Confirmed with Link: Devils acquire RW Matt D'Agostini and 2015 cdtl 7th rd pick for cdtl 4th/5th rnd pick

[CerebralGenesis]

I think Lou has had his hands tied by ownership this year.

Methinks we didnt get close to Parise's Minnesota Wild offer in the offseason and once that was shut down we unfortunately over spent to keep Zajac when we probably should of taken a wait a see approach given he missed the majority of last season.

As a result there is no money left in the 'team budget' for significant signing and it has resulted in Lou having to go on the waiver wire and other teams castoffs to fill out the roster.

We even cant afford different hockey jerseys for our new players. It seems Nos 21, 15, 16, 25 are being shared around depending on who is called up.

lol wtf

 

[apice3*]

i lost it at "cant afford jerseys." well done.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Maybe everyone around here is too young to remember that our "1st line" RW in 2003 (playing with Gomez and Elias) was......Grant Marshall, the owner of a career-high of 15 goals in a season. I do believe that team went pretty far in the playoffs?

The term "interchangeable flock of forwards" should ring a bell for all the old-timers (talk about a back-handed compliment, but I digress), but this is exactly the Devils formula for success. Find players that fit the system we're playing, and place them into positions/lines/roles that they are most likely to succeed in, and profit.

Essentially, it's not the actual player, it's his skill-set that is important. Lou is using his coach's own experiences with the player to augment his own opinion of his skills, strengths and weaknesses. Masterful use of resources, and one of the big reasons these moves usually work out well for us.

Oh, and RG, tell D'Ags to shave that beard before he kisses Lou's hand.

I remember those links in a chain lineups too. It worked then and sorta worked last year when we saw the 4th line carry the play when the stars were flat. Give a simple player a simple mission and they can impress you with a collective of results.

D'Ags was a hard dude to find a pic of from the side. 10 min chops on Friday don't allow for much fine tuning.

 

[Getzo5]

From TG`s article:

Right wing Matt D’Agostini said he was “surprised, a little shocked” when he learned Friday that the St. Louis Blues had traded him to the Devils, though he knew being moved was a possibility with the April 3 trade deadline approaching.

“Always around this time you’re thinking about it and my situation, I guess, was kind of leading there, but I was shocked,” said D’Agostini, who will make his Devils’ debut tonight against the Florida Panthers at Prudential Center. “Tough to say goodbye to the guys and the team, but at the same time very excited to be here and to be part of this organization.”

At the same time, however, D’Agostin,i, 26, welcomed the chance to go to a new team and get a chance to play regularly after getting limited opportunities with the Blues this season. He had just one goal and one assist in 16 games, playing only 11:52 per game, with the Blues this season

“I was open to it,” D’Agostini said of being traded. “In my situation I just wanted to play hockey so whatever that was I was willing to do that. It’s tough to leave the guys behind, but at the same time it’s a good move for me and I’m really excited to get a little bit of a fresh start here in New Jersey.”

“I’m looking at this as Game 1. Just go out there and establish my game early, just try to work hard and, hopefully, get some chances from that.”

Only two seasons ago, D’AGostini put up 21 goals and 25 assists in 82 games with the Blues. He missed 25 games season with a concussion last season, however, and was limited to just nine goals and nine assists in 55 games.

Then, after the lockout, he saw his role and playing time reduced further.

“We just had a lot of depth and a couple of bad stretches and then the next thing you know you get pushed out of the rotation,” he said. “I got my chances in St. Louis and I had a great time there. I really enjoyed my time there. This is just another chapter and I’m really excited to be here.”

D’Agostini also admitted there were times he was “a little disappointed” in his own play.

“Just inconsistency, I guess you could call it,” he said. “That led to (being) in and out of the lineup, I guess.”

Devils coach Pete DeBoer said he plans to use D’Agostini at right wing in a “top nine role”, but claimed he hadn’t decided upon his line combinations for tonight’s game yet., With D’Agostini joining the lineup, it appears Tom Kostopoulos will shift from right wing to the left side. Kostopoulos said he played the left side all of last season with Calgary and feels comfortable on either side.

Left wing Krys Barch will be a healthy scratch again along with defensemen Mark Fayne.

DeBoer coached against D’Agostini in junior when he played for Guelph under Devils assistant coach Dave Barr, so he’s familiar with how he plays.

“He was a very good player in Guelph,” DeBoer said. “Just watching him from afar, he’s scored in the NHL and in the American League. Inconsistently on the NHL level, but he has done it and we feel there’s that potential to do that again.”

D’Agostini said the key for him is “just skating with the puck.”

“I think I’m best when I’m using my speed and driving the (defensemen) deep and creating havoc on the forecheck and just getting our chances that way,” he said. “Just try to work hard, keep it simple for Game 1 and see what happens.”

After arriving in New Jersey about midnight Friday, D’Agostini had a video tutorial session with Barr this morning to review the Devils’ system. He said “it’s pretty similar” to the way the Blues play.

“They’re a forechecking kind of team, which is what St. Louis is,” D’Agostini said. “It’s trying to learn the systems and the changes that I have to embrace here. The main thing they want to see is just me going out there and playing my game. … They just want me to use my speed and they’re a forechecking team, so creating chaos and havoc down there on the forecheck and opening good chances that way with turnovers and whatnot.”

