Confirmed with Link: Devils sign Tlusty to one-year one-way deal

[Burner Account]

I think people are cautious that this will take away ice time from "the kids".

"The kids" are bad. Like really bad. At least we know Tlusty is a NHL player.

 

[217 Forever]

Yes, and then people complain that NJ has crappy prospects. How can we ever evaluate anyone if we don't let them play in the lineup?

Someone mentioned Whitney. How many games did he actually get in our lineup? How many of those games was in the top 6?

He scored a bunch of goals in a top 6 position in Albany, but without the minutes how can you expect any forward prospect to ever develop in NJ? Did we really give Whitney a chance?

And where is Whitney now? Any bets on whether he's on an NHL roster this season? It's about quality not quantity. When we have prospects worthy of being given a shot I'm all for it. You won't hear me complain if Zacha is ready and makes the team.

 

[Bleedred]

And hasn't a vast majority of this board been saying things like ''I think Ray has something else up his sleeve. He'll bring in another top 6 forward before camp most likely by trade'' well here it is, it's just not by trade.

And I realize Tlusty isn't a guaranteed top 6 forward but let me ask you this. Does trading one of Merrill/Gelinas and Matteau for a proven but young top 6 forward actually somehow not slow down the rebuild even further than signing Jiri Tlusty to an $800k one year contract?

I would actually think a deal like that slows it down more.

 

[MoonDragn]

And where is Whitney now? Any bets on whether he's on an NHL roster this season? It's about quality not quantity. When we have prospects worthy of being given a shot I'm all for it. You won't hear me complain if Zacha is ready and makes the team.

He signed with the Islanders. Maybe he won't make it to the NHL, but I bet they will at least give him a chance over there.

I'm not against this signing. We could always use another cheap forward that can score. Just wondering if we'll ever have space for kids to grow in our lineup.

 

[Bleedred]

Yes, and then people complain that NJ has crappy prospects. How can we ever evaluate anyone if we don't let them play in the lineup?

Someone mentioned Whitney. How many games did he actually get in our lineup? How many of those games was in the top 6?

He scored a bunch of goals in a top 6 position in Albany, but without the minutes how can you expect any forward prospect to ever develop in NJ? Did we really give Whitney a chance?

I brought up Whitney and I'm with you on that one.

I'm still annoyed that Whitney got 4 NHL games and Sestito played in 100+ and never even scored a goal, while Whitney had one in 4 games (which was actually assisted by Sestito haha).

But it also might not be good for a youngster's development to throw them into the NHL when they're not ready. I'm talking Zacha, Boucher, Blandisi, Lorito, JQ, here. Not so much Paul Thompson, as I believe he won't really be an NHL player. I won't be convinced that until another season (or at least to start off the AHL season) of numbers in the AHL like he put up last year.

 

[217 Forever]

He signed with the Islanders. Maybe he won't make it to the NHL, but I bet they will at least give him a chance over there.

We'll see. What I want us to do is draft and properly develop our prospects, and then give the ones who are most ready a shot. What we are currently doing is throwing a bunch of you know what against the wall and hoping something will stick. There is a big difference between the two.

 

[MoonDragn]

We'll see. What I want us to do is draft and properly develop our prospects, and then give the ones who are most ready a shot. What we are currently doing is throwing a bunch of you know what against the wall and hoping something will stick. There is a big difference between the two.

What determines when they are ready? Score a bunch in the AHL? Cause that doesn't give you room to play on this team.

 

[Oneiro]

We get a guy who's eager to prove himself, who will shelter the kids and we can flip him at the deadline. Nothing to complain about.

You want Blandisi, Matteau, Quenneville and whoever else to outplay Tlusty. They will get that chance.

Like someone else said: quality over quantity. It's not like we're bringing in another Jagr or Cammalleri. Tlusty will drop from the top six if someone rises.

 

[Billdo]

Didn't Shero say the reason he let Zubrus go was because he wanted some room in the roster to develop the youngsters? I guess this proves he was lying cause he just took another spot away from one of the prospects. Was it all just lip service?

Holy crap some of you are just so miserable towards anything Shero does... On what planet is this a bad move? Its a one year deal for a guy who can pot 20-25 goals. Has Boucher given anyone a hint he can do that? Matteau? Who is Tlusty really blocking anyway? If someone pushes their way into the lineup they can just waive Tlusty or dump him for a pick.

It just seems like no matter what Shero does some of you will have an issue. If we somehow won the Cup people would still be whining.

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm fine with it, but isn't he going to take away a spot from one of the kids as I've been told is such a no-no?

Didn't Shero say the reason he let Zubrus go was because he wanted some room in the roster to develop the youngsters? I guess this proves he was lying cause he just took another spot away from one of the prospects. Was it all just lip service?

For 800k the guy can be a healthy scratch or dissapear if he stinks. And he'll probably be flipped at the deadline anyway if he doesn't stink. Tlusty's only 27 anyway, he's not much older than Paul Thompson

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

This deal won't affect the kids at all, IMO.

Right now, including Matteau and Tlusty, our forward group consists of 11 players.

