How hot is Lou's seat?

[Tundra]

Forget about the de facto whipping boy Peter DeBoer for a second. We all are aware of his strengths and shortcomings. Ultimately, he is the wrong fit for this team at the moment and eventually must be replaced.

With that said, we are approaching a crossroads as an organization where it's time to take an appraisal of the organization and it's philosophy. The New Jersey Devils have only compiled 5 more regular season wins than the lowly Edmonton Oilers (our 58 to their paltry 53) since the 2011-2012 season. This is a pretty convincing indictment on the futility of the Lamiorello regime. Then factor in the harsh truth that they haven't qualified for the playoffs in 3 of the last 4 seasons which had followed numerous first round washouts previously. I personally think it's time to move on after Mr. Lamioriello has given an incredible 27 years to this organization. A new course must be plotted with new faces and fresh ideas.

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[GhostofKenKlee]

Forget about the de facto whipping boy Peter DeBoer for a second. We all are aware of his strengths and shortcomings. Ultimately, he is the wrong fit for this team at the moment and eventually must be replaced.

With that said, we are approaching a crossroads as an organization where it's time to take an appraisal of the organization and it's philosophy. The New Jersey Devils have only compiled 5 more regular season wins than the lowly Edmonton Oilers (our 58 to their paltry 53) since the 2011-2012 season. This is a pretty convincing indictment on the futility of the Lamiorello regime. Then factor in the fact that they haven't qualified for the playoffs in 3 of the last 4 seasons which had followed numerous first round washouts previously. I personally think it's time to move on after Mr. Lamioriello has given an incredible 27 years to this organization. A new course must chartered with new faces and fresh ideas.

Lolz, can't say I didn't see this coming from you. I am shocked how early it did come out.

 

[Tundra]

Lolz, can't say I didn't see this coming from you. I am shocked how early it did come out.

I truly believe if Lou was in a hockey mad environment like Toronto or Montreal he would have been forced to resign by now. In sleepy New Jersey, it takes awhile for the discontent to crystallize.

 

[ScottyK]

Blitzer and Harris really are huge fans of Lou…I think Lou is safe and pretty much has immunity and will go out on his own terms. I believe he wants to train Marty as his successor so don't expect him to go anywhere anytime soon

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

I truly believe if Lou was in a hockey mad environment like Toronto or Montreal he would have resigned by now. In sleepy New Jersey, it takes awhile for the discontent to crystallize.

Doubt it.

Sam Pollock and a few others come to mind.

 

[Tundra]

Blitzer and Harris really are huge fans of Lou…I think Lou is safe and pretty much has immunity and will go out on his own terms. I believe he wants to train Marty as his successor so don't expect him to go anywhere anytime soon

So this year is basically a mulligan with 2015-2016 being a potential tipping point?

 

[devilsblood]

There is zero chance Lou get's fired mid season, let alone before the 10th game of the season.

Let's put this aside for 5 months and then see where we are at.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

Blitzer and Harris really are huge fans of Lou…I think Lou is safe and pretty much has immunity and will go out on his own terms. I believe he wants to train Marty as his successor so don't expect him to go anywhere anytime soon

This here, except the Marty part. Me thinks Petey goes upstairs.

 

[Tundra]

There is zero chance Lou get's fired mid season, let alone before the 10th game of the season.

Let's put this aside for 5 months and then see where we are at.

That's what I believe. A man of his status probably won't be fired. But like previous greats he will be nudged out if this continues.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Is this the part where we hear Buffalo is the blueprint to our future - tank and trade for picks and get on the 5 year plan?

 

[Oneiro]

The Devils have appeared in 25% of the Stanley Cups played in the last 20 years.

Good luck replacing that.

The very reason you are allowed to be discontent is because of the insane standards we have thanks to Lou.

But I would agree that, in many ways, we have not kept to our principles as an organization.


To answer your question: Sally Struthers hot.

