Devils 2019 offseason team discussion (news and notes) IX

[MadDevil]

Lee's last two seasons are pretty much identical to JVR's last two seasons before he hit free agency, so a similar contract could probably be expected. I don't think I'd give Lee 7x7, just like I didn't want to give JVR 7x7.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I swear some of ya'll would complain about Connor McDavid signing in NJ if it actually happened

We have a need for another winger. There are a couple available in free agency that could really help us, which costs no assets but $$ which we have cap space to spend.

I'm not saying go crazy and give Lee something like 7x$10 or something, but I would absolutely take him for 5x$6 or something

 

[Blender]

Joke this is a joke right? Beleskey had 1 season and got paid for it. He has a career of 76 goals, CAREER! Lee has 102 in the last 3 season and he had big season before those 3 also. The 2 are night and day, Lee has been proven a hell of a lot more then Beleskey.

Lee is a textbook case of a player who will decline hard. Not very fast, fairly high shooting percentage over his career, gets most of his goals "going to the net" where better players find him, etc. Signing that guy to a 6 or 7 year contract for big money will look like a disaster in short order.

 

[Devs4L]

4 yrs 8.375 for Lee is probably where I would go. If he wants 7 I wouldnt even go 7x7.

That's the thing. If he reaches free agency we likely are one of the teams that may be interested that will be well positioned to overpay now in order to try and get him to the term we want. Because as pro signing him as I am, I'm not sure I'd go 7 years either. 35/36 year old Anders Lee scares me. 33/34 year old, not as much.

 

[Devs4L]

Boqvist.

I'm a huge Boqvist fan like everyone else, but he shouldn't be handed anything coming into camp, let alone a top 6 spot. He could completely fall flat on his face for all we know.

Players like Boqvist you have your eye on and are aware of, but you make them push their way onto the team in camp and force you to adjust the roster accordingly. Even if you need to move a body out via trade. It's essentially what happened when we traded Henrique.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

yeah, we have been burned in the past from "handing" young guys major roles. I love Boqvist but I would not pencil him in for the top 6

if he proves that he deserves big ice time early on, thats not a bad thing. You can always make a trade.

 

[NJDevs26]

I swear some of ya'll would complain about Connor McDavid signing in NJ if it actually happened

We have a need for another winger. There are a couple available in free agency that could really help us, which costs no assets but $$ which we have cap space to spend.

I'm not saying go crazy and give Lee something like 7x$10 or something, but I would absolutely take him for 5x$6 or something

It's as much cause people run under chairs when anyone talks about getting a big winger, I swear some people have Lou PTSD to such an extent they want an entire team of 5'6 160 pound mosquitoes.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Boqvist to start on the 4th line and get PP2 time to start out

a lot of contending teams do that with their young guys while "developing" them at the NHL level

 

[Blender]

Teams that contend and want to stay contending in the modern NHL need to regularly introduce ELCs into their lineup. Ideally into the bottom 6 unless they are fantastic players (like a Hischier or Hughes), but you have to do it. Better get used to the team dropping in young guys every season.

 

[ScottyK]

In a world where Hayes gets 7.13x7 Lee at minimum gets 7.5 on a 7 yr deal. If you want less yrs you pay more dollars for those yrs

What in the world? These are serious overpayments. His contract is going to age extremely poorly.

 

[NJDevs26]

In a world where Hayes gets 7.13x7 Lee at minimum gets 7.5 on a 7 yr deal. If you want less yrs you pay more dollars for those yrs

Hayes is also 27 (and a center) while Lee is 29.

If Lee gets seven years then I want no part of it, you're getting 3-4 good years at most out of the deal probably.

 

[MauDevils]

If Lee only wanted 6 million the Islanders would have signed him a loooooong time ago.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

If Lee only wanted 6 million the Islanders would have signed him a loooooong time ago.

we don't know this. Especially with Lou running things there.

Lets see what he gets this week.

 

[jkrdevil]

we don't know this. Especially with Lou running things there.

Lets see what he gets this week.

Lou’s doing the thing he did with Elias. Not negotiating an extension to hold out money for the faint hope of signing another key free agent (in that case it was holding out money for Chara). I don’t think Lee though at this point and call up Lou to see if he will match.

 

[RSeen]

Hayes is also 27 (and a center) while Lee is 29.

If Lee gets seven years then I want no part of it, you're getting 3-4 good years at most out of the deal probably.

Exactly, those 2 years in age difference is extremely relevant.

 

[Zippy316]

Teams that contend and want to stay contending in the modern NHL need to regularly introduce ELCs into their lineup. Ideally into the bottom 6 unless they are fantastic players (like a Hischier or Hughes), but you have to do it. Better get used to the team dropping in young guys every season.

Young guys should earn their spots though. You want a guy like Gourde pushing Killorn down the third line. Or Point pushing Johnson down to the third line. That's what makes your team that much deeper and stronger.

Devils should add a second line forward. At worst, an all-around top nine forward who can play any role (Donskoi, Ferland, etc.). If Boqvist and Hughes push them down the line-up, it makes the Devils that much deeper.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

Lee is a garbage man, good for rebounds/tips and down low shots. Not much else. Isn't very good defensively, doesn't generate offense himself. He's a lesser Gionta. Not how I want to spend 6M a year.

We don't have much of a net front presence on the roster currently and generating offense is of no concern if he's paired with Nico or Jack.

I admittedly know nothing of his defensive prowess or lack thereof, but $6mil seems quite reasonable for a better jvr imo.

 

[Ripshot 43]

If it’s 5 x 6 AAV I do that 10 times out of 10. It will be hiring AAV but I would be more than fine with it.

 

[Devilsgrl35]

If Lee only wanted 6 million the Islanders would have signed him a loooooong time ago.

I think he wants term. At least thats what I hear from Isles fans.

 

[Blackjack]

If it’s 5 x 6 AAV I do that 10 times out of 10. It will be hiring AAV but I would be more than fine with it.

Yeah, I'd do it for that too. I just have a feeling he's getting a lot more than that though. The numbers being thrown around for Panarin and Myers, and the deal that Skinner got are making my eyes water. Like, compare Skinner and Lee's stats, and yeah, I know Skinner is 2 years younger an all that, but I have a hard time seeing Lee signing for $6 vs. Skinner's $9. I really could see someone giving him 5 years $37.5 million.

 

[Devil X]

6-7 million isn’t as much as it used to be.

 

[zombie abo]

DCs different

 

[Ripshot 43]

Yeah, I'd do it for that too. I just have a feeling he's getting a lot more than that though. The numbers being thrown around for Panarin and Myers, and the deal that Skinner got are making my eyes water. Like, compare Skinner and Lee's stats, and yeah, I know Skinner is 2 years younger an all that, but I have a hard time seeing Lee signing for $6 vs. Skinner's $9. I really could see someone giving him 5 years $37.5 million.

I would 100% bet Lee gets 7.5 or more.

And I would do that with how this team is constructed if it’s for 6 years. After 3 years we worry about whether or not the contract/player are aging well. If not, we do what all
The other contending teams are doing and figure a way out of it. The other option is to hope that one of our younger guys has a big leap in growth.

 

[MauDevils]

I think he wants term. At least thats what I hear from Isles fans.

That makes sense. I'd feel a lot more comfortable with 5 years rather than 7.

But if that drops his price to something like 7x6 I would still probably do it. Definitely not something like 7x7.5 though.

 

[Devil X]

I think he will land in the 6.2-7 range because he wants term.

Who knows but we will find out in a couple days. Whether it’s with us or not. But that’s the fun part about all this.