Devils sign Zajac

SpItFiReZ

Registered User
Jan 4, 2004
2,183
281
Should definatly be very interesting but I think the edge to Richards and Carter. Where would Philly be right now without them?
 

NJDevs430

Registered User
Jun 9, 2002
1,901
0
Visit site
I thought it was neat that they mentioned HF near the end of the article...
The Hockey's Future scouting report on Zajac says he is an "absolute game-breaker" and that has few flaws in his game.
Cool!
}:)>
 

Jaysfanatic*

Guest
Jon Prescription said:
Bad move, IMO. Another year in college would've done him a lot better...

Like I said earlier, forgive me if I don't believe you on moves made by the Devils.
 

JDevils3

Registered User
Jul 3, 2005
1,591
0
Long Beach, NY
Jori_18_23 said:
University of Denver fans and the rest of the WCHA would like to thank the New Jersey Devils :clap:

Seriously, good luck to Zajac!

Thats so true... It's gonna be tough to replace his minutes.

By the way, I've heard Travis is eligible to play in Albany and in the playoffs with the Devils, but Andy Greene has to stay with the big club and is not eligable for the playoffs. Is this because Andy is an undrafted free agent? Anyone know the exact rule on this. :dunno:
 

Jaysfanatic*

Guest
JDevils3 said:
Thats so true... It's gonna be tough to replace his minutes.

By the way, I've heard Travis is eligible to play in Albany and in the playoffs with the Devils, but Andy Greene has to stay with the big club and is not eligable for the playoffs. Is this because Andy is an undrafted free agent? Anyone know the exact rule on this. :dunno:

Undrafted FA's can't, drafted players can, that's the rule.
 

Hunter Gathers

The Crown
Feb 27, 2002
106,467
11,444
parts unknown
Devilsfanatic said:
Like I said earlier, forgive me if I don't believe you on moves made by the Devils.

And I could care less what some Devils fan thinks.

I watch the kid play hockey a lot in college. I've followed the college game about as close as I could this year. Zajac is a TREMENDOUS tallent and will be a great NHLer, but I just think that giving him one more year of college would've been absolutely great for his development.

Zajac was a great pick by Lams, but I think he's being rushed just a bit too much for my tastes into the pro game. I have no doubt that he will be a top 6 forward in the NHL, but that extra year of college would've developed his game much more, IMO.
 

Jersey Fresh

Video Et Taceo
Feb 23, 2004
26,154
9,094
T.A.
How exactly would it hurt his development to take a step UP and play in Lowell next year? That doesn't make much sense to me, especially because everything people say about this kid is all positive and that he doesn't have much to work on to begin with.
 

Jason MacIsaac

Registered User
Jan 13, 2004
22,221
5,935
Halifax, NS
Jon Prescription said:
Bad move, IMO. Another year in college would've done him a lot better...
No it isn't, its the smart move. With all the rookies in North Dakota this year ice time is gonna be tough to get next year where in Lowell he will only have to fight with Vrana at center.
 

Hunter Gathers

The Crown
Feb 27, 2002
106,467
11,444
parts unknown
Jason MacIsaac said:
No it isn't, its the smart move. With all the rookies in North Dakota this year ice time is gonna be tough to get next year where in Lowell he will only have to fight with Vrana at center.

How many times have you watched him all year? I've seen a ton of NoDak games. The kid is still VERY raw. He's extremely skilled, but this isn't a Parise case where he is easily able to step up to the NHL. This is a case in which the guy is a very raw player still who, IMO, needs more time to hone his skills at a college level.

I'm a HUGE fan of college hockey and I think that it is generally a good idea to leave players there for at least 3 years to develop them unless they are a VERY special player (ala Jack Johnson).

Zajac is not on his level and is just still too raw. It's my opinion based off of seeing him play a great amount this year.
 

BigE

Registered User
Mar 12, 2004
4,476
0
New York, NY
I doubt Zajac would be "fighting" for icetime with rookies. 7111 posts of what?

Regardless of that, and ignore the last bit I'm just having some fun here, signing him isn't going to hurt. He'll get some good experience down in the AHL next season, and with his work ethic being what it is, you might even see him as a call up during the year. He's a quick learner and his progression might surprise some.
 

Hunter Gathers

The Crown
Feb 27, 2002
106,467
11,444
parts unknown
BigE said:
I doubt Zajac would be "fighting" for icetime with rookies. 7111 posts of what?

Regardless of that, and ignore the last bit I'm just having some fun here, signing him isn't going to hurt. He'll get some good experience down in the AHL next season, and with his work ethic being what it is, you might even see him as a call up during the year. He's a quick learner and his progression might surprise some.

I agree that he will definately get the experience in the AHL. But as I've said, I just think that it would do him a good deal of service to stay one more year in the NCAA.

