Confirmed with Link: John Hynes to be named Devils Head Coach

[Emperoreddy]

I'm not expecting "extremely beneficial". Deboer ran a pretty aggressive fwd style as well(at least at one point, still don't know why that changed). But it's fairly safe to expect better offense then last year.

Defensive 2nd line C, PK time, but I'm really hoping PP minutes are earned and not a given. Should still get his share of toi.

Well if they put zajac back at his proper spot on the PP he is fine. Playing him at the point was an extremely stupid decision.

What I really meant is a new coach or coaches working with him on an individual level. I think a lot of his current issues are in his head. Trying to do to much. Over thinking plays. Gripping the stick to tight. New perspective could help there.

And also be the ones to tell him to shoot more because he needs to
Shoot way more (the whole team does actually.)

 

[Captain Lou]

What's he gonna do, throw Zubrus under the bus on a live interview?

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

Nice graphic

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

He can't throw Zubrus under the bus. Zubrus showed up for the presser and he will have a case of the newcontractitus and play out of his mind. Plus he will mentor Matteau.

 

[MoonDragn]

Players who may have gained an advantage with Hynes hiring:
Josefson
Matteau
Merrill (US national team ties)

Uncertain:
Boucher
Gelinas
Ruutu
Gionta

Players who may have lost luster with the Hynes Hiring and the philosophy he embodies:
Zubrus
Zajac

Hynes mentions Steven Gionta specifically with praise so I think we could probably put him in the advantage column

 

[Bleedred]

He can't throw Zubrus under the bus. Zubrus showed up for the presser and he will have a case of the newcontractitus and play out of his mind. Plus he will mentor Matteau.

No he won't have a case of newcontractitus.

You really think he's getting a contract after next year? A 38 year year old (will be going into the 2016-2017 season) that's worse than most 42 year old's?

He's finished.

The only contract he can possibly play for, is a KHL or overseas one.

And how is he going to play out of his mind? TWO straight BAD seasons at 35 and 36 years old, with the most recent bad season being twice as bad as the previous bad season?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

that text from Kane is pretty cool

 

[Emperoreddy]

Impressive AHL record considering Scranton wasn't exactly well stoked.

 

[captainscott]

No he won't have a case of newcontractitus.

You really think he's getting a contract after next year? A 38 year year old (will be going into the 2016-2017 season) that's worse than most 42 year old's?

He's finished.

The only contract he can possibly play for, is a KHL or overseas one.

And how is he going to play out of his mind? TWO straight BAD seasons at 35 and 36 years old, with the most recent bad season being twice as bad as the previous bad season?

if anyone thinks zubrus has another level think again, he is done as stated above

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Zubrus was probably the WORST regular player in the NHL last year

lowest points/60 of any player in the league that qualified.

 

[MadDevil]

The "Zubrus sucks" horse has been beaten to death repeatedly.

 

[Desert Devil]

The "Zubrus sucks" horse has been beaten to death repeatedly.

Agreed, it's pretty ridiculous that it actually is still going on. I don't think there are very many people here that want him on the roster next year, but it is probably inevitable at this point. As long as he plays on the fourth line, I really don't have a problem with him.

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah it's a bit useless to buy Zubrus out at this point unless Shero buys nine thousand other forwards in FA/trade, plus like someone else said he can mentor Matteau.

A rookie head coach is also going to need some vet leaders to sell his message besides Elias and Greene

 

[Zelmo]

Did he talk about playing in "tough buildings"? How many times did he say "ya know"?

HAHAHA!! I almost wrote that!

 

[Bleedred]

if anyone thinks zubrus has another level think again, he is done as stated above

Agreed.

Expecting him to bounce back, is almost like expecting a player who has come out of retirement after two years, to jump back in and have a pretty good season.

I understand people giving him the benefit of the doubt after one bad year, but I can't understand anyone thinking he'll bounce back after TWO bad years and at the age he's at.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Zubrus was probably the WORST regular player in the NHL last year

lowest points/60 of any player in the league that qualified.

He was until Fraser started playing regularly. Fraser far outclassed everyone ever in the history of every single game of hockey ever played in suckitude. There is no worse player anywhere at any level and there never ever will be. He's worse at hockey than Barkley is at golf. He makes Barkley look like Tiger Woods.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Alright enough about Zubs. Don't derail the thread that is about our new head coach.

 

[Maine Fan]

Since Hynes was announced there have only been positive reviews on him.

I think we got a winner and maybe Stevens will stay as assistant.

