Speculation: 2017 Offseason/Expansion Draft Part II

[NJDevs26]

Why would we need to make a handshake agreement with Vegas (and conversely what's in it for them to make one with us)? It's not like we're letting anyone else go we can't afford to lose.

 

[Jets012]

There's zero reason for Vegas to take Lovejoy. If they want him, well then we are very lucky. But there will and should probably be zero interest around the whole league for Lovejoy, so buying him out is the more likely option.

 

[captainscott]

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?

 

[Zippy316]

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?

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.

 

[Smitty426]

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.

What do you mean proven? Proven not to win the whole thing, sure.
The Rags are a better team for sure the last few yrs but with no results. This year is no exception. Hell even there fans are looking to next year! The Rags will start to slide shortly as Hank comes back down to earth and plays human (it's already happening).

I like what I see with our youth. Also with our vets. We have a great G and a couple of pieces on D
We need some more scoring preferably on the right side a PMD a good idea 1st pick this year and we can see where we go from there

 

[nugg]

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.

If I'm not mistaken, in the past, teams had to draft older players from Europe to obtain their rights, like Salomonsonson and the more successful Zelepukin.

 

[Billdo]

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.

 

[Zippy316]

Liljegren scared the crap out of me. He's the epitome of boom or bust.

He's a guy that's likely going to slip to the mid-teens and a team with a deeper pool that likes him will take the chance.

If he hits, you could potentially get a guy like Erik Karlsson. At the same time, you may end up with David Rundblad.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I could see Lovejoy being protected given Shero and Hynes hard on for him

 

[Devils Dominion]

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.

 

[MadDevil]

Signing LJ & trading for Prout have marred Ray's ledger so far.

Isn't Prout one of the illustrious Castron's picks?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Isn't Prout one of the illustrious Castron's picks?

Actually not a bad pick. Sixth round overager who has played more than 200 games at defense and isn't a complete goon. You could do a whole lot worse.

 

[Hellraiser]

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

 

[Brooklyndevil]

We won't lose any valuable player to Vegas. I'm not worried at all.

 

[Zippy316]

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.

 

[Hellraiser]

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

 

[Stephen Gionta]

He's even slower than he was when he was here. Would be the opposite of what the Devils are building towards.

For a 1 year stop gap, I wouldn't be opposed to it but ONLY if the Devils can't find another option at RW. As of right now, our RW depth for next season is Palmieri, Bennett, Lappin, Speers. If Shero can't find a deal he likes to acquire a 2RW or a UFA, I would gladly take Jagr to help Zacha in the development process.

 

[Bleedred]

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.

 

[Zippy316]

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 last summer and he may make it to free agency.

We could also take on a cap dumps (Pominville) where we get an overpaid, but still useful player. Pominville might not be on the move, but I'm sure there's a player a team is looking to get rid of like that.

 

[Bleedred]

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.

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.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

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.

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.

 

[217 Forever]

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.

 

[Zippy316]

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.

The last couple years, I would agree that it would've been futile to add guys like Vanek/Vrbata.

The difference now is you have McLeod, Zacha, Blandisi, Wood, Santini, Speers, and likely four or five other kids that are pushing for NHL spots next year. We're entering the new group that is going to be a critical part of our future and don't just have aging stop gaps here right now.

I think it's more important now to supplement the team with quality NHL talent so the kids have NHL players to play with. Makes our team deeper as well and forces the kids to earn their spots.

 

[Zippy316]

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.

It's not so much if Jagr is a good player, I'm sure he still is.

But he's the exact opposite of where we're going right now. He's painfully slow and we're trying to build a team on speed. I just don't see Shero giving him a one-year deal when he's going to slow down almost any line he's on.

 

[Bleedred]

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.

I definitely think he's been a bit unlucky this year and perhaps maybe a bit lucky last year. Which is why I think he can be a 50+ point scorer next year.

But due to his age, I also feel like he can drop off a cliff too. If there was an old player here next year, he's one I wouldn't mind.