont?

Parise and Kovalchuk leaving was disasterous, but since then this team is MUCH nore balanced in terms of scoring (the little we do). Yes, it sounds funny, but it's true. If we get a 30-goal or former 30-goal scorer for top line, we are an easy playoff team I feel.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Players like Moulson Vanek etc would cost too much as others teams reported showing interest

They said that about Kovy too. Teams are hesitant to give up key pieces for guys that are rentals. Like Kovy.

A rental cost Lou Oduya who was AWFUL leading up to that deadline and had a sizeable contract, Bergfors who was meh at the time, and Cormier who was mostly hype. And that first.

Vanek who is a tier below Kovy could be had for less. And I'm sure Lou is biding his time waiting to pounce.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Lest we forget that we have a top five goalie in the NHL in Schneider as well.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

They said that about Kovy too. Teams are hesitant to give up key pieces for guys that are rentals. Like Kovy.

A rental cost Lou Oduya who was AWFUL leading up to that deadline and had a sizeable contract, Bergfors who was meh at the time, and Cormier who was mostly hype. And that first.

Vanek who is a tier below Kovy could be had for less. And I'm sure Lou is biding his time waiting to pounce.

A bit of revisionist history on your part there.

Bergfors was a 22-year old former first round pick who was scoring at 0.5 PPG pace in his first season. That type of commodity is pretty valuable. The Devils don't have anyone right now who fills that role, but Boucher would probably be the closest.

You also claim Cormier was all hype, but regardless, he was a pretty highly touted prospect at the time. Him and Matteau would probably be considered as equals.

Oduya was pretty bad before being traded, however for three years he had been a dependable second pairing guy at both ends of the ice. I imagine someone like Fayne is comparable.

So we're talking Boucher, Matteau, Fayne and a 1st. That's pretty equal to what we gave up for Kovy, and that kind of trade would bankrupt our system.

 

[The 29th Pick]

I think Garth will treat Vanek well since he said he might return to the Island, so instead of uprooting his family and messing up his life for a few months, he trades him locally. And Lou works out a deal for him as a rental.
The Isle's need D, and we have excess, maybe Fayne+ ???

 

[njdevil26]

Lest we forget that we have a top five goalie in the NHL in Schneider as well.

A top 5 goalie who is getting tons of bench time because of... nostalgia.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

IDK, JJ and Teddy have been around for like 4 years with 3 different coaches, 100+ NHL games and still not even a spark. I lost faith.

They've both looked good under different coaches though.

 

[NJDevs26]

No I dont?

Parise and Kovalchuk leaving was disasterous, but since then this team is MUCH nore balanced in terms of scoring (the little we do). Yes, it sounds funny, but it's true. If we get a 30-goal or former 30-goal scorer for top line, we are an easy playoff team I feel.

'balanced scoring' lol, doesn't mean crap if you don't DO a lot of scoring.

Besides the 11-12 Devils had five 20-goal scorers plus Henrique who got 19 plus Zajac who missed the whole season. This idea we didn't have balanced scoring is silly.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

A bit of revisionist history on your part there.

Bergfors was a 22-year old former first round pick who was scoring at 0.5 PPG pace in his first season. That type of commodity is pretty valuable. The Devils don't have anyone right now who fills that role, but Boucher would probably be the closest.

You also claim Cormier was all hype, but regardless, he was a pretty highly touted prospect at the time. Him and Matteau would probably be considered as equals.

Oduya was pretty bad before being traded. I imagine someone like Fayne his comparable.

So we're talking Boucher, Matteau, Fayne and a 1st. That's pretty equal to what we gave up for Kovy, and that kind of trade would bankrupt our system.

Maybe you're right. I just don't remember Bergfors being all that special despite that. I didn't think he was viewed all that highly. Would compare Bergfors more to Josefson to be honest. Maybe slightly more valuable. Cormier I remember as all hype. Kujawinski to me is a better prospect than PC ever was.

It really might be revisionist history, it's tough to suspend what I thought then with what I think now. But I'm trying really hard to if it means anything. I just can't for the life of me remember thinking "man we gave up fair value for Kovy." I remember thinking "man Lou what a ****ing steal we gave up nothing but a first!"

Fayne I also think is >> Oduya was at the time he was traded. Though I think Oduya is better now.

I think, at the deadline, for the rental: Josefson, Kuja, Fayne and a conditional first gets it done (with the conditions I stated above - Devils first if he re-signs, Devils second if he goes anywhere but NYI, Devils fourth if he re-signs with the Isles).