Zajac
Elias
Cammalleri
Henrique
Ruutu
Palmieri
Gionta
Tootoo
Tlusty
Josefson
Matteau

I count six forwards on that list even remotely considered "top 6 forwards," and really, the jury's still out on everyone but Cammalleri and Henrique IMO. If someone like Blandisi or Coleman make the team (we'll assume Matteau will), they're not taking a spot from Tlusty in the top 6. They're taking a spot from Ruutu or Josefson or Tootoo where they can get their feet wet on a third line and prove they belong. If anyone needed to worry about this signing, it'd probably be Boucher, and maybe now that he won't be playing for awhile, Shero was able to say he had a definite top-6 spot open for Tlusty.

 

[Billdo]

He signed with the Islanders. Maybe he won't make it to the NHL, but I bet they will at least give him a chance over there.

I'm not against this signing. We could always use another cheap forward that can score. Just wondering if we'll ever have space for kids to grow in our lineup.

They need to prove themselves at the AHL level first, which most haven't.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

They need to prove themselves at the AHL level first, which most haven't.

To be fair to Whitney, he was more than proven at the AHL level.

But I don't think "appreciating the Tlusty signing" and "thinking Whitney didn't get a fair shot" are mutually exclusive.

The problem for me is when kids are passed over for someone like Tim Sestito, not Tlusty.

 

[day1devilsfan]

Called it! Good signing

 

[MichaelJ]

Didn't Shero say the reason he let Zubrus go was because he wanted some room in the roster to develop the youngsters? I guess this proves he was lying cause he just took another spot away from one of the prospects. Was it all just lip service?

No, he said he wanted the room to add one or two forwards which he just did.

Good signing, might produce well with top6 minutes...maybe decent deadline fodder to add another pick.

 

[Unknown Caller]

I think people are cautious that this will take away ice time from "the kids".

"The kids" are bad. Like really bad. At least we know Tlusty is a NHL player.

I'm fine with the signing, but how are "the kids" bad? You have some legitimate NHL talent coming through the pipeline, some who will be ready to contribute this season. The logic on this board is that someone is either a blue chip prospect or "really bad." No in between.

 

[MoonDragn]

To be fair to Whitney, he was more than proven at the AHL level.

But I don't think "appreciating the Tlusty signing" and "thinking Whitney didn't get a fair shot" are mutually exclusive.

The problem for me is when kids are passed over for someone like Tim Sestito, not Tlusty.

Do you think if someone scores a bunch in the AHL level they should end up on the 4th line given plug-in minutes to grind?

That's what Tim Sestito was there for. He wasn't playing quality minutes, just a warm body to prevent the other team from scoring.
If Whitney had Sestito's minutes, I doubt he could have done much with the linemates he had to work with. He did manage to score a goal but I bet if he was on a top 6 line he could have done something more.

 

[Burner Account]

I'm fine with the signing, but how are "the kids" bad? You have some legitimate NHL talent coming through the pipeline, some who will be ready to contribute this season. The logic on this board is that someone is either a blue chip prospect or "really bad." No in between.

Like who?

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Just saw this on twitter: Tlusty is now the only forward on the Devils between the age of 25 and 30.

 

[Bleedred]

The problem for me is when kids are passed over for someone like Tim Sestito, not Tlusty.

Agreed.

This is why I like this signing, the PL3 one not so much. But I'm definitely not one of the ones that thinks PL3 will actually be playing regularly if at all during the regular season.

 

[Billdo]

To be fair to Whitney, he was more than proven at the AHL level.

But I don't think "appreciating the Tlusty signing" and "thinking Whitney didn't get a fair shot" are mutually exclusive.

The problem for me is when kids are passed over for someone like Tim Sestito, not Tlusty.

Bingo...

 

[Billdo]

I'm fine with the signing, but how are "the kids" bad? You have some legitimate NHL talent coming through the pipeline, some who will be ready to contribute this season. The logic on this board is that someone is either a blue chip prospect or "really bad." No in between.

Please tell us who you're referring to

 

[NJDevs26]

Joe Whitney was basically a AAAA player, in baseball terms. I don't know what that has to do with anything. Eventually guys with NHL talent will show it one way or another (in camp or someone's AHL scout sees him and tells the NHL GM to work out a trade), he's almost out of time...he took a contract with an organization where he's not likely to play in the NHL.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Will help keep us in that 5-10th draft pick range....

soooo status quo...

Not a fan of this move, does nothing to help us long term and potentially slows down the rebuild.

youre kidding yourself if you think this signing alone will alter anything about our season significantly

 

[Bleedred]

I'm fine with the signing, but how are "the kids" bad? You have some legitimate NHL talent coming through the pipeline, some who will be ready to contribute this season. The logic on this board is that someone is either a blue chip prospect or "really bad." No in between.

I'd agree that we have legitimate NHL talent coming through the pipeline.

But only literally a couple guys IMO.

Zacha, JQ, as far as forwards go. Maybe Boucher.

The other guys either probably aren't ready (due to hardly having any time as a pro yet) or they just aren't very good (Paul Thompson and Graham Black) and probably won't ever do anything at the NHL level.

And honestly, I'm not sure Zacha or JQ are ready yet. I'm thinking Zacha might be, JQ not so much.

There's no need to rush these guys though, as they're only currently 18 and 19 years old.