Teams aren’t built in Free agency, at least long good teams. Everyone is aware of this. It’s takes time and drafting the right players and developing them. Adding in UFA is when your about at the peak and you need someone to put you over the top. The only time that is different is if a guy like JT or EK hits UFA then you go because of who they are. Panerin is a guy like that too possibly.
But the reality is this team needs to be built around the young guys and we need to keep adding it. They aren’t 1 player away, hell they weren’t 1 player away last year.
Sheros plan he always been the same as the first day he walked in. Draft and develop, not all picks work out some take longer then others. Trades for young players to take advantage of another team have also come in play (Hall Palmieri Vataten Mueller). He saw a chance to improve the team near the deadline last year and reward the guys playing above their heads and made a could deals.
Don’t think that Shero is going to just sign and ton of UFAs, first they need to want to be here, second the Devils need to want them. Also as for buying guys out that’s an ownership thing also. Do the Devils owners wanna pay to have Greene or Cory sit at home or play for another team for the next 6 or 5 years?
I get everyone wants results sometimes these things take longer then expected. The way I see it the current owners went threw 6 bad years with 76ers, they have the patients. Also I don’t think their run really started until they got Shero in because Lou controlled everything until then.
My point is there is no magic pill or player that will change anything as fast as you guys want. Just need to be patient. Maybe it’s the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals fan in me lol.
We don't need to spend in UFA, although Panarin would definitely be the guy to spend on. Bobrovsky not so much.
He's also gotta look at the trade market this year. He was probably banking on Johansson being good, as he was injured most of last season and Zacha not to go the first 10 or 12 games with 0 points. Neither worked out to be that way.
As far as Cory goes, they NEED to pay Cory to stay home for 6 years, unless they can IR him and I have to think he's gonna fight that unless he's not cleared. We can't have Cory here another 3 years after this, if he's still healthy enough to play, because he may be healthy enough to play, but he sure isn't good enough to play anymore.
As far as Greene goes, we can eat one more year of him. And by eat one more year of him, I mean keep on the team for one more year, but it should be in a very reduced role. Like the one Lovejoy has been used in this year and last. I already think we have 3 guys much better than Greene as it is. Vatanen, Severson, Mueller, all much better. All it will take is just one more guy better than him to push him down.
I thought Greene was fine the first 5-6 weeks of the season, but just like last year, time and minutes are hurting him again. I expect him to be really fried by January or February at this rate.
