What team is having a better off-season than the New Jersey Devils?

[Blackjack]

I loved the lottery win to get Hughes, that was some good management right there.

He did trade for Taylor Hall.

 

[Luminiferous]

Leafs and Rangers. Top 3 imo.

Also, Subban>>Trouba.

 

[Machinehead]

You could argue the Rangers, but the Trouba contract and Shattenkirk buyout took them from A to B+.

 

[Oneiro]

Player-wise in a vacuum, you could say either the Devils or Rangers.

But the other way to look at it is who f***ed themselves the least, cap-wise, in the future going forward? And on that criteria, I take the Devils.

 

[Uncle Dru]

Player-wise in a vacuum, you could say either the Devils or Rangers.

But the other way to look at it is who ****ed themselves the least, cap-wise, in the future going forward? And on that criteria, I take the Devils.

At the same time short-term moves would've made no sense for the Rangers. They're most likely 2-3 years from contending if all goes right.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

And Trouba could not live up to his contract like Shattenkirk and Fox could be another Vesey. To be honest the Rangers luck with these guys who will only play for them hasn’t been all that good. Let’s call it karma.

And New Jersey’s luck with those players he been... oh right there exists approximately zero players who want to play for the Devils

 

[JT Kreider]

Leafs and Rangers. Top 3 imo.

Also, Subban>>Trouba.

Except both teams are realistically 2-3 years away from being legit contenders and by that time Trouba will be at his peak prime and locked into his contract.. while PK will be 32 and approaching UFA. What good does that do for the Devils just as they're hitting their stride of contending??

I take Trouba 10 times out of 10 just for that reason, even if PK has a better 2019-20.

 

[Blackjack]

And New Jersey’s luck with those players he been... oh right there exists approximately zero players who want to play for the Devils

Patrik Elias. Man, if the Rangers had gotten him they might've... oh well.

 

[Blackjack]

Except both teams are realistically 2-3 years away from being legit contenders and by that time Trouba will be at his peak prime and locked into his contract.. while PK will be 32 and approaching UFA. What good does that do for the Devils just as they're hitting their stride of contending??

I take Trouba 10 times out of 10 just for that reason, even if PK has a better 2019-20.

Yeah, definitely no examples of defensemen continuing to dominate into their 30s. Nope. None at all.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Which Subban we going to see? If it's the guy I saw on the Preds who makes the same old Montreal Subban mistakes while not being as flashy of a force up the ice until the season is on the line then that's not a game changing move IMO. He seems to have lost a lot in his first step too, hopefully he'll be a motivated new man with conditioning/training.

Will Hughes come out the gate so talented that he's dominant or will the older man's league take some adjusting to? Tought call.

I'd say Kakko looks a bit more NHL ready out the gate and Panarin is Panarin so....


NY Rangers with the win.





But, ya need a full season to see, sometimes it's the underrated moves that make the biggest difference. Then again remember when Suter/Parise both went to Minnesota? Nice additions but at the end of the day you need 4 lines, 3 pairs, and a solid crease...any level of crap could even outweigh the good in a strange way, ask the Oilers.

 

[Legionnaire11]

Subban, injuries and decline. He was never good defensively which is what the Devils really needed, and last year if he was a #1... It was just. There is a reason why the Preds moved on from him, and it's that the writing is on the wall with his game.

Subban was often the Preds best defensive defenseman, especially in the playoffs. Otherwise he was #2 to Ekholm, but it just depended on which night it was.

His game is definitely in decline, but the biggest reason he was traded was to make room for Duchene. If PK was making $6M instead of $9M, Poile is probably happy to keep him and offload someone like Bonino instead to get the cap space for Duchene.

 

[yeaher]

Hard to argue that Palmieri isn't a 1st line talent - over the past 4 seasons he's 8th among RW's in total goals and has paced at 29 goals and 56 points over the course of a full season.

But yeah, overall RW is by far the weakest position for the Devils - Palmieri and Simmonds are the only natural RW's (along with possibly Anderson).

We all dream of 56 point first liners here at hfboards.

 

[Dr Salt]

The Rangers lost Hayes, Zuccarello, Shattenkirk and might lose Kreider. Easily the Devils.

That was all last year's tdl. The way they aquired Trouba using the assets they got from Hayes is genius.

 

[aufheben]

I love how people still get in line to rip the Rangers' UFA history after that Kovalchuk debacle lirl.

They re-signed Buchnevich and named Kris Knoblauch as the new head coach in Hartford. I don't know if hiring John Davidson as President (May) counts as the "offseason," probably not, but it's not like all they've done is sign Panarin and Trouba.

 

[pb1300]

He did trade for Taylor Hall.

What does that have to do with the offseason?

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Leafs and Rangers. Top 3 imo.

Also, Subban>>Trouba.

In 2014 sure.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I love how people still get in line to rip the Rangers' UFA history after that Kovalchuk debacle lirl.

They re-signed Buchnevich and named Kris Knoblauch as the new head coach in Hartford. I don't know if hiring John Davidson as President (May) counts as the "offseason," probably not, but it's not like all they've done is sign Panarin and Trouba.

And getting Adam Fox..

 

[Cheddabombs]

What does that have to do with the offseason?

It was a joke because Hall wins draft lotteries.

 

[mm11]

Hall-Hischier-Bratt
Gusev-Hughes-Palmieri
Boqvist-Zacha-Coleman
Wood-Zajac-Simmonds

Vatanen-Subban
Butcher-Severson
Smith-Greene

Schneider/Blackwood

Rough guess but the players listed will be the players on the roster - just a matter of whos where

That devs top 6 has some serious potential. Metro is going to be tough. Whomever stays healthy and has the puck luck I guess.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

it's fun when the players just use loopholes to join New york and that no other team can fight for it, real fun.

 

[egelband]

Thats not what I meant.

Just because you have an abundance of something doesn't mean you need to use it and doesn't make decision any less better.

Yeah. Exactly. Rangers felt the same about their excess cap space so they re-signed Namestnikov for $4m. Now they're regretting it. Similar with Spooner but luckily... the Edmontons.

 

[egelband]

Hayes
Zuccarello

The topic is off-season. Those guys went at the trade deadline.

 

[pb1300]

It was a joke because Hall wins draft lotteries.

Aaaaaaaaa...i got it now, sorry.

 

[egelband]

Not necessarily true. We have over $15 million in expiring contracts, which is plenty of cap space to give Kreider a $2-3 million raise and keep RFA Strome if need be. Plus Girardi's BO is slashed by $2.5 million.

Next summer will be very manageable even with the Shatty dead money

True. But if we're talking about this if-season, the cap management has been better for the Devils. Had the Rangers been able to clear cap without the buyout, I think they have the better off-season. But it's all pretty subjective anyhow.

 

[egelband]

Floridas biggest problems last season were goaltending, coaching and maybe defense. They acquired a two time Vezina winner, a three time SC champion coach and a very reliable defensive defenseman. They also acquired a 46 point 3rd liner Brett Connolly and a great 4th liner Noel Acciari. Who's that not a great off season?

Still don't get what the big deal is with the Bobrovski contract. Yeah they overpaid him by 1-2 million but they had the cap space so who cares. And yeah it's a bit long but Bobrovski still has a few years of his prime left and when he starts to decline Spencer Knight will most likely be NHL ready.

Florida is looking very good.