Confirmed with Link: Devils sign Ben Lovejoy

Devils Dominion

Now we Plummet
Feb 16, 2007
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I don't want LJ even as a 3rd pair.
If we must, he and Merrill as the 3rd until Ray can find a right hand dman.

Ray blundered by taking Prout too.
He's awful.
I'd rather he got $1 back from Cbj.

I guess Fitz and Ray havnt seen enough out of Mozik yet.

They need to find a few right handed dmen this off-season
 

Billdo

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Oct 28, 2008
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Which is why we need to find him a partner that can move the puck.

I think he can be salvaged, but playing him with Greene, Merrill, Moore, or any other LD we have is clearly not going to work.

Maybe Moore fits the bill if they're actually limited minutes wise. When they play too many mins they'll get exposed.
 

Zippy316

aka Zippo
Aug 17, 2012
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I don't want LJ even as a 3rd pair.
If we must, he and Merrill as the 3rd until Ray can find a right hand dman.

Ray blundered by taking Prout too.
He's awful.
I'd rather he got $1 back from Cbj.

I guess Fitz and Ray havnt seen enough out of Mozik yet.

They need to find a few right handed dmen this off-season

Merrill would have to seriously carry Lovejoy all year for that to work. I doubt it will.

Lovejoy needs either a puck mover to relieve pressure or a guy who makes all the right plays as his partner. Greene used to be the latter but he's been struggling this year. Merrill was pretty solid there for a while as well.
 

Bleedred

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Lovejoy will be terrible no matter who he plays with or what pairing he's on. He sucks at hockey.
I think I agree with this.

Sure it will help the team if he plays less, I don't think it will help him though.

I think he's finished as an NHL player.

Best case scenario is he bounces back as a bottom pairing guy next year, since he isn't really old.
 

Jets012

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Oct 19, 2015
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Lovejoy will be terrible no matter who he plays with or what pairing he's on. He sucks at hockey.

Thank you.


Lovejoy is such an obvious move. He's an obvious buy out. Now will we do it? Probably not, I can picture it now. He'll be playing solid minutes next year and he'll still struggle.
 

Jets012

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Oct 19, 2015
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And don't worry about replacing him. Hegelson/Stollery have played arguably better than Lovejoy and the coaching staff doesn't have a frightening, weird obsession with them like they do with Lovejoy. This team gets much much better just by getting rid of Lovejoy. Doesn't even matter who they replace him with, just for the fact that they're getting rid of the minutes he plays and moving up guys like Severson's/Santini's.
 

MadDevil

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Buying out Lovejoy doesn't make a lot of sense if we're then just going to play Prout regularly or bring in some other stopgap that people will end up hating. If we land Shattenkirk or some other RHD, sure. But I tend to think Shattenkirk isn't signing here, and Shero will look to add a LHD to solidify the top 4. If we do that, I'm fine rolling with Severson, Santini, Lovejoy down the right side next year.
 

Devils Dominion

Now we Plummet
Feb 16, 2007
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Buying out Lovejoy doesn't make a lot of sense if we're then just going to play Prout regularly or bring in some other stopgap that people will end up hating. If we land Shattenkirk or some other RHD, sure. But I tend to think Shattenkirk isn't signing here, and Shero will look to add a LHD to solidify the top 4. If we do that, I'm fine rolling with Severson, Santini, Lovejoy down the right side next year.

I'm not fine with that.
 

Kurt Cobain

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Mar 30, 2004
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The only way he's worth buying out is we signed Shattenkirk and even then I'm not sure it happens cause this guy is one of Shero's boys. Even if we did get Shattenkirk I'd rather have Lovejoy be a $2.5million cap hit for only two years rather than a $1million cap hit for twice as long. Lovejoy is most definitly overplayed and has even played more minutes than any other RHD on the team at over 20 mins a night. It pisses me off he gets more ice time than Severson and Santini, especially when the seasons over. This is when the young guys should be getting more ice time.

I also think it silly to say he can't be more effective in a reduced role on the 3rd pairing.
 

Billdo

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I don't even think we have to buyout Lovejoy. I'd think someone would take him via trade. Ideally he's playing 3rd pairing mins and some PK time. He's playing 4-5 mins too many a night.

Greene-Severson
Merrill-Santini

That should be our top 4 and then we'd have Lovejoy and someone else as the third pairing assuming Moore is taken at the expansion draft which I think he would be. I'd have Prout shipped off for a Slurpee or a bag of Sour Patch Kids.
 

Kurt Cobain

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Mar 30, 2004
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I don't even think we have to buyout Lovejoy. I'd think someone would take him via trade. Ideally he's playing 3rd pairing mins and some PK time. He's playing 4-5 mins too many a night.

Greene-Severson
Merrill-Santini

That should be our top 4 and then we'd have Lovejoy and someone else as the third pairing assuming Moore is taken at the expansion draft which I think he would be. I'd have Prout shipped off for a Slurpee or a bag of Sour Patch Kids.

I'd rather play Severson with Merrill and Greene with Santini. I didn't care for Severson and Greene to start this season. I'd want both lines playing the same amount of minutes at even strength. Have more of a 1a and 1b pairing.

This would be better just by having Santini taking up those minutes Lovejoy got but it really makes me think we really need to get a top UFA defensman. Even if it isn't Shattenkirk.
 

MartyOwns

thank you shero
Apr 1, 2007
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lovejoy is doing his best to ensure a top 3 draft pick. i don't hate him at all.
 

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