My grades measured on original expectations and overall play, trying hard not grade based on what i think their value to the team is as an asset, although I may have failed a bit there.
Zajac - D+ Gets all the tough assignments, but his offense contributions fell into a pit. Was hanging around with Jagr for a good portion of the season and not much to show for it.
Cammalleri - B+ Pretty much came in and did whatever he usually does. Maybe at a slightly lower clip, but pretty good for a new team.
Henrique - C+ We saw strong showing of him in the middle of the season, but he kind of fell flat near the end and also didn't start off very well. Was expecting more from him, maybe he was better in actuality, but my expectations were higher.
Elias - D+ I know he was on a decline even last season (speed, inconsistency), but this was a really poor showing. He seems to have lost his trademark poise with the puck. Don't know if its a confidence thing, but he used to be able to dictate the game, now he seems to be struggling with his own skill set. Had moments in the season, but really disappointed. He cannot elevate others around him anymore. Disappointed? yes, not sure what to expect next year from him. Didn't like certain various PR quotes this season.
Jagr - C+ Pretty much as expected. Worked fine until he got the mumps/flu whatever. Given he is forty-whatever, and his status/skill set, he did what he was advertised to do. Oates came in and didn't give a **** anymore, and so did Jagr.
Havlat - D Didn't get a good look, to be honest. Showed some promise early on, but got injured, and injured, and injured, and then scratched, scratched, scratched. Maybe this is as expected. Havlat probably takes a good share of the blame, hence D, but the coaching/managment takes a bit too.
Ryder - D- I was okay with Ryder when he was signed, but not sure what happened the last few years. He just doesn't score, thats a problem when thats your assigned objectives on the team. At least, not the way he did in Montreal. I know those years are gone, but.......he really didn't perform at all. Unfortunately he is truly more a complementary player and there was no one to boost his game. He just didn't perform. I disagree with managments handling of him, but that's another story.
Bernier - B+ Considering he was in the AHL earlier this season, he played well. He still shouldn't be in our top 6 though ideally, but good for Bernier.
Tootoo - A+ What can we say here? The guy completely beat expectations and not by a little, but by a lot. Much much much better than his name history/scouting report that precedes him. Maybe it was just a comparison compared to our piss-poor offensive core, but this guy has more speed, flair, accurate snipe shot, than anyone else on the time not named Cammalleri. His vision/passing is pretty solid. Although stats look like the glorified 4th liner due to half season not playing or limited 4th line minutes, but the eye-test in game watching this guy (after coaching change he played with top linemates) indicate a dramatic better story. One of "Oates" successes, I remember the groans when he first got PP time, but Oates move to play with Cams was the right move, given the assets the team had. Shouldn't truly be in the top 6 but well, or one would think the team could be deeper, but he has his opportunity and he showed he has the raw talent to be there. Wish more of the team had his attitude and speed.
Gomez - B- The guy always played this same way, but I think having a more acceptable contract helped remove people's negative aura on him. Also comparing our forward core, he stood out (along with Cam, Tootoo).
Josefson - B- - Progressed in his limited role. Considering he was seeing under 10 mins a game before PDB was fired (if he saw icetime), he has done well. It was less limited after PDB was gone, but still limited. I like what he see, i wish he would somehow get on the scoresheet more. He has everything the team needs on paper. Good defensively, speed, good hands, decent on the boards, however something is missing to make him a good player and I still can't figure it out.
Gionta - C Nothing spectacular, does his job, brings some speed, fit his "role" of a 4th liner, 3rd line tops. But herein lies the problem: He gets played more than 4th line minutes. His PK abilities are a bit overstated, IMO. Guy doesn't take up a lot of space, players can avoid his stick checks easily on PK. Don't see why we can't upgrade him.
Zubrus - D I'm not on the F train for him. He lost his speed, and his hands are still stone hands, but he's still good around the boards. He takes up a lot of space, can still PK. His career moved to a 4th line role. Don't get the abject hate for him when you have guys like Elias, Zajac and others who are massively underperforming.
Ruutu - D+ Paid way too much for what he does. Otherwise he's an ok 3rd line grinder. Seems to disappear for LONG stretches. However not his fault, him, and a few others are symbolic of what this team DOESN'T need.
Brunner - N/A Paid too much, not enough time to evaluate him properly like the others. He may have had a better showing under Oates.
Clowe - N/A Meh
Greene - B Meh, I might be one of the very few guys here that find his abilities somehwat overstated. The guy does his job, is pretty good. Wouldn't call him an exceptional player, but good in the 1-4th slot.
Larsson - B+ Love his progress given his jailterm under PDB. Once free, he showed he is a stud in the making. Has more poise, and a shot that finds the holes well. If we could somehow do something with his speed to make it better, but his positioning is solid and makes up for it. His stick work is good. Still remeber the PDB interview earlier this season saying this guy was not in his top 7 out of camp, and didn't have the skills except to be a Salvatore type physical defensmen.
