Confirmed Buy-Out [NJD] Devils buy-out F Janne Kuokkanen

[MMC]

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[Jerzey Devil]

Not sure why it makes sense to buy him out but ok. I get he isn’t needed anymore but are we really going to be up to the cap within the next year?

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Not overly surprising. We're much better off giving Kuok's time to guys like Zetterlund and Foote.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Not sure why it makes sense to buy him out but ok. I get he isn’t needed anymore but are we really going to be up to the cap within the next year?

It also saves the team $1.3M in real dollars, while freeing up a roster spot.

 

[Eggtimer]

What Wiskey said.
Devils have some bloat in the middle - bottom of the lineup.
Saves some $ for when we have to pay Gaudreau.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Kuokkanen is just a warm body. Works hard but just isn't very good. Decent AHL numbers and produced a bit with Jack Hughes last year, but he really doesn't have any skills at all. He's the most disposable player I've ever seen.

I think he's back to Europe, can't see anyone giving him a shot.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

more about freeing up a roster spot than anything else as the Devils have plenty of cap space

hopefully Zacha and/or Johnsson are next.

 

[devils29]

Surprised we couldn’t get a 5th or something from him. Warm body who could be a 13th guy

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Surprised we couldn’t get a 5th or something from him. Warm body who could be a 13th guy

There's literally dozens of guys entering FA tomorrow that will be able to fill that role without giving up an asset.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

No big loss, he was the definition of mediocrity

 

[Forge]

Surprised we couldn’t get a 5th or something from him. Warm body who could be a 13th guy

Same. I thought maybe future considerations lol If he goes back overseas though, maybe we will have the answer as to why. He's a nice try hard guy that could certainly fill out a bottom 6 role for a team. These guys are kind of superfluous.

 

[One Winged Angel]

I thought he was ok, nothing special. Serviceable 4th liner.

 

[themelkman]

Guess hes not getting traded for Meier

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Kuokkanen is just a warm body. Works hard but just isn't very good. Decent AHL numbers and produced a bit with Jack Hughes last year, but he really doesn't have any skills at all. He's the most disposable player I've ever seen.

I think he's back to Europe, can't see anyone giving him a shot.

this was my view in Carolina and why I didn't mind giving him up. He was just a vanilla player that didn't have any one skill that stood out.

 

[Smitty426]

Not sure why it makes sense to buy him out but ok. I get he isn’t needed anymore but are we really going to be up to the cap within the next year?

Roster spot and a few more schekels to give Johnny

more about freeing up a roster spot than anything else as the Devils have plenty of cap space

hopefully Zacha and/or Johnsson are next.

Tatar wouldn't hurt to go either!

 

[tarheelhockey]

I'm surprised he turned out to be such a marginal player. It seems like he hasn't improved at all in the past 3-4 years. He had the base skill set to be a utility winger, drew a lot of Jussi Jokinen comparisons as a prospect.

 

[Jukurit]

Kuokkanen's offence sure took a big dive this season. I'm assuming that's because he wasn't playing with Hughes anymore?

 

[Brodeur]

Kuokkanen's offence sure took a big dive this season. I'm assuming that's because he wasn't playing with Hughes anymore?

Oddly Kuokkanen looked best on a line with Sharangovich and Zajac. After Zajac and Palmieri were dealt, Hughes replaced Zajac on the line. But yeah, Kuokkanen kinda got lost in the shuffle this season. We have to jettison a couple bodies to make room for Holtz and any possible free agent signings.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'm surprised he turned out to be such a marginal player. It seems like he hasn't improved at all in the past 3-4 years. He had the base skill set to be a utility winger, drew a lot of Jussi Jokinen comparisons as a prospect.

He really stagnated last season.

 

[BusQuets]

Kuokkanen is just a warm body. Works hard but just isn't very good. Decent AHL numbers and produced a bit with Jack Hughes last year, but he really doesn't have any skills at all. He's the most disposable player I've ever seen.

I think he's back to Europe, can't see anyone giving him a shot.

Kuokkanen is Jussi Jokinen without the very high hockey iq.

 

[Jukurit]

I remember Kuokkanen looking very underwhelming when he played at WJCs (twice). I guess that's a good example that WJC performance(s) can sometimes show how a player will turn out at NHL level.