Edit: re-read that first paragraph and realized how silly it sounded. Given Josefson is in purgatory. So Bergfors certainly was significantly more valuable at the time, I am wrong there.

Though when you adjust for the difference between Kovy and Vanek skill wise, I think we can pull the trigger substituting Berfors for JaJo.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

No I dont?

Parise and Kovalchuk leaving was disasterous, but since then this team is MUCH nore balanced in terms of scoring (the little we do). Yes, it sounds funny, but it's true. If we get a 30-goal or former 30-goal scorer for top line, we are an easy playoff team I feel.

Elias was in the top 10 in the league scoring that year and played on the "2nd" line

Clarkson scored 30 goals and played on the "3rd" line

 

[AfroThunder396]

Of course Pete loves Peyton Manning, he's 37 years old and spends the whole game standing in one spot.

 

[ajdevjet]

for the life of me i dont understand why we would be buyers. How delusional is Lou to think this team is mediocre winger away from contending. It is ridiculous.

I love this team desperately but god i feel like as fans we need to ban together and reach out to management for answers. obviously would do no good cause we all know their air tight in whatever they do.

i just dont get it. its not like we even have the capability to get hot down the stretch either. even with parise and kovy we couldn't take LA - and now all of sudden were supposed to be able to compete on that level by adding what?? old ass briere?

then your selling assests which we have essentially none -

God i dont get it, and its eating me alive - I cant take the bullsh*t hackneyed ramshackle team building with no foresight. Meanwhile the ****ing rags are building and we are sitting here like amateurs pretending that somehow boucher, merril, gelly and larsson are gonna take us to the promise land???
Even if we keep cory, we are still several elite players away from even coming close to being in the discussion!

ahhh so damn frustrating. its just too depressing knowing how far away we are from being that perennial contender again.

why would we be buyers ? ummm maybe coz we are 2 points out of a play off spot with 29 games left ??? how do you know we arent capable of getting hot ? do you have a crystal ball ? anything can happen, just gotta get in.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

why would we be buyers ? ummm maybe coz we are 2 points out of a play off spot with 29 games left ??? how do you know we arent capable of getting hot ? do you have a crystal ball ? anything can happen, just gotta get in.

simple- because we aren't a good team. we should not be spending any type of significant assets on pending UFAs

if we were in any other division our record wouldn't be as inflated as it is.

 

[Cowbell232]

They said that about Kovy too. Teams are hesitant to give up key pieces for guys that are rentals. Like Kovy.

A rental cost Lou Oduya who was AWFUL leading up to that deadline and had a sizeable contract, Bergfors who was meh at the time, and Cormier who was mostly hype. And that first.

Vanek who is a tier below Kovy could be had for less. And I'm sure Lou is biding his time waiting to pounce.

You're forgetting that everyone, very much literally EVERYONE, absolute knew that Kovy was not going to stay with Atlanta.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

simple- because we aren't a good team. we should not be spending any type of significant assets on pending UFAs

if we were in any other division our record wouldn't be as inflated as it is.

And the same can be said for any team in the Metro besides Pitt. So what, everyone should sell and the two/three other teams from the Metro to make it should just give up and let the other teams win?

Like really, you honestly think Lou is going to sell, this close to a spot?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

And the same can be said for any team in the Metro besides Pitt. So what, everyone should sell and the two/three other teams from the Metro to make it should just give up and let the other teams win?

Like really, you honestly think Lou is going to sell, this close to a spot?

I never said he was going to sell (as much as I think he should sell guys like Zidlicky, he won't).

I said he shouldn't buy.

they aren't the same thing.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

You're forgetting that everyone, very much literally EVERYONE, absolute knew that Kovy was not going to stay with Atlanta.

That's a fair point actually. Atlanta did pawn him off to the highest bidders and ended up with NJ's offer and some of that (most of that?) could have been Kovy's refusal to re-sign there.

However, Vanek is no sure thing to re-sign in New York. Especially considering for the past 3 years we've heard about how it was inevitable he'd end up in Minnesota. While it's not as sure of a thing as Kovy not re-signing in Atlanta, I think NYI takes a sizeable risk not moving him.

Wouldn't Vanek's willingness to re-sign in New York also lower his value though? Saying "well, even if you trade me, I might come back" hurts his value almost as much to me. Why would anyone give up assets for a guy who could bolt right back to the team you traded your studs to?