General Discussion (All Team/Player News/UFA Talk) - Offseason thread part IV

[Emperoreddy]

All of the people who are so negative about the team and want to blow it up for the next five years would have to change their tune IF Lou manages to re-sign Cory, bring in Stasny and one other significant forward, and cleans out one of the two fossil defensemen.

Of course that's probably a best-case scenario, but possible and I really don't think Lou's going to sit on his hands and play the fiddle as Rome continues to burn. He couldn't do much two years ago, last year he had Kovy pull the rug out from under him and pretty much did the most he could up front with Jagr/Ryder/Brunner.

Why I don't think its totally fair to rag on him. I mean looking at last years free agent pool I think he did the best that could be done, and outside of Clowe the contracts handed out weren't bad or handcuffing either. Jagr obviously worked out, brunner and ryder could bounce back or easily be moved to make room for upgrades. Clowe was risky but I understand it because I did like him when healthy...just he isn't healthy sadly.

Biggest move was trading for Cory. He resigns him and already things are looking better.

I really hope Volch gets bought out. He is better then Sal, but long term his contract is worse and we will hate it more. We can live with Sal for one more year if we limit his minutes and bury him a bit. I honestly don't think anyone will take either in a trade. Also lets be honest, Sal isn't going to play the full 82 games either, he is going to get hurt.

Though if Sal is as hurt as has been rumored on here (was it his hip? I forget) that changes things.

Definitely make a run at Stats, if you throw money in his face who knows. Use Jagr as an ambassador if needed. Biggest thing is just resigning Cory. If an upgrade at forward can be found that is either worth it/ or reasonablely priced do it but don't handcuff the team cap going up or not by overpaying for someone.

 

[Tretyak 20]

Something that has been creeping into my mind today. During the last telecast Chico was very adamant about this team getting at least one if not two new quality centers. Chico doesn't normally spout stuff about team needs without have some info about it from who he's talked to higher up.

Could completely change the guy's we've been talking about targeting if Lou is actually shopping for a center or two.

For me, the absolute best-case scenario would be signing Stastny, Michalek and Kulemin, extending Scheider, compliancing Sal and re-signing Fayne and Zids.


Elias - Stastny - Henrique
Michalek - Zajac - Jagr
Clowe - Zubrus - Kulemin
Carter - Josefson - Brunner

Greene - Fayne
Larsson - Gelinas
Volchenkov - Zidlicky
Merrill

 

[R8Devs]

I think Gelinas out of the three is going to be the extra. But I really doubt Merrill is going to be 7th d. Nor do I think Brunner will be placed on the fourth line(that would be a real waste).

 

[theoptimist]

For me, the absolute best-case scenario would be signing Stastny, Michalek and Kulemin, extending Scheider, compliancing Sal and re-signing Fayne and Zids.


Elias - Stastny - Henrique
Michalek - Zajac - Jagr
Clowe - Zubrus - Kulemin
Carter - Josefson - Brunner

Greene - Fayne
Larsson - Gelinas
Volchenkov - Zidlicky
Merrill

And Ruutu?

 

[Khione]

And Ryder?

 

[Devils1029]

For me, the absolute best-case scenario would be signing Stastny, Michalek and Kulemin, extending Scheider, compliancing Sal and re-signing Fayne and Zids.


Elias - Stastny - Henrique
Michalek - Zajac - Jagr
Clowe - Zubrus - Kulemin
Carter - Josefson - Brunner

Greene - Fayne
Larsson - Gelinas
Volchenkov - Zidlicky
Merrill

This lineup include SIX unrestricted free agents, including our own, that would need to be signed - also 3 restricted FA's. Just don't see that happening. Brunner is wasted on the 4th line and Henrique would be on the left wing, not the right....also, there is this thing called the salary cap that we have to deal with....

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Please, no Brian Gionta and definitely no Vanek.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Elias? Our guy had a 35 goal 72 point season under his belt at the age of 24, and the next season put up 40 goals and 92 points. Are you expected 30+ goals or 90 points out of Gagner any time soon?

And Elias plays defense.

Please don't call Gagner Elias lite. Maybe Elias super ultra lite.

I'm not sure what Elias' 99-00 season has to do with anything. Based on current level of play, Gagner is an Elias-lite type player, who has good vision and passing skills and generally makes the players around him better offensively.

 

[Lou is God]

Well I hope this Rangers cup run wakes Lou's ass up and make him realize that 2nd tier free agents that no one else wants is not the way to build a cup team and that he also needs to handle our assets better than letting our top players who we have developed walk away with no value returned. I LOVE the man but things have got to change on how we do business.

 

[NC107*]

Is DeBoer setting us up for another year of Brodeur?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=721166

 

[Devils1029]

The Rangers and Devils are teams that are in different stages at this time. The Rangers are in "win-now" mode with Lundqvist being 32 years old. They have a mix with some young guys but their Defense is entering it's prime and Richards/MSL are older with only a few years left. They don't have first round picks this year or next (MSL) and their prospect depth was ranked worst by THN.

Devils can arguably be said to be in the middle of their "re-tooling". They have a young up and coming defense that will probably take another 3 years to mature. They have a 28 year old goalie who is just coming into his prime and should be excellent for at least the next 5 years. Jagr and Elias and a few other vets are winding down and are needed to teach the kids. The biggest question now is how the forward ranks will be rebuilt and I think Lou puts more focus on that that this summer. NJ should battle for a playoff spot next year but realistically should be looking to compete for a cup in 3-4 years time and then hopefully return to elite status for another 3-4 years before their window begins to close.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Please, no Brian Gionta and definitely no Vanek.