D’Agostini said he was impressed with the way the Devils played during their run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season.

“The depth guys I think were really impressive. They stepped up in a big way,” he said. “Some guys with not a lot experience playing key roles in the playoffs and that’s good to see. All winning teams need that kind of depth, so hopefully I can just add to that.”

 

[Mgd31]

I love this little trades with Lou because it's moves like these when he's at his best.

Sykora, Ponikarovsky, Loktionov, Carter, Bernier.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

I'd love to watch the video tutorial DAGS got to watch.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'd love to watch the video tutorial DAGS got to watch.

Just 20 mins of Lou telling you to get rid of your twitter and how your life belongs to him now.

 

[ThePSEGPowerPoster]

Just 20 mins of Lou telling you to get rid of your twitter and how your life belongs to him now.

I laughed. This is great.

 

[Bleedred]

What If he forgot to shave?

 

[Getzo5]

What If he forgot to shave?

You know the answer.

 

[Emperoreddy]

You know the answer.

Get that image working!!! I want to see the joke!!!

 

[Saugus]

Maybe everyone around here is too young to remember that our "1st line" RW in 2003 (playing with Gomez and Elias) was......Grant Marshall, the owner of a career-high of 15 goals in a season. I do believe that team went pretty far in the playoffs?

The term "interchangeable flock of forwards" should ring a bell for all the old-timers (talk about a back-handed compliment, but I digress), but this is exactly the Devils formula for success. Find players that fit the system we're playing, and place them into positions/lines/roles that they are most likely to succeed in, and profit.

Essentially, it's not the actual player, it's his skill-set that is important. Lou is using his coach's own experiences with the player to augment his own opinion of his skills, strengths and weaknesses. Masterful use of resources, and one of the big reasons these moves usually work out well for us.

Oh, and RG, tell D'Ags to shave that beard before he kisses Lou's hand.

The Devils Cup teams were all about finding a player who was the best for his role, not necessarily packing the team with All-Stars. Every player on those teams had a role, knew his role, and executed his role to perfection. I think it's a good thing that we have a team that's kind of like that again. We have the quality role players, and we have that depth when everybody is healthy.

I love this little trades with Lou because it's moves like these when he's at his best.

Sykora, Ponikarovsky, Loktionov, Carter, Bernier.

I love having the old wheeling and dealing Lou back. Random little trades that end up having a big impact.

 

[ScottyK]

Alex Steen ‏@Steener20 2m
Tough day yesterday seeing a great teammate go. Best of luck to Dags in Jersey!

 

[Emperoreddy]

Well this trade just become a **** ton more important didn't it?

 

[Bleedred]

Well this trade just become a **** ton more important didn't it?

He also actually forced Clemmer to make a difficult save on that partial breakaway he had too. As long as he doesn't turn into Tedenby with the breakaway and hits the glass crap that's great!

 

[MartysBetterThanYou]

Well this trade just become a **** ton more important didn't it?

Yep. Without D'ags this would be our current RW depth chart:

Clarkson
Bernier
Kostopoulos
????

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

I think Lou has had his hands tied by ownership this year.

Methinks we didnt get close to Parise's Minnesota Wild offer in the offseason and once that was shut down we unfortunately over spent to keep Zajac when we probably should of taken a wait a see approach given he missed the majority of last season.

As a result there is no money left in the 'team budget' for significant signing and it has resulted in Lou having to go on the waiver wire and other teams castoffs to fill out the roster.

We even cant afford different hockey jerseys for our new players. It seems Nos 21, 15, 16, 25 are being shared around depending on who is called up.

The jersey part was amazing. Well done.

 

[Saugus]

Yep. Without D'ags this would be our current RW depth chart:

Clarkson
Bernier
Kostopoulos
????

The ???? would probably be Barch or Janssen. Woof. I'd rather have Chico in that spot.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Maybe everyone around here is too young to remember that our "1st line" RW in 2003 (playing with Gomez and Elias) was......Grant Marshall, the owner of a career-high of 15 goals in a season. I do believe that team went pretty far in the playoffs?

Yea but that team had a much better defense.

 

[Czech Trio]

we have enough depth NHLers to survive. henrique, elias, clarkson, etc. can still combined put up 2-3 goals a game needed to win.

guessing poni is close to a return...

elias-henrique-clarkson
bernier-zajac-d'agostini
ponikarovsky-loktinov-carter
pesonen-gionta-kostopolous

 

[JerryGigantic]

D'Agostini? That is an olive oil company right? No, a cold cut company or cheese or something like that? A Deli? So Lou bought an Italian Deli today?

You're making me hungry, I could kill for some Italian sausage right now.

 

[njdevils1982]

did i just walk into a 'sausage party'?

 

[JerryGigantic]

Welcome to the family.

Late praising this one... But damn, Sam, that is solid. Pete in the background wins it for me.

 

[Bleedred]

Can we nickname this dude Shia Lebeouf? That's who he kinda looks like. Especially in the photoshopped picture with Lou Corleone and Pete.

 

[JerryGigantic]

did i just walk into a 'sausage party'?