 

[Tundra]

Is this the part where we hear Buffalo is the blueprint to our future - tank and trade for picks and get on the 5 year plan?

I really don't think we have a choice in the matter. That course was set years ago. Look at the current team. Do you really think that a glut of secondary free agents is going to stem the tide of this inevitable fate? 99% of the organizations in professional sports will experience a down cycle like this. The good ones rebound quicker than the poorly run ones.

 

[NJDevs26]

Honestly ALL of GM'ing is a good ol boy network in the NHL. It took Buffalo and Washington forever to get rid of Regier and McPhee. Rutherford got a golden chute out of Carolina and into Pittsburgh after 15 years with one Cup and a whole lot of nothing around it.

But we're going to fire/force the resignation of a HOF GM who's done ten times more than any of them.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

Is this the part where we hear Buffalo is the blueprint to our future - tank and trade for picks and get on the 5 year plan?

Thanks for that.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

I really don't think we have a choice in the matter. That course was set years ago. Look at the current team. Do you really think that a glut of secondary free agents is going to stem the tide of this inevitable fate? 99% of the organizations in professional sports will experience a down cycle like this. The good ones rebound quicker than the poorly run ones.

Lol, same old recycled babble....

Ok, let's look at current team:

On defense you have FOUR youngster ready to play for SIX roster spots.

You have possibly another four youngsters on defense ready to join in the next season or two.

While the core of forwards up front is older, there is plenty of reason for optimism in Albany the last season and they are a good team this season.

Fire Lou, they are 4-3-2

 

[devilsblood]

The Devils have appeared in 25% of the Stanley Cups played in the last 20 years.

Good luck replacing that.

The very reason you are allowed to be discontent is because of the insane standards we have thanks to Lou.

But I would agree that, in many ways, we have not kept to our principles as an organization.


To answer your question: Sally Struthers hot.

But the # of cups in that 20 year span is weighted heavily towards the first 10 years. Last 10 years, Rangers have been a better squad.

 

[Oneiro]

After the losses of Neidermayer and Rafalski, we lacked any offensive prowess from the back-end. Effectively squandered a pretty good core of forwards. The organization corrected that in less than five years, and save for Zidlicky, did it all from within.

Now we have to do it again with the forward. And I think with Josefson, Matteau, Black, Bell, etc., we at least never need to spend stupid money on depth guys again.

We need at least two stars up-front, there's no question of that. But I think the future is a lot brighter than it seems.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

But the # of cups in that 20 year span is weighted heavily towards the first 10 years. Last 10 years, Rangers have been a better squad.

Have they really?

 

[Tundra]

Lol, same old recycled babble....

Ok, let's look at current team:

On defense you have FOUR youngster ready to play for SIX roster spots.

You have possibly another four youngsters on defense ready to join in the next season or two.

While the core of forwards up front is older, there is plenty of reason for optimism in Albany the last season and they are a good team this season.

Fire Lou, they are 4-3-2

I'm not saying immediately Fire Lou based on the early results, but this team hasn't even hit rock bottom yet. There is plenty more room to fall. I think his seat will get hotter culminating with a thorough analysis in 2015-2016. While Harris and Blitzer are in awe of Lou's past exploits, they are ultimately savvy businessmen.

 

[njdevil26]

Lou hasn't been great since the whole Mogilny, Malakhov, McGillis thing. He's been reluctant to trade players that obviously aren't going to re-sign here, has not matched competitive offers from other teams to keep his players, and has been in a cycle of bargain bin shopping the UFA market to try to plug holes. It doesn't work.

At this point, he needs to let the old guys go. Lou cannot keep icing a team that is going to be just good enough to get 9th or 10th in the conference. Then in the offseason, sign players that other teams don't want to maintain a ridiculous level of mediocrity. He HAS tried a bit with Schneider and Cammalleri but the problems still remain.

