Prospect Info: Devils Development Camp 2014

[Devils Unseen Hand]

I for one would like to see the NHL get tougher again. Us drafting Brandon Baddock is a start for us.

If this kid can stick around & make management notice him, I'd be happy.

Anyone see this video of him? I heard George Takei's "Ohhhh, myyyyy!" on that shot!

 

[MichaelJ]

If only Santini was a LHD...

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I went through Baddocks fights, he needs to put on 25 pounds and pick his spot. SO many wild haymakers will get him in trouble at the NHL level.

 

[BrodeursCups]

At no time was Lance Ward EVER highly touted. To say such is simply not true. That entire draft (Devils selections) was never even offered a contract... how can anyone claim Lance Ward was supposed to be the next Stevens when organization never even signed him to a minor league deal? Nothing at all, they preferred to let him walk away.

Almost as absurd as some morons calling Hale "the next Stevens." Literally one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. I'm obviously a Fighting Sioux guy, but they absolutely cannot recruit and develop defensemen. I will say, however, that Jordan Schmaltz is going to be a player for the Blues. Love his game....

As a side note, I'll be home for two weeks in November for thanksgiving and I'm going to both Sioux-Miami(ohio) games so it'll be nice to watch Coleman play....

 

[Devils Dominion]

Some in the media made the Stevens comparison to Ward, which was one of Conte's most miserable picks.

It was way off the board, Lance himself was shocked that he was picked that high, from this 2001 interview:

"HF: In 96, when you heard your name get called at the 10 spot, what were you thinking? Did you know NJ was interested in you?

LW: I knew NJ was interested, but I wasn’t ready for being selected that high. It was a surprise…a pleasant surprise. That made the draft very enjoyable for myself; I didn’t have to sit there for very long. Wasn’t expecting to go then; I was hoping to go in the first round and I was planning on going, I thought, around the end the first round. It’s a lot easier on the mind when you go before you’re expected to go!"

HF: Seeing that the Devils won the Cup last year and went to the Finals this year, do you have any regrets about not coming to terms with the Devils when they drafted you in 96?

LW: It was a whole bunch of things. At the time I didn’t feel that that was a place that I wanted to play for ten years or however long my career was going to be. Just a decision that I decided not to sign with them and it turned out for the best right now.

I’ve got no regrets. I’m very happy w/the way things have turned out. I believe that the way things are going are the way things are meant to be and I don’t regret anything I’ve done in my hockey career. Even the mistakes that I’ve done, I’ve learned from them and I’m a better person for it…definitely don’t regret it."

As for North Dakota players drafted by us, Parise and Zajac were good, Massen and Rodwell were bad picks.

 

[BrodeursCups]

As for North Dakota players drafted by us, Parise and Zajac were good, Massen and Rodwell were bad picks.

LOL Massen and Rods were also 5th/6th round picks. Absolutely brutal lumping those two in with Parise/Zajac.

 

[Brodeur]

Certainly true. It's Why they drafted him.
Not to be the next Bob Hoffmeyer.

You are a revisionist history major.

If anybody is the revisionist.........

Again, you're leaving the context of the 1996 Draft out and judging the Ward pick in a vacuum as though there was this treasure trove of talent which was bypassed.

The 1996 Draft was miserable. This isn't revisionist, that's how teams felt going into that draft. Ottawa begrudgingly selected Chris Phillips with the #1 overall pick. Most scouts felt like he'd be closer to #10 in an average draft year. Ottawa had issues signing Phillips and he almost re-entered the draft in 1998. Basically Phillips wanted money befitting a first overall pick but Ottawa was hesitant since he didn't have the abilities of a typical first overall. Ottawa gave some thought that they could let him re-enter and take the 31st pick in 1998 as compensation.

San Jose took Andrei Zyuzin at #2. Dean Lombardi was a rookie GM with the Sharks and everything in his gut told him that Zyuzin was a stinker. But he didn't have the nerve to go against popular opinion that Zyuzin was the #2 prospect (this experience is what led to him going with Thomas Hickey in 2007 during his first real draft as Kings GM). Lombardi couldn't wait to trade Zyuzin before his new prospect smell expired and dealt him three years later.

And those were the top two picks. Ottawa and San Jose knew they weren't getting stars. Nobody was expecting a stud at #10. The Devils were hardly the only team to pick a dud in 1996.

I'm sorry if some random Devils employee compared Ward to Stevens and that you believed him. I have a bunch of Padre season ticket people call me to paint an obscured picture too, but it doesn't mean it has any basis in reality.

