Confirmed with Link: Matteau to MTL for Devante Smith-Pelly

[MadDevil]

At the very least he could replace Tootoo on the right side for next year (or sooner).

It seems clear that Matteau just wasn't in the plans for Hynes and Co., so it's better to at least get something for him rather than just keep him around not playing. The whole waiver situation really just kind of screwed him.

 

[Bleedred]

Agreed, but I'm not a fan of trades done for the sake of trading. Why not just keep your player? Again, though, it's a lateral move so I really don't care.

Because Matteau is a bust and DSP looks like he could at least be a decent player.

I have some hope, didm't have it with Matteau.

 

[njdevils1982]

guessing dad's hat is in the fireplace by now

 

[Bleedred]

guessing dad's hat is in the fireplace by now

I did really gain a lot of respect for Matteau Sr when I saw that article from TG after Marty night. He said he showed up out of respect to the ''greatest goaltender of all time''. I thought that was a very classy move on his part, especially since he's still involved with the Rangers alumni or at least comes to their games a lot and is shown on the big board in attendance firing up the crowd or something.

I don't really remember many people talking about that article, it might have gotten lost in a lot of the Marty day stuff. I thought it was a very classy move.

 

[NJDevs26]

Devils fans are gonna have to get out of this line of thinking, when left to their own devices, lots of players choose numbers like this.

Plus really it's a number, it doesn't affect how the guy plays so who cares either way (which of course is an argument for keeping the low number tradition too).

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I did really gain a lot of respect for Matteau Sr when I saw that article from TG after Marty night. He said he showed up out of respect to the ''greatest goaltender of all time''. I thought that was a very classy move on his part, especially since he's still involved with the Rangers alumni or at least comes to their games a lot and is shown on the big board in attendance firing up the crowd or something.

I don't really remember many people talking about that article, it might have gotten lost in a lot of the Marty day stuff. I thought it was a very classy move.

Agree with you about that.

 

[glenwo2]

I'm happy for Matteau since he will at least get some friggin' playing time for a change.

 

[glenwo2]

People better keep glen away from sharp objects...

Not really. I've always said "either play him or trade him".

Now he'll get his shot to be an NHL'er. Good for him.

 

[Rhodes 81]

I made my feelings on the trade pretty clear in the other thread, but I sincerely hope I'm wrong. Would love for DSP to be a mainstay in our bottom six for a while and help build my dream 4th line of Kalinin-Josefson-anyone who doesn't suck.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

I feel like I would've almost rather seen a 6th or a 7th rounder come back. This team has enough Smith-Pelleys already. I'd rather have one less contract out of 50 and a more solidified position for Boucher and Blandisi going forward. But I guess with the org's horrible RW depth, it makes sense.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I feel like I would've almost rather seen a 6th or a 7th rounder come back. This team has enough Smith-Pelleys already. I'd rather have one less contract out of 50 and a more solidified position for Boucher and Blandisi going forward. But I guess with the org's horrible RW depth, it makes sense.

If he ends up better then Tootoo and replaces him then that is already an improvement, but ya part of me agrees with you, or if we could do a hockey trade like this maybe we could of packaged him for something of more value at the draft.

 

[kiwidevil]

I feel like I would've almost rather seen a 6th or a 7th rounder come back. This team has enough Smith-Pelleys already. I'd rather have one less contract out of 50 and a more solidified position for Boucher and Blandisi going forward. But I guess with the org's horrible RW depth, it makes sense.

You have to be kidding.

Bottom line is, DSP is an NHLer.

Blame Hynes, rather than Shero if Matteau becomes anything.

 

[glenwo2]

What's weird to me is how many people have such definitive opinions on a player has only played 44 games and has had virtually no opportunity for 2 years.

It's called "kicking a man when he's down".

Wow, we won this trade so easily. Matteau will never be an NHL player, he was awful every game he played here.

Awful is TooToo, Rutuu, Gio, and Kennedy.

From the times(rare as they are) that he was on the ice, he was NOT "Awful" like those clowns. Come on now....

Matteau couldn't beat out Bobby Farnham, Tuomo Rutuu, or Jordin Tootoo. Enough said.

More like he couldn't beat out HYNES since he never played him. Let's call it like it is.

Hynes just didn't like Matteau for whatever reason.

It had to be something else instead of his Hockey skills or what-have-you. Maybe he insulted Hynes' mom or something?



Anyway, he's in a much better place now because he will get his shot....LEGIT shot at showing whether he does have an NHL future. And that's all one can ask for.




Now as far as the guy we got back? It's a wait-and-see situation. Hope he helps us out..especially in the scoring aspect.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

I have no problem with Matteau becoming anything, and I'd blame Lou and Deboer more than anyone. I just think a bottom-6 NHLer isn't even worth taking on at this point, but I guess DSP still has some tiny amount of potential.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Awful is TooToo, Rutuu, Gio, and Kennedy.

From the times(rare as they are) that he was on the ice, he was NOT "Awful" like those clowns. Come on now....