Has Lou brought in ANY players that have paid off? His best move was the Kovalchuk trade because without him, I doubt we get to the finals... and it brought in the pick that got Merrill. Other than that, who has he signed? Rolston, R Neidermayer, Havelid, D McAmmond, Pikkarainen, Skoula, Peters, Boulton, Arnott, Tallinder, Volchenkov, Mair, Steckel, Ponikarovsky, Foster, Loktionov, Sullivan, D'Agostini, Butler, Kostopolous, Barch, Olesz..

At this point I would rather have Clarkson than Clowe. Did Lou really let Clarkson leave for a 300k difference? We have a ridiculously slow player that might die the next time he fights someone. Clarkson was much more valuable to this team.

I have been wanting DeBoer to go for two seasons now... but Lou needs to be held accountable as well. That entire list of players make up a laundry list of players Lou probably didn't even have any competition when signing them.

At this point, get rid of Zubrus, Ryder, Salvador, Gionta, Tootoo, Ruutu, Clowe (he'd be impossible to trade). Josefson, Larsson, Gelinas, Merrill, Severson, Matteau, Brunner, and Boucher should be in the lineup every night.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

I'm not saying Fire Lou based on the early results, but this team hasn't even hit rock bottom yet. There is plenty more room to fall. I think his seat will get hotter culminating with a thorough analysis in 2015-2016. While Harris and Blitzer are in awe of Lou's past exploits, they are ultimately savvy businessmen.

I like how you pretend to know how things wil play out. Rock bottom? I envision rough patches with young talent, but I don't "fail" fetish to envision some GM NHL15 style mode you seem to live in. That's not reality.

Harris and Blitzer are well aware of his stature as well as the circumstances he has dealt with during his tenure.

Yes, they are savy businessmen and that's why the Sixers have been torn down and continue to and the Devils are building with the same GM.

 

[Tundra]

Lou hasn't been great since the whole Mogilny, Malakhov, McGillis thing. He's been reluctant to trade players that obviously aren't going to re-sign here, has not matched competitive offers from other teams to keep his players, and has been in a cycle of bargain bin shopping the UFA market to try to plug holes. It doesn't work.

At this point, he needs to let the old guys go. Lou cannot keep icing a team that is going to be just good enough to get 9th or 10th in the conference. Then in the offseason, sign players that other teams don't want to maintain a ridiculous level of mediocrity. He HAS tried a bit with Schneider and Cammalleri but the problems still remain.

Has Lou brought in ANY players that have paid off? His best move was the Kovalchuk trade because without him, I doubt we get to the finals... and it brought in the pick that got Merrill. Other than that, who has he signed? Rolston, R Neidermayer, Havelid, D McAmmond, Pikkarainen, Skoula, Peters, Boulton, Arnott, Tallinder, Volchenkov, Mair, Steckel, Ponikarovsky, Foster, Loktionov, Sullivan, D'Agostini, Butler, Kostopolous, Barch, Olesz..

At this point I would rather have Clarkson than Clowe. Did Lou really let Clarkson leave for a 300k difference? We have a ridiculously slow player that might die the next time he fights someone. Clarkson was much more valuable to this team.

I have been wanting DeBoer to go for two seasons now... but Lou needs to be held accountable as well. That entire list of players make up a laundry list of players Lou probably didn't even have any competition when signing them.

At this point, get rid of Zubrus, Ryder, Salvador, Gionta, Tootoo, Ruutu, Clowe (he'd be impossible to trade). Josefson, Larsson, Gelinas, Merrill, Severson, Matteau, Brunner, and Boucher should be in the lineup every night.

Good post. This descent has been going on for awhile.

 

[Lindys Lazy Eye]

I think the one positive about this team is that we have the depth players. We have 3 lines set. We just need 2 big name scorers to put us over the top.

When will it be possible for us to amnesty players again? We need to get rid of Clowe or Zubrus' contract

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

Every team brings in guys that don't work this is now getting silly.

4-3-2 the abyss is near, I know so because I read it here.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

you can knock lou for not pulling no one is safe trade the last few seasons. McKay/Arnott come to mind.