“Adam came into the league and everyone saw some offensive instincts and we gave him a chance to play in some offensive situations and as his three or four years in the organization have come – and not just at the NHL level, but at the American League level – some guys have passed him in those offensive situations: the (Eric) Gelinas of the world, even Jon Merrill and (Damon) Severson coming in,” DeBoer said. “So, to his credit, he’s figured out I’d better find a better niche and another way for me to be effective and get some minutes here.
Although Devils coach Pete DeBoer said, “the 20 that had the best camps are the 20 that are playing tonight”, he also noted there wasn’t much difference between the players who are out tonight and those who are playing.
“There’s no doubt we were splitting hairs on some of those decisions,” DeBoer said. “Like I said before, any of the three guys that are out today I could stick in the lineup tonight and I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it and we probably wouldn’t miss a beat. So, we were splitting hairs on some of those decisions, but those are the tough decisions you have to make.
Severson - B- Love the immediate impact of skill that you see from this guy. Didn't know much about him prior to this season. Think he can be a real player in a year or two. Overplayed early in this season by PDB, my personal opinion. His raw skillset is unquestionably good.
Merrill - C Over played, but still has lots of growing him. Not the best showing over the 82 games, but he is not part of our problems. Hopefully only upside from here.
Zidlicky - C+ - He did what he was supposed to do. Could have been better for sure, but he sure wasn't the problem of this team.
Gelinas - C- Not sure what people expect from him. "Kovy-esqe" slapper, and decent vision. Not sure if his defensive play is worth the rewards he brings. Don't mind seeing him moved to help obtain a better forward core.
Harrold - C- He, like Fraser, is what he is. He played within his abilities, which aren't that much. He gets a C- for just doing what he does. However, he is exactly part of the Lou/PDB asset management problem which plagues this team.
Fraser - C- He isn't good, but what can you expect from a guy who is a career 7th defensemn or worse? Mark Fraser did what he "does" and that is it. Probably shouldn't be on the team, but Lou does his thing. I don't give him and F for suckage, but because how can you have expectations beyond what he always was? If anyone should get an F, it is Lou.
Salvador - D (N/A). Where art thou O Captain. Not good in his early season showing. At least, relative to his standards. N/A for being gone for so long, not even a quote from the guy after he went on LITR or whatever.
Helgeson - N/A Guy can make a career in the NHL. I actually really enjoyed watching him play with Larsson earlier in the season when he got some time under PDB. Though he was pretty damn solid considering the expectations were so low.
Schneider - A MVP of the team, poor guy would have won awards if this team was better in front of him. He had his moments, but if you look at what team was in front of him, he was doing everything he could. A+ would be if he had kept up his pace for longer.
Kinkaid - B- Much better than expected. Actually, I feel this guy can be a 1B starter on a weaker goalie depth team. Keith is IMO, not a backup goalie skill level but more like a young Bryzgalov. We actually could move him if the team is really serious about obtaining assets.
Clemmersen - N\A - Barely remmeber anything, can't say much but we have better.
DeBoer- D- His system works well if you have speed so you can do the heavy forechecking (like 2011/2012 team) and a veteran team. Since this team didn't have speed up front, what a disaster. Not completely his fault (Lou gave him a poor roster) but he is as stubborn as it gets. (See Larsson, running Cory into ground in early season, Gionta). Really really poor youth handling, to the point of destruction if he continued along the path.
Oates - C- Some positives early on, but not sure Ilike the vibe coming from vet players on his impact. Can't be too hard on the guy, the forward core is completely horrid as a whole and is Lou's fault....yet he somehow made better use of certain players (Tootoo, Josefson, Henrique). Didn't like his handling of Jagr (even if Jagr was ultimately trade bait). Bernier looked good still, and Cam picked it up big after Oates took over.
Stevens - B+ Judging from the players progression. May or may not be his actual input, but the right players playing in the right slots. The defense core didn't fall apart when PDB left so I feel he must be doing something well. I liked how he adjusted asset management of depth chart: Larson up, Merril\Sevs down a bit. Just my personal preference but i feels right. Want to see more of Stevens in a coaching role.
Lamoriello- F Most of the teams problems on on him. He waited too long with the coach, his personnel decisions before the season started and after PDB was fired is very questionable. Team had no speed, too many old/declining vets (Sal, Clowe, Elias, Ryder, Havlat, Zubrus, except for Jagr who gets a pass for his unbelievable HOF talent), too many grinders (Gionta, Ruutu, Bernier, Zubrus) . I would give him a better grade if he recognized these problems earlier. PDB was running one of his best young D into the ground and he waited forever to get that changed. Josefson was getting wrecked and overall confidence of the young guys was in the pits. Gomez was on the sidelines since September while we watch such a putrid forward core. Maybe its hindsight, but certainly he knew Gomez had more assets of speed and hands to help move an anvil, forward core. Are Gionta and Harrold on the team because they are former BC guys? Baffling asset management overall, either under his direct guidance, or he let PDB do his thing and was OK with it.
. Love it!