Brian was awful, don't want him.
Let Vanek go elsewhere too, he's a soft passenger.

 

[Devils Army]

I made some smaller trades in a mock that got some young offense

Matt Puempel
for
Harrold and 2014 3rd
Puempel, 7.0 C will likely get upgraded to at least a 7.5, a former 1st round pick, just put up PPG in the AHL

Seth Helgeson and Florida's 6th
for
Calle Jarnkrok
Jarnkrok, 7.5 C one if the bigger pieces in the Legwand deal, played pretty well in his shirt stretch for Nashville

 

[Devils1029]

I made some smaller trades in a mock that got some young offense

Matt Puempel
for
Harrold and 2014 3rd
Puempel, 7.0 C will likely get upgraded to at least a 7.5, a former 1st round pick, just put up PPG in the AHL

Seth Helgeson and Florida's 6th
for
Calle Jarnkrok
Jarnkrok, 7.5 C one if the bigger pieces in the Legwand deal, played pretty well in his shirt stretch for Nashville

Sign this man up as assistant GM/Lou's heir apparanet if he can pull these deals off! Puempel and Jarnkrok would be a nice restocking of the cubbard!

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

I see a lot of good names in the free agent pool, but the fact remains that there just isn't much room on the roster unless we see some major changes. Ryder isn't going anywhere without giving up something better than Ryder. Brunner ditto (and honestly I'd probably keep him anyway). Even if none of CBGB comes back, that pretty much opens 3 4th line slots, where Josefson and Sislo both have their foot in the door. I'd love to see one forward come in to push Zubrus or Ryder to the fourth line, but other than that, there just isn't room barring some real fancy footwork from Lou (which obviously isn't out of the question).

 

[Wingman77]

Is DeBoer setting us up for another year of Brodeur?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=721166

and if it does, so it be

People do not understand the problem last year that was neither goalie was aware of their role; there was no starter nor backup, it's not as easy as one might believe to prepare when you do not know what is coming in the immediate future - that has been made pretty clear by both guys, but apparently it instead meant that both or guys were whining

Marty can weigh all the options he gets from other teams or he can take a role as a backup here, it's been made evident as well that Cory will be the starter next year and that whoever is brought in will be backing him up - and he's even said he'd backup if he was told that he would be doing such

I can't wait for when we have a goal-tending duo this year aside from what we had last year and our backup sucks

 

[R8Devs]

I made some smaller trades in a mock that got some young offense

Matt Puempel
for
Harrold and 2014 3rd
Puempel, 7.0 C will likely get upgraded to at least a 7.5, a former 1st round pick, just put up PPG in the AHL

Seth Helgeson and Florida's 6th
for
Calle Jarnkrok
Jarnkrok, 7.5 C one if the bigger pieces in the Legwand deal, played pretty well in his shirt stretch for Nashville

lol you can't trade scraps for another team's promising prospects.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

and if it does, so it be

People do not understand the problem last year that was neither goalie was aware of their role; there was no starter nor backup, it's not as easy as one might believe to prepare when you do not know what is coming in the immediate future - that has been made pretty clear by both guys, but apparently it instead meant that both or guys were whining

Marty can weigh all the options he gets from other teams or he can take a role as a backup here, it's been made evident as well that Cory will be the starter next year and that whoever is brought in will be backing him up - and he's even said he'd backup if he was told that he would be doing such

I can't wait for when we have a goal-tending duo this year aside from what we had last year and our backup sucks

Marty was literally among the worst goalies in the league. we can sign any league average goalie and they'd like be better than Marty was last year.

 

[SeidoN]

I made some smaller trades in a mock that got some young offense

Matt Puempel
for
Harrold and 2014 3rd
Puempel, 7.0 C will likely get upgraded to at least a 7.5, a former 1st round pick, just put up PPG in the AHL

Seth Helgeson and Florida's 6th
for
Calle Jarnkrok
Jarnkrok, 7.5 C one if the bigger pieces in the Legwand deal, played pretty well in his shirt stretch for Nashville

yeah noone in an actual GM position makes those trades

 

[Bleedred]

Marty was literally among the worst goalies in the league. we can sign any league average goalie and they'd like be better than Marty was last year.

Agreed. It's time for people to accept that Marty is not a good goaltender anymore. Just because he has good games sometimes does not make him good.

I'm not even convinced that kinkaid would be a worse option than Marty.

 

[NC107*]

Agreed. It's time for people to accept that Marty is not a good goaltender anymore. Just because he has good games sometimes does not make him good.

I'm not even convinced that kinkaid would be a worse option than Marty.

I not convinced that Marty would accept the role as backup if he wins a couple of games or two shutouts in a row.

 

[MichaelJ]

A Schneider/Kinkaid tandem would be just fine. Schneider is the unchallenged starter and plays most games. Kinkaid is cheap and there to do what a backup goalie does - backup.

 

[MichaelJ]

Seriously - 2 moves

Sign Stastny
Trade for a forward (like Evander Kane) using our 2015 #1 as the centerpiece.

We don't have to go crazy in FA and we can leave our young D assets alone.

 

[Brodeur]

Seriously - 2 moves

Sign Stastny
Trade for a forward (like Evander Kane) using our 2015 #1 as the centerpiece.

We don't have to go crazy in FA and we can leave our young D assets alone.

While I'd love to add Stastny, I still see him being more interested in a club like St. Louis.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I want Stastny just as much as the next guy but I'd put a 2% chance on him signing here

plus, we aren't getting Kane using a 2015 1st as the centerpiece. that won't fly.