What exactly is Lou's plan?

[I am not exposed]

Top scorer is Adam Henrique (24) with 26 points on the year. Their next ten scoring leaders are:

Jagr (42), Cammalleri (32), Elias (38), Zidlicky (37), Ryder (34), Gomez (34), Zajac (29), Bernier (29), Havlat (33).

They basically have no A level prospects in the system.

Severson (20) is an excellent young defenseman and Larrson (21) has been great as well. They are solid at goal with Corey Scheider (28).

I realize they lost Parise to UFA and Kovalchuk to the KHL, but....those aren't great excuses for running a roster full of guys in their mid 30s with no prospects.

What's the plan here?

I didn't realise Schneider was that old!

Still, they have goal tending and D in a strong position. Just need to work on the forwards. Watch them get McDavid this draft!

 

[Voight]

Start by getting rid of that Zajac contract

 

[NikF]

Seems pretty obvious

1. Rebuild goaltending and defense
2. Sign free agents to fill the gap up front until they draft and develop forwards as well

It's called building from the net out

 

[AmeriHab]

He's gonna Jagr the entire team that are vets. Thats why Jagr went there anyway. He can play and then get traded to a contender. Guaranteed to have a chance at a cup.

If they blow it up they could have a very different looking team

Jagr (verb) to trade at the end of each season to a contender for picks and prospects.

 

[Voight]

Seems pretty obvious

1. Rebuild goaltending and defense
2. Sign free agents to fill the gap up front until they draft and develop forwards as well

It's called building from the net out

Thats what they've been doing and it hasn't really worked out that way.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Thats what they've been doing and it hasn't really worked out that way.

Whaaaattttt?

According to that quote, step 1 is done but step 2 isn't. Obviously it hasn't worked out just yet, they aren't finished the process.

 

[NikF]

Thats what they've been doing and it hasn't really worked out that way.

How has it not? They have strong goalies and a strong defensive group of prospects, it's obvious they lack young talent up-front and I suspect that's what they're going to focus on more from now on. The long-term plan is working out exactly the way it has been designed, they would have probably liked to see a better team in the present though because it's clear they'd rather remain competitive than to blow it up Oilers style.

 

[GAGLine]

Thats what they've been doing and it hasn't really worked out that way.

Because they haven't drafted well. They drafted Zajac in 2004. Since then, these are the only forwards they have drafted who have played in the NHL:

2005: Niclas Bergfors, 1st round, 173 games (54 with NJ, traded to Atl for Kovy)
2005: Patrick Davis, 4th round, 9 games
2006: Alexander Vasyunov, 2nd round, 18 games
2006: Vladimir Zharkov, 3rd round, 82 games
2007: Nick Palmieri, 3rd round, 87 games
2007: Matt Halischuk, 4th round, 239 games (21 with NJ, traded to NSH for Arnott)
2008: Mattias Tedenby, 1st round, 120 games
2008: Patrice Cormier, 2nd round, 49 games
2008: Adam Henrique, 3rd round, 234 games
2009: Jacob Josefson, 1st round, 145 games
2011: Reid Boucher, 4th round, 27 games
2012: Stefan Matteau, 1st round, 17 games

Matteau still has a chance to be an NHL player. Miles Wood (2013, 4th) looks like a good prospect and Quenneville (2014, 1st) may end up being good, but that's not a very good collection of forwards over the last 10 years.

Going back further, Parise, Zajac and Henrique are the only significant forwards they have drafted since 1998 (Gomez and Gionta). That's 16 years with only 3 top 6 forwards.

Is it any wonder their forward group is mostly old free agents?

Every GM has basically the same plan, but if you don't draft well, those plans go out the window.

 

[Raspewtin]

Even as an Islanders fan I hope they win(well I am pulling for Arizona first then Devils), they could use a little reward for ~20 years of putting in a solid effort

3 Stanley cups and multiple generational talents isn't enough reward?

Devils have had it real easy, it's not like this is a team that's been through really hard times and deserves a break in recent memory.

I'm kicking back and enjoying every moment of them being garbage.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Been saying for years that Lou is incredibly overrated. He's done very well in the past, no question, but you look at what he's done in recent years and you really scratch your head. Basically, the same thing as the Leafs. Just not much direction and the once strength, drafting and developing, isn't much of a strength anymore.

 

[Voight]

How has it not? They have strong goalies and a strong defensive group of prospects, it's obvious they lack young talent up-front and I suspect that's what they're going to focus on more from now on. The long-term plan is working out exactly the way it has been designed, they would have probably liked to see a better team in the present though because it's clear they'd rather remain competitive than to blow it up Oilers style.

I mean more-so the second part - 2. Sign free agents to fill the gap up front until they draft and develop forwards as well.

Youre not going to draft high and get good forward prospects if you dont blow it up like the Oilers. Keep Schneids and the young defence but trade all the other veterans and tank for two-three seasons. By then the young defencemen will be older and more developed and Schneider will have some good years left at 31.

Is it any wonder their forward group is mostly old free agents?

Every GM has basically the same plan, but if you don't draft well, those plans go out the window.

Theyve had chances to draft a solid forward prospect, like in 2013, but they traded the pick. Not saying it was a bad move but if you want bluechip forward prospects then you need to draft high in most cases, yes theres later round gems like Henrique but thats not something that happens very often.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

The plan is there is no plan

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Lou should of been fired awhile ago.

