JimEIV
Registered User
- Feb 19, 2003
- 66,440
- 28,985
Hopefully Jagr, Ryder, Zids can get shipped out.
Me too but I'm not convinced Jagr will allow himself to be traded or that Ryder as any value.
Crappy situation at best.
Hopefully Jagr, Ryder, Zids can get shipped out.
Me too but I'm not convinced Jagr will allow himself to be traded or that Ryder as any value.
Crappy situation at best.
The team is not as far away as people think...this season was pretty much inevitable with a young defense and a slew of old decrepit forwards.
But this defense will be very good and we're watching them pay their dues right now. Next year Larsson is in year 5, Merrill and Gelinas year 3, Severson year 2...that seasoning will go a long way...
A good portion of today's forwards won't be here next year and while it looks bleak right now, 2 solid forwards added to Henrique, Zajac, Cammalleri would completely revamp the top 6...and as it stands right now their is a good possibility that we might be looking at an NHL ready draft pick in this years draft. You add a legit top line forward to the mix from the draft and the entire complexion of the forward group changes, it also affords lesser prospects to step in with better players, less pressure and more limited roles. All of a sudden your top 6 looks completely different... a high pick, Henrique, Cammalleri, Zajac and you have a group that you can supplement with a Boucher like player or and even an older player like Elias...that is not even adding anything... add a decent young forward + a high pick and you have a different team. That isn't far away or out of the realm of possibility.
It certainly is a crappy situation. I can't see why anyone would want Ryder at this point. Jagr certainly controls where he goes. I can't see him going to a team he does not hand select. Zids is the most tradeable.
I'm not only referring to the people on this message board/other internet outlets. And I don't mean to suggest that those people could put them in the red.
But you're far more likely to get their attention by not buying tickets than you are by posting on the internet. This isn't a fanbase where people are lined up to take your place should you choose to stop attending games. You know that.
While this fanbase may not knock socks off at the box office/gates, it's "loyal" in the sense that people are content with continuing to pay for something they're not happy with. And I've been just as guilty in the past. I went to 18 games in 2010-11. As a freshman in college. If that's not dumb I don't know what is.
It's clear in pro sports that when a team stinks and provides little offense/entertainment/hope for their fans, that attendance and tv viewership declines.
3 goals in a 4 game home stand is not going to generate many repeat ticket buyers or motivate the casual fan to must see Devils hockey in person.
The Devils hockey product stinks right now.
The Devils hockey team is under hockey ops.
As I said, I still enjoy going to games, hanging with friends/family, food/drink, hope to see change and good fortune on the ice even with the odds stacked against that.
You made yourself clear that you do not enjoy attending games.
That's fine, it's not for everyone.
But, for fans who typically enjoy attending games the on ice product has put a damper on doing so lately, to casuals to even to some of the most diehards.
There is only so much DAE can do to enhance the fan experience with such a substandard on-ice hockey entertainment value for their consumers.
And I'm also not referring to fans on HFBoards or other social media.
I'm talking about our overall fanbase and to the people in and around NJ who attend games via groups or folks with disposable income looking for a night of entertainment.
Hopefully Jagr, Ryder, Zids can get shipped out.
I don't think they can be solid next year, I'm sorry...the way they've played this year has shown me nothing of the sort.
The team is not as far away as people think...this season was pretty much inevitable with a young defense and a slew of old decrepit forwards.
But this defense will be very good and we're watching them pay their dues right now. Next year Larsson is in year 5, Merrill and Gelinas year 3, Severson year 2...that seasoning will go a long way...
A good portion of today's forwards won't be here next year and while it looks bleak right now, 2 solid forwards added to Henrique, Zajac, Cammalleri would completely revamp the top 6...and as it stands right now their is a good possibility that we might be looking at an NHL ready draft pick in this years draft. You add a legit top line forward to the mix from the draft and the entire complexion of the forward group changes, it also affords lesser prospects to step in with better players, less pressure and more limited roles. All of a sudden your top 6 looks completely different... a high pick, Henrique, Cammalleri, Zajac and you have a group that you can supplement with a Boucher like player or and even an older player like Elias...that is not even adding anything... add a decent young forward + a high pick and you have a different team. That isn't far away or out of the realm of possibility.
Why would you judge next years team by this year?
Next year Schneider will have a season as starter under his belt, Hopefully Kinkaid proves to be a viable backup, the young defense won't be as young and half the forwards most likely will gone.
Regardless of success, next years team will be significantly different
whats going to change next year? even if in the best possible scenario, we get Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.
I still don't think think we're going to be able to score goals. sure, some of the forwards will be gone, but who replaces them? the free agent class is VERY underwhelming.
I still think he has to trade a d-man.
I would be all for signing Oduya by the way. Can't go into next season with FIVE youngsters back there.
Greene-Severson
Oduya-Larsson
Merrill-Gelinas
I'd even go so far as to speculate that the CBA provisions for revenue sharing make the ownership REALLY not care about ticket sales since they have to give so much of that back to the league after certain expenses... But if the Prudential Center is selling a lot of ad space or other corporate level stuff, it doesn't touch the rev. sharing. It's a giant loophole for NHL teams that share ownership with a building or vice versa.
Year 5 for Larsson
Year 3 for Merrill and Gelinas
The youngster moniker is dead after this season for those guys.
Year 5 for Larsson
Year 3 for Merrill and Gelinas
The youngster moniker is dead after this season for those guys.
Concessions at the Prudential Center are also a factor in profiting off the arena - I would speculate that at least - but I don't know if ownership rents the spaces to the vendors at a flat rate (and so attendance basically does not matter) or gets a % of sales (and in that case attendance does). Also - regarding your point on the "giant loophole" - the arena probably has its own books separate from the team, and how that figures book keeping wise (depreciation stuff like that) might allow for a lot of other little gamings of the profits.
I just can't take a glass half full approach with this team when that glass is full of feces. I'd like to be optimistic but nothing indicates that anything will change, I won't get fooled again.
The arena DEFINITELY has different books... I mean, that's kind of the understatement of the year right there... And it's not gaming, it's corporate culture. Of course you're going to do everything you can to maximize revenue and profit.
There's zero chance concessions are "flat rate". In addition, corporate tickets spend more than casual fans. By a long shot. And also buy higher margin items too.
Attendance itself doesn't matter. It's the type of attendance.
The players are one thing. But I probably won't even think about being optimistic until we have a new decision maker (coach, GM).