Kennedy is a better NHLer than Matteau. Stef will be lucky to have a similar career.

 

[NJDevs26]

I have no problem with Matteau becoming anything, and I'd blame Lou and Deboer more than anyone. I just think a bottom-6 NHLer isn't even worth taking on at this point, but I guess DSP still has some tiny amount of potential.

At this point it's water under the bridge but yeah things could have been different if he wasn't unneccesarily kept up here several extra games in his rookie season and could have been in the AHL the whole year this year. Or maybe it would have just delayed the inevitable one more year.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I'm thinking aside from poor conditioning, there is more behind the scenes reasons as to why Stef couldnt get onto the ice.

 

[Zippy316]

What did Matteau ever do in the games he played here?

Don't understand what people saw in him.

 

[glenwo2]

Kennedy is a better NHLer than Matteau. Stef will be lucky to have a similar career.

And what about the other 3, eh?

 

[glenwo2]

What did Matteau ever do in the games he played here?

Don't understand what people saw in him.

That's the problem, though, Zippy.


We hardly EVER "saw" him to even have an opinion on what we "saw in him".


He hardly ever played and this is on Hiney-head here.

If he becomes anything and DOESN'T end up being the bust that many here are PRAYING(apparently) he would, it would make Hiney-head look real bad(and a bit stupid, too) for not trying to make it work.

Whatever, though. DSP is at least a regular NHL'er. Time will tell just how much he can contribute to this team.

 

[Zippy316]

That's the problem, though, Zippy.


We hardly EVER "saw" him to even have an opinion on what we "saw in him".


He hardly ever played and this is on Hiney-head here.

If he becomes anything and DOESN'T end up being the bust that many here are PRAYING(apparently) he would, it would make Hiney-head look real bad(and a bit stupid, too) for not trying to make it work.

Whatever, though. DSP is at least a regular NHL'er. Time will tell just how much he can contribute to this team.

He played 20 games.

He did nothing in those 20 games aside from a fluke goal on Neuvirth. He was just a passenger on his line and did nothing effective. He's supposed to be a big, physical player. At the very least he could have showed that.

I've said it over and over again. I like his skill set. Considering that he has to be on an NHL roster due to waivers, right now he's a terrible NHL player. I don't see how he gets better by playing over his head in the NHL.

 

[Bleedred]

What did Matteau ever do in the games he played here?

Don't understand what people saw in him.

Scored a mind numbingly soft goal on Neuvirth and still had the lowest PPG out of any forwards on the team that actually had at least a point.

He also hit a few people too, if that counts for anything.

 

[glenwo2]

He played 20 games.

EXACTLY MY POINT.

He did nothing in those 20 games aside from a fluke goal on Neuvirth. He was just a passenger on his line and did nothing effective. He's supposed to be a big, physical player. At the very least he could have showed that.

Maybe he would've shown more with MORE PLAYING TIME, PERHAPS?

That's what would enable young players to get better, you know. At least that's what I think anyway.

I've said it over and over again. I like his skill set. Considering that he has to be on an NHL roster due to waivers, right now he's a terrible NHL player. I don't see how he gets better by playing over his head in the NHL.

Well he'll get that shot he never got, over in Montreal now. He'll get PT, get further developed, and become a solid(at worse) 3rd-liner. It was an absolute joke that he got hardly any shot here at all and I truly believe it had to be something else(not his hockey skills) that caused Hiney not to play him. Maybe he did something or said something that pissed Hiney off and put him on his s--t list permanently?

 

[Billdo]

I mean people are right, we don't know what Matteau COULDVE been. The fact that he couldn't break into a lineup that played Kennedy, Ruutu, Tootoo, Sislo, Thompson, etc over him is pretty telling though. We do however know that at worst DSP is a NHL player. The same can't be said for Matteau. Obviously he never had a stretch of consistent playing, but he couldn't beat out those scrubs and force his way into the lineup? That's not a good sign unless he was sleeping with Hynes wife or something.

 

[glenwo2]

I mean people are right, we don't know what Matteau COULDVE been. The fact that he couldn't break into a lineup that played Kennedy, Ruutu, Tootoo, Sislo, Thompson, etc over him is pretty telling though. We do however know that at worst DSP is a NHL player. The same can't be said for Matteau. Obviously he never had a stretch of consistent playing, but he couldn't beat out those scrubs and force his way into the lineup? That's not a good sign unless he was sleeping with Hynes wife or something.

Don't know about that.


But I think there was something more going on behind the scenes that contributed to Hynes not playing Matteau than his Hockey skills.

You're saying that he couldn't beat out the likes of TooToo, Rutuu, and Gio, right? That's baloney because even at his mediocre-best, he's eons better than those 3 so it has to be something of a more PERSONAL nature regarding him and Hiney-head.

Hence, what I mentioned earlier about pissing him off due to some verbal altercation that was never mentioned(since it was kept in-house) or something to that effect?