 

[GAGLine]

Theyve had chances to draft a solid forward prospect, like in 2013, but they traded the pick. Not saying it was a bad move but if you want bluechip forward prospects then you need to draft high in most cases, yes theres later round gems like Henrique but thats not something that happens very often.

There are a lot of top 6 forwards who have been drafted outside the lottery. Not having a high draft pick is no excuse for having drafted only 1 top 6 forward in the last 10 years.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Been saying for years that Lou is incredibly overrated. He's done very well in the past, no question, but you look at what he's done in recent years and you really scratch your head. Basically, the same thing as the Leafs. Just not much direction and the once strength, drafting and developing, isn't much of a strength anymore.

Except there is a pretty clear direction, building from the net out.

 

[Voight]

There are a lot of top 6 forwards who have been drafted outside the lottery. Not having a high draft pick is no excuse for having drafted only 1 top 6 forward in the last 10 years.

I agree 100% but he should take advantage when he has a top pick.

 

[Baemon Severson*]

3 Stanley cups and multiple generational talents isn't enough reward?

Devils have had it real easy, it's not like this is a team that's been through really hard times and deserves a break in recent memory.

I'm kicking back and enjoying every moment of them being garbage.

Hmm? Parise leaving because of ownership, Kovalchuk bolting to go back to Russia, NJ picking from 11th to 30th because they did something several others teams had done. Then you have a couple of years with terrible owners and rumors of the them not being about to pay bills and even relocation. Has been a pretty rough couple of years

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Hmm? Parise leaving because of ownership, Kovalchuk bolting to go back to Russia, NJ picking from 11th to 30th because they did something several others teams had done. Then you have a couple of years with terrible owners and rumors of the them not being about to pay bills and even relocation. Has been a pretty rough couple of years

And all of that is out of Lou's control. Let's not forget that He also had his team in the SCF three seasons ago.

I think a lot of people are overreacting in this thread. Lou has done a very good job the last few years considering the circumstances.

 

[rangers91*]

looking at the devils team, i'm convinced Lou has alzhheimer's and thinks its 2009 or something, the devils would be a hell of a team 5 years ago. Jagr,elias, ryder back when he was a 30 goal scorer, Clowe when he was beast power forward with the sharks, Havlat when he was healthy and scoring 30 goals a season, Gomez when he a decent 2nd line center, Ruutu who was much better back then, Zubrus who was also a very good player back then. If it was 5 years ago the devils would be absolutely unreal.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

And all of that is out of Lou's control. Let's not forget that He also had his team in the SCF three seasons ago.

I think a lot of people are overreacting in this thread. Lou has done a very good job the last few years considering the circumstances.

IMO Lou could have traded Parise and Clarkson instead of letting them go for nothing and he could have forfeited the 29th pick instead of drafting Matteau. Kovy leaving was probably out of his hands but Lou has definitely made decisions I think we're bad for the organization over the last few years. He has to start seeing his players as assets and he can't keep losing these assets for nothing. It has really slowed down the post Marty/rebuild era.

He refused to market the team for years and because of that we almost had to move to Nashville. He has stupid rules like no high numbers that really make no sense. Just turn some players off. His old school style of management is dangerous in this day and age and I just hope the new owners will know when to step in if he makes more mistakes.

And I've been watching the Devils since around 1987 and I feel like he's been trying to ice the same team with the same system the whole time.

<--- That has been tattooed on my right arm since 1996. I'm a die hard fan I'm just ready for a change.

 

[Nicko999]

I think they're in trouble for a long time

Yep, Lamoriello is one of the worst GMs IMO.

 

[Voight]

he could have forfeited the 29th pick instead of drafting Matteau.

That will go down as one of the worst moves of the decade. Made 0 sense whatsoever. There is literally one worse first round pick you could have, Id understand if it was like the 14th overall pick and he was going to make the team have a lower pick the next year but for Christ sakes its the second lowest first round pick.

And sure other teams have done deals like the Kovy one but they didn't get punished because theres weren't as circumventing. Lou pushed the envelope a bit too much on that one and he was burned for it.

 

[CherryToke]

poor Schneider.. feel bad for him.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

That will go down as one of the worst moves of the decade. Made 0 sense whatsoever. There is literally one worse first round pick you could have, Id understand if it was like the 14th overall pick and he was going to make the team have a lower pick the next year but for Christ sakes its the second lowest first round pick.

And sure other teams have done deals like the Kovy one but they didn't get punished because theres weren't as circumventing. Lou pushed the envelope a bit too much on that one and he was burned for it.

I'm guessing someone told him he was going to be getting a 1st round pick back at some point for the penalty but I think it still would have been better to forfeit the 29th and then keep the 11th that was dropped to 30th. Losing a 29th overall for one year and keeping and 11th overall the next year IMO would have been better but hindsight is 20/20.

He and Conte still would have probably drafted a two way grinder or another defender though at 11 though. That's why I said in my original post in this thread that I'll wait to see who/what kind of player they draft with a good pick this year before I rage (it was mod edited because of my wording).

 

[Roomtemperature]

That will go down as one of the worst moves of the decade. Made 0 sense whatsoever. There is literally one worse first round pick you could have, Id understand if it was like the 14th overall pick and he was going to make the team have a lower pick the next year but for Christ sakes its the second lowest first round pick.

And sure other teams have done deals like the Kovy one but they didn't get punished because theres weren't as circumventing. Lou pushed the envelope a bit too much on that one and he was burned for it.

We did end up not having to give up a 1st so how bad a move was it