I am starting to look forward to this coming season, my expectations are we won't make the playoffs but that will be OK for me.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I think he could get this team to overachieve a bit and down the line will be an excellent coach to grow a team around.

 

[captainscott]

Well if they put zajac back at his proper spot on the PP he is fine. Playing him at the point was an extremely stupid decision.

What I really meant is a new coach or coaches working with him on an individual level. I think a lot of his current issues are in his head. Trying to do to much. Over thinking plays. Gripping the stick to tight. New perspective could help there.

And also be the ones to tell him to shoot more because he needs to
Shoot way more (the whole team does actually.)

problem is he really shouldn't even be on the pp unit, or the 2nd unit at best, he isn't that good on pp in any area in my opinion, i preferred josefson to him on pp

 

[captainscott]

The thing with Zubrus is, he's obviously a guy Lou and Conte love. Conte's praise a couple years back was that Zubrus was the perfect hockey player. He wished every player could be like Zubrus. That was before Zubrus completely fell off these past couple years. He was obviously a monster along the boards and in the corners due to his size, and had some skill and hockey smarts. However, his legs aren't there anymore.

The thing is, outcasting a guy like Zubie may not go over well. You watch the videos that give a more inside look to the team and every player rags on Zubie in a joking/loving way. He's a likeable guy off the ice. If you start healthy scratching a guy like that, you may have some backlash in the locker room. Hopefully Zubrus would be understanding about it, and realize it'd probably be beneficial for him to healthy scratch at this point in his career. By playing him only when he's absolutely needed, he'll have fresher legs when he does play, hopefully making him more effective. Players get old unfortunately.

depth chart:
camm
henrique
zajac
elias
josefson
ruutuu
tootoo
bernier
gionta
kalinin
zubrus
matteau
boucher

There are the 13 forwards under contract at the beginning of next season, if I'm correct on bernier not sure if he was under contract or not.

that is piss poor no matter how you look at it. Not sure what type of moves are in store for the off season, but if the devils sign some border line free agents does it push the younger guys off yet another year? i couldn't deal with that. i love zubrus but really think they should just buy out his contract this year, rip the band aid off i understand the logic of its only one more year and we are not making the playoffs anyway, he should not be in the lineup, unless you tell me gionta, bernier etc. are going to be traded or cut this season to make room for new blood than you keep zubrus around for 4th line etc.

 

[captainscott]

I think he could get this team to overachieve a bit and down the line will be an excellent coach to grow a team around.

it really depends what they do in the off season with the forward situation. if its a stand pat mentality this team will not overachieve look at the heaping pile of trash we will be rolling out at forward

 

[captainscott]

Yeah it's a bit useless to buy Zubrus out at this point unless Shero buys nine thousand other forwards in FA/trade, plus like someone else said he can mentor Matteau.

A rookie head coach is also going to need some vet leaders to sell his message besides Elias and Greene

i don't agree with this, from a personal stand point, its a rebuild there is enough veterans up front without zubrus

camm
elias
henrique
zajac
tootoo
rutuu
gionta
bernier

how much veteran presence does one team need? the veteran leadership thing is completely over used on this board especially as it pertains to the forwards, one thing we are not short on is the so called veteran leadership which btw has lead us to 3 out of 4 playoff misses , so i think we will be fine without the presence of another veteran

 

[captainscott]

Since Hynes was announced there have only been positive reviews on him.

I think we got a winner and maybe Stevens will stay as assistant.

I am starting to look forward to this coming season, my expectations are we won't make the playoffs but that will be OK for me.

the only way i would expect this team to make the playoffs is if :
1.mattaeu, boucher, josefson...... have seasons that were completely above and better than expected

2. Elias plays out his final year and plays better than he did last year

3. cammarlari stays healthy

4. the devils sign 1 or 2 impact free agents

if all this happens, then i think they could make the playoffs.

 

[Maine Fan]

the only way i would expect this team to make the playoffs is if :
1.mattaeu, boucher, josefson...... have seasons that were completely above and better than expected

2. Elias plays out his final year and plays better than he did last year

3. cammarlari stays healthy

4. the devils sign 1 or 2 impact free agents

if all this happens, then i think they could make the playoffs.

That's a lot of "ifs" but you are right. I expect a better year from Elias. I don't have any warm feeling about Boucher. I think Josefson will do well. Then there is Matteau I don't expect a lot of goals from him. Cammy that's a big question mark re: health. We shall see I would be happy with a more consistent team playing 60 minutes a game with some passing.