New Jersey Devils (Team/Player Discussion)-Offseason FA and trade talk Part XIIX

[HughJazz3dg]

I can see Patty being where he usually is on the PP, and having Jagr down low where Parise used to be. I'd throw Zajac in the middle there, so he can win the face off, and be in front of the net. I would love Larsson to get first PP, but I think Greene gets a spot over him.

 

[nugg]

"I was the same way, but I thought better of it. In the end, I stand by the fact that the ECF win was worth it all."

I get it because we beat the rangers but it's all about the cup and honestly I think about the losses in game 1 and game 2 of the finals more than game 6 vs rangers, beating them ws awesome but not as awesome if we had won it all.....that being said I still feel the 2001 loss to the Avs is the one that will haunt me forever...one game from going back to back and we couldnt finish ! UGH !!!

iknowthatfeelbro.gif

 

[ScottyK]

Was just looking at the schedule again man October is brutal.

If we come out of October with a .500 record I'll be extremely happy.

 

[TnT25]

Meanwhile Jeff Frazee has signed with Valpellice, Italy

 

[dougiebrown]

First ever picture of Jagr in a Devils jersey?

https://twitter.com/zdenek_janda/status/370876890598223873/photo/1

 

[Jersey Man]

Patty and Jagr

https://twitter.com/zdenek_janda/status/370876890598223873/photo/1

edit: beaten to it

 

[Better Call Sal]

Can't believe that picture is even real. Never thought I'd see him in red and black.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

PP Unit 1:

Clowe - Henrique - Ryder
Zajac - Zidlicky

PP Unit 2:

Elias - Loktionov - Jagr
Larsson - Greene

Maybe have Larsson on the first pp with Zajac, Zidlicky on second.

Elias needs to be on PP unit 1. no questions asked.

 

[JimEIV]

Patty and Jagr

https://twitter.com/zdenek_janda/status/370876890598223873/photo/1

edit: beaten to it

Jagr is a monster of a man...Elias doesn't look much smaller than him in that pic.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Elias and Jagr absolutely have to be on the first PP unit.

 

[NC107*]

I hope Elias Lokti Jagr is the starting first line of the opener

 

[HischierSeDgewOrk]

Elias Loktionov Jagr
Clowe Zajac Ryder
Olesz Henrique Zubrus
Carter Josefson Bernier


Larsson Greene
Fayne Salvador
Zidlicky Volchenkov

Schneider
Brodeur

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

again, Loktionov cannot be the #1 center unless he starts improving that FO%

 

[HischierSeDgewOrk]

again, Loktionov cannot be the #1 center unless he starts improving that FO%

Without Parise or Kovy I don't think we have a clearcut #1 line getting 22-24 minutes. We're most likely going to see 3 lines with very similar ice time so it doesn't matter who's technically the #1 center.
and his faceoffs can only get better...right?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Without Parise or Kovy I don't think we have a clearcut #1 line getting 22-24 minutes. We're most likely going to see 3 lines with very similar ice time so it doesn't matter who's technically the #1 center.
and his faceoffs can only get better...right?

Zajac will be the Center with the most ice time almost certainly.

He'll probably play ~21 minutes per game.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

again, Loktionov cannot be the #1 center unless he starts improving that FO%

Again, there is no such thing as a first line on this team. Never mind a first line center.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Again, there is no such thing as a first line on this team. Never mind a first line center.

Zajac will easily play the most minutes of centers. so therefore to me that means he is the first line center.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Zajac will easily play the most minutes of centers. so therefore to me that means he is the first line center.

Yes, that would mean he would be our go-to guy. So, I guess that could render him a first line center.

But, to me, when there is no first line (which there seems to be a consensus here that there won't be), there is no first line center.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

If you lose 60% of your faceoffs, then there is such a thing as not the team's first line center.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

If you lose 60% of your faceoffs, then there is such a thing as not the team's first line center.

That's fair.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

If you lose 60% of your faceoffs, then there is such a thing as not the team's first line center.

This makes very little sense. Considering we don't employ a traditional "first-line" it doesn't really matter what Lokti's face-off % is, if he plays, he's going to be on a line on this team. And since we employ "three distributed lines" it doesn't matter what order you place them top to bottom.

TJ Oshie's face-off % is worse than Loktionov's, by-the-way, and it hasn't precluded him from playing on the Top-2 Lines. Colin Wilson who also has a worse % than Loktionov has played well on top lines too. In favor of SK to boot. RNH was at 41% last year, not too far from Lokti.

My point - face-off % is quite important but with Lokti, to dismiss his ability to play center solely because of it, is a lazy way of looking at it. Others have had success.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Zajac will easily play the most minutes of centers. so therefore to me that means he is the first line center.

Don't know why we're so caught up in numbers. I think Travis ends up with the most minutes quite easily because of how well-rounded his game is, but he won't be on a "traditional first-line." So to call him a "first line center" for the sake of just calling him that is a fruitless task.

I sincerely doubt Elias and Travis and Jagr end up on a line together (would likely be our "top line"). So if you split them up in various ways it makes no difference, it's not an indication of not being as skilled as a top guy. It's just the way we do things here.

Elias - X -X
X - Zajac - X
X - X - Jagr
----------------
X - Zajac - X
Elias - X -X
X - X - Jagr
----------------
X - X - Jagr
Elias - X -X
X - Zajac - X

Travis Zajac won't be our "first-line center" because we don't have a first-line.

 

[Basement Cat]

Jagr is a monster of a man...Elias doesn't look much smaller than him in that pic.

Patty is surprisingly strong. He kind of has that same mean streak we saw from Kovy when he gets mad. He isn't physical normally but when he gets mad he can throw a nice check.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Players get big minutes from playing on special teams, not necessarily from being on the "1st line" or the "2nd line", and Zajac will probably get the most combined special teams time of any of our forwards (along with Elias).

The difference in ES TOI between a 1st line player and a 3rd line player is like 1:30 - 2:00 minutes.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Don't know why we're so caught up in numbers. I think Travis ends up with the most minutes quite easily because of how well-rounded his game is, but he won't be on a "traditional first-line." So to call him a "first line center" for the sake of just calling him that is a fruitless task.

I sincerely doubt Elias and Travis and Jagr end up on a line together (would likely be our "top line"). So if you split them up in various ways it makes no difference, it's not an indication of not being as skilled as a top guy. It's just the way we do things here.

Elias - X -X
X - Zajac - X
X - X - Jagr
----------------
X - Zajac - X
Elias - X -X
X - X - Jagr
----------------
X - X - Jagr
Elias - X -X
X - Zajac - X

Travis Zajac won't be our "first-line center" because we don't have a first-line.

the players that play the most minutes are your "first line" players

Zajac will play the most minutes of any center (or probably any forward)

therefore, he is our #1 center.

not sure how that is debatable, really, but you seem to love arguing semantics.