We have to trade or sign one. If we draft one they could easily take 3-4 years just to be NHL ready.
yeah they are desperate for a legit defensman... nothing in the system seems like it is coming anytime soon..
severson
santini
merrill
even moore are a couple serviceable defensman at this point but none seem like they are the next great hope
i know its always said draft the best available player but I'm curious as to who the highest rated defensman coming out of draft is this year and if he is nHL ready day 1?
This would be awesome if it were true, but I'm highly doubtful it is.
Easy to say as a Devils fan, but from the outside looking in, I would understand if he goes with the proven team in NY rather than hoping Devils are good in three years.
The NHL has too many loopholes that favor the better teams.
A team like Chicago should not be able to sign Panerin.
It should be like waivers, go in reverse order and give each team chance to sign him.
The Vesey loophole needs to be addressed too.
Best defensemen is Liljegren who is more in the mold of Erik Karlsson. He contracted mono earlier in the year and hasn't had a strong year.
Cale Makar is another undersized defender who should go high in the draft, but he's playing in a weak league and with his size he's likely a long-term guy. Sounds a lot like Ryan Murphy from what I've read.
None of them are immediate difference makers and the forwards where we are picking are likely better.
Liljegren scared the crap out of me. He's the epitome of boom or bust.
I could see Lovejoy being protected given Shero and Hynes hard on for him
Signing LJ & trading for Prout have marred Ray's ledger so far.
Isn't Prout one of the illustrious Castron's picks?
I highly doubt this with how it ended, but with the rumors around Florida wanting to move on from Jagr, is there a chance the Devils might be able to get him to come back here? Would like to see him and Zacha on a line together with Hall, that line would be a possession nightmare. Zacha also gets to play with a Czech god
He's even slower than he was when he was here. Would be the opposite of what the Devils are building towards.
I think we need still need to sign two vets at forward, don't want to go the Toronto route and play only kids. Jagr may be slow, but as long as we fill out a few spots with vets I'll be happy
I agree but there's better options.
I'd rather add Vanek, Vrbata, maybe even a depth forward like Winnik or take a chance on a guy like Wingels. Dadonov/Shipachyev could be options on a high AAV one year deal. Devils were interested in Radulov and he may make it to free agency.
We could also expose cap dumps (Pominville) where we get an overpaid, but still useful player.
Jagr could score 40-50 points next year, or he could score 20-25. He'd be a real wild card and can grenade at any time now. He has 43 points this year in 79 games, which is down from his 66 in 79 games last year.
He'd be a gamble.
And if we're out of it at the deadline, he might be worth what Iginla was worth this year. A 4th round pick from some bubble team, which only comes to us if they make the playoffs. Also considering Jagr's last two playoffs, he didn't hardly score at all.
No way to wingels. Trust me, he sucks. He's had two awful seasons now. He might score less than Jacob Josefson and you know if we signed him, he's gonna be played as more than a 4th liner, if not in the top 6.
Vrbata, I think I'd be okay with one year of him. Same with Vanek. I'd think Vanek will be better.
It's funny. I've wanted a couple of Vanek/Vrbata types for the past two seasons but were generally told how they would block the kids, not be worth the money, etc. I guess now after another year of misery folks are coming around. Those guys aren't winning us any Cups obviously but we simply cannot start next season with the current roster + Speers or whatever.
Jagr was just as good this year as last year, however his absurd shooting luck from last year swung in the other direction this season.
Jagr shot at 19.8% at ES in 2015-16, which is just insane. This year he shot at 6.5%, and the 14-15 season he shot at 9.4%. 7.7% in 13-14.
Jagr's possession stats were as strong as ever as well. Look at the company he's hanging out with over the last two years in Fenwick relative: http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/rat...mid=0&type=fenwick&sort=PCTRelTM&sortdir=DESC
I'd gladly take him on a one-year deal.
Jagr was just as good this year as last year, however his absurd shooting luck from last year swung in the other direction this season.
Jagr shot at 19.8% at ES in 2015-16, which is just insane. This year he shot at 6.5%, and the 14-15 season he shot at 9.4%. 7.7% in 13-14.
Jagr's possession stats were as strong as ever as well. Look at the company he's hanging out with over the last two years in Fenwick relative: http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/rat...mid=0&type=fenwick&sort=PCTRelTM&sortdir=DESC
I'd gladly take him on a one-year deal.