I'm speaking as a NCAA fan/avid watcher rather than a Ranger fan at this point. I like Zajac a lot and think he'll be a solid player either way. But I always lean on keeping a player in the NCAA until after his junior year at the minimum. It just seems to be better for their development.
 

Jason MacIsaac

Registered User
Jan 13, 2004
22,221
5,935
Halifax, NS
Jon Prescription said:
How many times have you watched him all year? I've seen a ton of NoDak games. The kid is still VERY raw. He's extremely skilled, but this isn't a Parise case where he is easily able to step up to the NHL. This is a case in which the guy is a very raw player still who, IMO, needs more time to hone his skills at a college level.

I'm a HUGE fan of college hockey and I think that it is generally a good idea to leave players there for at least 3 years to develop them unless they are a VERY special player (ala Jack Johnson).

Zajac is not on his level and is just still too raw. It's my opinion based off of seeing him play a great amount this year.
What do you mean he is raw. The only part of his game that is unfinished is his offense which could really explode at any time. Ftorek is an excellent development coach and I don't see any difference in moving Zajac up a little early, something Tallackson should have done.
 

BigE

Registered User
Mar 12, 2004
4,476
0
New York, NY
He'll be 21 next season, that's a full year after most kids enter out of junior (ala Dawes, a kid he played with growing up...).
 

JimEIV

Registered User
Feb 19, 2003
65,688
27,889
I wish Barry Tallackson left Minn two years earlier and I personally believe his development was severely delayed by playing four years in college. Tallackson is more suited for the pro Style game in my opion and he would have been better served playing in the AHL for the last two years.

I have seen Zajac about 15 times this year and he also displays that pro-style game in my opinion. Zajac made the transition to the NCAA very smoothly and had a great rookie year with 39 points he has improved on that with 47 points in his second year.

Typically players need more time to work on finer points or their defensive game. I personally don't think Zajac is "Raw" at all. Zajac already has displayed the ability to be extremely responsible at both ends of the ice, he is one of the better PKers in the country, extremelly strong in the faceoff dot, and a very good decision maker. That doesn't add up to "Raw" in my opinion

Its time for him to test his skills against bigger, stronger and faster players than the NCAA can offer him right now. And I was saying this in February not just after the Devils signed him.
 

Lou is God

Registered User
Nov 10, 2003
26,507
9,875
New Jersey
JimEIV said:
I wish Barry Tallackson left Minn two years earlier and I personally believe his development was severely delayed by playing four years in college. Tallackson is more suited for the pro Style game in my opion and he would have been better served playing in the AHL for the last two years.
That's a very good point.
 

Legionnaire

Help On The Way
Jul 10, 2002
44,254
3,965
LA-LA Land
JimEIV said:
I have seen Zajac about 15 times this year and he also displays that pro-style game in my opinion. Zajac made the transition to the NCAA very smoothly and had a great rookie year with 39 points he has improved on that with 47 points in his second year.

Typically players need more time to work on finer points or their defensive game. I personally don't think Zajac is "Raw" at all. Zajac already has displayed the ability to be extremely responsible at both ends of the ice, he is one of the better PKers in the country, extremelly strong in the faceoff dot, and a very good decision maker. That doesn't add up to "Raw" in my opinion

Its time for him to test his skills against bigger, stronger and faster players than the NCAA can offer him right now. And I was saying this in February not just after the Devils signed him.

Good assesment of Zajac. I agree completely. Albany's done a great job with their player development, and I think with a little fine tuning, he could be a solid mid-year call-up. Who knows though. He could make the team right out of camp.
 

RangerBoy

Dolan sucks!!!
Mar 3, 2002
44,912
21,237
New York
www.youtube.com
The NHL teams are going to push more and more to sign their college prospects before they become seniors because of the new CBA clause allowing college players who are graduating to become UFA's on August 15 if they have not been signed by that date
 

JimEIV

Registered User
Feb 19, 2003
65,688
27,889
RangerBoy said:
The NHL teams are going to push more and more to sign their college prospects before they become seniors because of the new CBA clause allowing college players who are graduating to become UFA's on August 15 if they have not been signed by that date


I don't think so. You may have the rare case where an NCAA player refuses to sign immediately, but we haven't seen to much of that in the past. Remember these players are ready to jump to the pro's in March/April if they are a senior. Thats almost 6 full months to sign a player from the end of his senior year until UFA status.

There would only be two reasons a senior is not signed within 6 month of Graduation; 1. He doesn't want to play for the team that has his rights 2. The team that has his rights doesn't want him. Either way its not that big of deal.

Speaking purely from a developmental point of view, some players need 4 years at the NCAA level others do not. Guys like Heatley, Tkachuk, and Guerin were better off leaving college early...Just my opinion, but it seems to me, the more "power forward" a player is the better off he is leaving college early. Powering over guys 5'9 165lbs doesn't do much for their development in my opinion. Honeing the "power" part of the game is much better served at the AHL level.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->