Confirmed with Link: Jacob Josefson re-signed

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

He isn't special at all. He does provide some benefit though. I'm not outraged that he signed a one year deal with us. I'm about as indifferent as possible. He's poor at ES (but most of our 4th liners are anyway) and solid on the PP and shootout. The GM felt that was reason enough to ask him back and I don't really object. Write him a letter if you wanna complain about it.

I didn't object to JJ being re-signed. I disagreed with posters telling me JJ was a great fourth liner and an important part of the team, which I think is delusional.

ETA: It's fine to like certain fourth liners. For instance, I like Kalinin. However, it is delusional to pretend these fourth liners are key cogs to the team, so it would be crazy for me to make posts claiming that Kalinin is an important part of our team or an absolutely awesome fourth liner all should appreciate.

 

[Zippy316]

BLANDISI 41 games 83:58 10.00 GF/60

PALMIERI 82 games 209:37 9.45 GF/60

JOSEFSON 58 games 140:29 9.40 GF/60

ZAJAC 74 games 181:20 9.27 GF/60

BOUCHER 39 Games 70:54 PP minutes 8.46 GF/60

Every single person who got to play any PP time with Palmieri and Zajac produced well on the PP last season.

A little late on responding to this, but here goes.

Blandisi does not play the same role as Josefson on the power play. He even admitted it at one point when the Devils used him there in Josefson's absence. During that time, Blandisi did not show the patience that Josefson had on the power play although admittedly when he did play there it was when Sislo and one of Gragnani/Warsofsky were there. Regardless, Blandisi is much better suited for the side net role on the PP.

Boucher could certainly work there, not denying that. The only thing is I would personally prefer Boucher to be the triggerman rather than the set-up man. If Bennett has a good showing, maybe he can be the right handed set-up man on the PP with Boucher being the left-handed shot on the opposite wall. I don't know how well Bennett would work there, but it's an interesting idea.

The biggest asset for Josefson on the PP is the poise he has with the puck. He was able to slow things down and open up space for the other players out there. When he was pressured, he would often dish it off to Schlemko/Blandisi and they would quickly capitalize on the open space. It sounds so simple and easy, but he was essentially the only player we had last year that was capable of doing that.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I didn't object to JJ being re-signed. I disagreed with posters telling me JJ was a great fourth liner and an important part of the team, which I think is delusional.

ETA: It's fine to like certain fourth liners. For instance, I like Kalinin. However, it is delusional to pretend these fourth liners are key cogs to the team, so it would be crazy for me to make posts claiming that Kalinin is an important part of our team or an absolutely awesome fourth liner all should appreciate.

Where are these people that are claiming JJ is a great player?

 

[Zippy316]

I didn't object to JJ being re-signed. I disagreed with posters telling me JJ was a great fourth liner and an important part of the team, which I think is delusional.

ETA: It's fine to like certain fourth liners. For instance, I like Kalinin. However, it is delusional to pretend these fourth liners are key cogs to the team, so it would be crazy for me to make posts claiming that Kalinin is an important part of our team or an absolutely awesome fourth liner all should appreciate.

As it stands right now, Josefson is an important part of the team, but I don't think I would call him a great fourth liner either. Right now, I would say he is the perfect bottom-six player to have for a young and rebuilding team the same way Zajac is the perfect top-six player to have and Greene is the perfect top-four defender to have.

I would love to see Pietila/Coleman take the role and do what Josefson is doing, however, I would rather see them do it when they are ready. Pietila had a brief stint last year, but I'd rather pass the torch to him when he shows on a consistent basis. Hell, same goes for Kalinin. They were slowly bringing him along as a PK forward at the end of the year as well.

 

[HBK27]

Where are these people that are claiming JJ is a great player?

Those posts must've all been deleted, because I can't see them either.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Where are these people that are claiming JJ is a great player?

Well, this was an actual quote in this thread: “Josefson is a big part of this Devils team. The Devils were a better team last season with him in the lineup than without.â€

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

As it stands right now, Josefson is an important part of the team, but I don't think I would call him a great fourth liner either. Right now, I would say he is the perfect bottom-six player to have for a young and rebuilding team the same way Zajac is the perfect top-six player to have and Greene is the perfect top-four defender to have.

I would love to see Pietila/Coleman take the role and do what Josefson is doing, however, I would rather see them do it when they are ready. Pietila had a brief stint last year, but I'd rather pass the torch to him when he shows on a consistent basis. Hell, same goes for Kalinin. They were slowly bringing him along as a PK forward at the end of the year as well.

He's an okay fourth liner. He is just babied around here to a riddiculous degree. No other player (including guys like Henrique or Severson who are way better) gets the insane amount of excuses made for them.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Those posts must've all been deleted, because I can't see them either.

Perhaps re-read the thread then.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Well, this was an actual quote in this thread: “Josefson is a big part of this Devils team. The Devils were a better team last season with him in the lineup than without.â€

The sentiment is overwhelmingly negative and at best indifferent like myself. By the way I disagree with the first part but agree with the second part of that quote. We iced some anemic lineups last year. Josefson stinks, but he at least had some redeeming qualities.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

The sentiment is overwhelmingly negative and at best indifferent like myself. By the way I disagree with the first part but agree with the second part of that quote. We iced some anemic lineups last year. Josefson stinks, but he at least had some redeeming qualities.

I disagree with select people, not everyone. If you are indifferent to JJ, I don't think we have much difference in opinion.