 

[GameSeven]

The 1996 Draft was miserable.

Erik Rasmussen #7 !

 

[Brodeur]

Erik Rasmussen #7 !

Couple of random Rasmussen stories......

I've been in a nerdy dynasty league since 1999. I remember one trade discussion with a friend circa 2001. He wanted Paul Kariya off my team and was offering Robert Reichel as the primary return. For some reason, I still remember him saying at some point "I can't believe I'm gonna do this, but I'll give you Erik Rasmussen too." I laughed pretty hard and politely declined.

Before the 2002-03 season, Kings GM Dave Taylor told season ticket holders that he was real close on a deal for a top 6 forward. Fans got excited and started wondering which star player was about to be acquired. Then a couple days later, the Kings announce that they traded for Rasmussen. (It's funnier if you imagine the reaction with the Price Is Right losing horns)

During the 2005-06 season when Rasmussen was a Devil, he managed to be on the ice with around 30 seconds left on the PP. I was watching the game with my roommate and exclaimed "WTH is Rasmussen doing out there?" Rasmussen then proceeds to score a nice goal (one of two career PP goals). To this day, whenever there's some random scrub on the PP, my old roommate and I will still say "Maybe he'll pull a Rasmussen."

[/coolstorybro]

 

[The 29th Pick]

Lou kept bringing Ras-man back, over and over for some reason
so many jokes about him back in the day !!!!

 

[Richer's Ghost]

omg - the infamous ass muffin

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Couple of random Rasmussen stories......

I've been in a nerdy dynasty league since 1999. I remember one trade discussion with a friend circa 2001. He wanted Paul Kariya off my team and was offering Robert Reichel as the primary return. For some reason, I still remember him saying at some point "I can't believe I'm gonna do this, but I'll give you Erik Rasmussen too." I laughed pretty hard and politely declined.

Before the 2002-03 season, Kings GM Dave Taylor told season ticket holders that he was real close on a deal for a top 6 forward. Fans got excited and started wondering which star player was about to be acquired. Then a couple days later, the Kings announce that they traded for Rasmussen. (It's funnier if you imagine the reaction with the Price Is Right losing horns)

During the 2005-06 season when Rasmussen was a Devil, he managed to be on the ice with around 30 seconds left on the PP. I was watching the game with my roommate and exclaimed "WTH is Rasmussen doing out there?" Rasmussen then proceeds to score a nice goal (one of two career PP goals). To this day, whenever there's some random scrub on the PP, my old roommate and I will still say "Maybe he'll pull a Rasmussen."

[/coolstorybro]

I remember that last story...it was against Toronto. Devils got blown out that game.

 

[Brodeur]

I remember that last story...it was against Toronto. Devils got blown out that game.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/200603260NJD.html

Glad I'm not the only one that reserved brain space for the everlasting memory of Erik Rasmussen. Looks like the Devils only lost 4-3 that game though.

-----------------------

Anyways, getting back on topic.......

Michigan State plays against Boston College on November 14th. Hopefully that one ends up on TV somewhere so we can watch Jacobs and Santini.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Rasmussen once scored a dandy of a goal vs the Rags @MSG, I was a few rows back of the net and had a good view.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

http://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/200603260NJD.html

Glad I'm not the only one that reserved brain space for the everlasting memory of Erik Rasmussen. Looks like the Devils only lost 4-3 that game though.

-----------------------

Anyways, getting back on topic.......

Michigan State plays against Boston College on November 14th. Hopefully that one ends up on TV somewhere so we can watch Jacobs and Santini.

Haha, guess it was closer than I thought. I remember it was on TSN and Pierre was saying how the Devils are great at getting contributions from players like Rasmussen.

 

[MichaelJ]

I know Kujawinski was hurt last year and has struggled with inconsistency, but he put up nearly a ppg last year and would've been on a 40+ goal pace over an 82 game season.

He's still young...does he have top6 potential? What do you think about his trajectory? One more OHL year, then the A in 15-16, called up in 16-17?

We could have some serious C depth in a few years with Zaja, Kujo, Q, and Jake all down the middle.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Kujawinski is a natural winger forced to play center.

 

[Brodeur]

Just had a silly trip idea which might be useful in case there are any Devils fans in the Boston area:

11/07: BU@BC [Santini among others, plus Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin who are #2/3 for the 2015 Draft]
11/10: Devils@Bruins

This also coincides with a Chargers bye week for me. Albeit, there's a good chance that the BU/BC game would be televised somewhere and I could save the money for better purposes.