 

[NJDevils#4]

Josefson is a guy you can win with as a 4th line C. Sadly, that's not what you're looking for out of a mid 1st round pick. That being said I was a big Yayo hater for a long time, but for what he is, it's a decent depth player to have around.

 

[Balance]

Josefson is not a good 4th line center. It's a simple myth. Check out his 5 v 5 production numbers, its the worst in the league.

Horrible signing, he's a bust! Get over it JJ fanclub, the dude is a bust. He cannot produce. I guarantee you any top 6 player in the AHL could outscore him on the 4th line.

 

[DanteDevilsHockey]

I was never personally a huge Jacob Josefson fan, because I felt like he's never done anything for this team. His best assets are mediocre powerplay skills at the right dot and his ability to net the puck in the shootout frequently. Is he worth 1.1mil......No just no, but cap space isn't an issue at all for us right now. As long as he stays buried in the bottom 6, preferably the fourth line, I'm happy. I know some of you guys like him, but I hope this will be his last year in NJ.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Sorry that I'm late to this party... but "This is the year!!!**"

Hope this guy can deliver something better this year.

**Said Devils fans for the last 2-3 years.

 

[MullerBrotenVerbeek]

He's garbage and he is NEVER going to be the player we'd hoped. That being said, I am fine with him in a strictly 4th line role. I don't ever want to see him even on the 3rd line though. He's cheap enough that I don't mind this contract vs. paying some other career 4th line stiff the same $ to do the same job.

 

[DatBoyJPP]

Josefson is a guy you can win with as a 4th line C. Sadly, that's not what you're looking for out of a mid 1st round pick. That being said I was a big Yayo hater for a long time, but for what he is, it's a decent depth player to have around.

It's sad to see people harp on him because of the 1st round status. He's the type of player that winning teams have on 4th lines. I find it wild to see the mass negativity in here.

 

[Bleedred]

Josefson is not a good 4th line center. It's a simple myth. Check out his 5 v 5 production numbers, its the worst in the league.

Horrible signing, he's a bust! Get over it JJ fanclub, the dude is a bust. He cannot produce. I guarantee you any top 6 player in the AHL could outscore him on the 4th line.

His 5 v 5 production numbers do suck, but that might have a lot to do with the fact that last year he was played exclusively above the 4th line.

So I'm not sure how you can say he's not a good 4th line center, he was fine when played as a 4th liner in the years before last.

 

[MadDevil]

It's sad to see people harp on him because of the 1st round status. He's the type of player that winning teams have on 4th lines. I find it wild to see the mass negativity in here.

This is HF Devils. We love to ***** about inconsequential players.

 

[Bleedred]

This is HF Devils. We love to ***** about inconsequential players.

Well for the most part, people only ***** about these players when they're played in roles larger than they should be. Kind of like Gionta and Harrold under DeBoer and Zubrus in his last season with us. And even Salvador in his last two seasons with us, especially when Stevens was the assistant.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

It's sad to see people harp on him because of the 1st round status. He's the type of player that winning teams have on 4th lines. I find it wild to see the mass negativity in here.

What about JJ makes him such an exalted fourth liner that he's the type of player winning teams have there? Certainly not his production or his physicality.

 

[Bleedred]

What about JJ makes him such an exalted fourth liner that he's the type of player winning teams have there? Certainly not his production or his physicality.

I think the idea is just that if Josefson was a 15-20 point player on the 4th line and a good PKer and defensive player, you couldn't ask for anything more from a 4th liner.

And since he was so bad at even strength last year, I think it's not unlikely that he could have had identical production playing on the 4th line. Though as I've said, I could see his PP production regressing and his even strength production slightly increasing next season.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I think the idea is just that if Josefson was a 15-20 point player on the 4th line and a good PKer and defensive player, you couldn't ask for anything more from a 4th liner.

And since he was so bad at even strength last year, I think it's not unlikely that he could have had identical production playing on the 4th line. Though as I've said, I could see his PP production regressing and his even strength production slightly increasing next season.

Thing is JJ has never had a 15-20 point season at the NHL level, so we'd be expecting an increase in his numbers, even though he's not likely to get the top six minutes that he was gifted at the start of this past season in the upcoming year. And I think JJ's even strength production has been pretty chronically bad. I just don't see potential for improvement with JJ. I think it's "what you see is what you get" with him, especially since these are supposed to be a forward's prime years. JJ got about as much opportunity as he could hope for this season and he fell short of the 15-20 point season. Could JJ be an ideal fourth liner on a winning team if he found a way to produce more? Sure, but I'm not sure he can produce much more. The evidence to me seems against it.

 

[JimEIV]

Josefson makes as much or more than just about everyone will be in the bottom 6. Not sure that is inconsequential?

 

[Eric Sachs]

not sure if mentioned but i'm kinda upset about this signing because of the expansion draft.

JJ was the perfect player to expose to hit the 40/70 requirement as he's not too important to the core and probably wouldn't get claimed anyways. By signing him to a one year deal, he will still be exposed come the expansion draft but won't count towards that requirement.. meaning we need to find someone else.. and we are already short on forwards who we'd leave exposed and would qualify.

We can always extend him before the draft but it will hurt if we don't.

 

[MadDevil]

Josefson makes as much or more than just about everyone will be in the bottom 6. Not sure that is inconsequential?

He's making $1.1 million on a team with currently over $17 million in cap space.