News Article: Q & A with Devils coach Pete DeBoer

[JimEIV]

So wait? We are supposed to insulate our coach from answering questions about his job? Protect him from any accountability? I dont care what our "record" is a month into the season. Our team has still shown many of the same deadly flaws that have doomed us the past couple seasons, and winning in spite of them isn't an excuse to ignore them. We did that last year, and all it led to was some cute post season wrap up conversation about how really the only thing separating us from the playoffs was some bad luck in the shootout. Blowing leads consistently, no accountability from veterans, and overplaying scrubs has always been the issue with Pete. None of that has changed.

I think first and foremost our fans have to be realistic about what this team is...This is not a cup contender, this not a Devils team of old that can sleep walk to a 40+ win season.

This is team in transition.

This is a team that is going to need to fight for every point they get.

A team with a first time starting goaltender and 4 fledgling defensemen...A team with a lot of useless forwards that are really here to be stop gap players. This is a team that still more than a few critical pieces away.

Deadly Flaws? Well yeah...Everything that is good about this team is raw and is going to need some time. And lot of what is wrong is going to take some time to get rid of also.

Over playing scrubs? The ENTIRE forward group is garbage. Top to bottom minus Henrique and Zajac - Complete and utter garbage, you have no choice but to play scrubs because there is nothing else...And the defense looks like cookie time at nursery school

and as good as Cammalleri has been, that was stupid move also - He is a player you add for depth scoring to decent team, not a team that is potentially 2 or 3 years away from building a decent forward group.

And people want crisp, lights-out play from this team and blame the coach when they don't get it or when one of the nursery school kids gets a runny nose?

Give me break. Look at what is here and be for real...Enjoy watching the kids develop into full time regulars and be happy for the wins because they are going to be tough to come by.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

I think first and foremost our fans have to be realistic about what this team is...This is not a cup contender, this not a Devils team of old that can sleep walk to a 40+ win season.

This is team in transition.

This is a team that is going to need to fight for every point they get.

A team with a first time starting goaltender and 4 fledgling defensemen...A team with a lot of useless forwards that are really here to be stop gap players. This is a team that still more than a few critical pieces away.

Deadly Flaws? Well yeah...Everything that is good about this team is raw and is going to need some time. And lot of what is wrong is going to take some time to get rid of also.

Over playing scrubs? The ENTIRE forward group is garbage. Top to bottom minus Henrique and Zajac - Complete and utter garbage, you have no choice but to play scrubs because there is nothing else...And the defense looks like cookie time at nursery school

and as good as Cammalleri has been, that was stupid move also - He is a player you add for depth scoring to decent team, not a team that is potentially 2 or 3 years away from building a decent forward group.

And people want crisp, lights-out play from this team and blame the coach when they don't get it or when one of the nursery school kids gets a runny nose?

Give me break. Look at what is here and be for real...Enjoy watching the kids develop into full time regulars and be happy for the wins because they are going to be tough to come by.

I think it's going to be an exciting few years where the team could go anywhere.

 

[Brick City]

I think first and foremost our fans have to be realistic about what this team is...This is not a cup contender, this not a Devils team of old that can sleep walk to a 40+ win season.

This is team in transition.

This is a team that is going to need to fight for every point they get.

A team with a first time starting goaltender and 4 fledgling defensemen...A team with a lot of useless forwards that are really here to be stop gap players. This is a team that still more than a few critical pieces away.

Deadly Flaws? Well yeah...Everything that is good about this team is raw and is going to need some time. And lot of what is wrong is going to take some time to get rid of also.

Over playing scrubs? The ENTIRE forward group is garbage. Top to bottom minus Henrique and Zajac - Complete and utter garbage, you have no choice but to play scrubs because there is nothing else...And the defense looks like cookie time at nursery school

and as good as Cammalleri has been, that was stupid move also - He is a player you add for depth scoring to decent team, not a team that is potentially 2 or 3 years away from building a decent forward group.

And people want crisp, lights-out play from this team and blame the coach when they don't get it or when one of the nursery school kids gets a runny nose?

Give me break. Look at what is here and be for real...Enjoy watching the kids develop into full time regulars and be happy for the wins because they are going to be tough to come by.

This post should be required reading whenever there is a meltdown on here. Do not agree with 100% of it (I like the Cammalleri signing and do not think all of the forwards are garbage besides Zajac and Henrique), but the overall premise is sound.

 

[DenisSamson3]

I think it's going to be an exciting few years where the team could go anywhere.

That can also be said about Zajac, if you are using those parameters on other forwards. But if this team Suprises us somehow? It is entirely possible.

 

[glenwo2]

Love you Chere! Keep reading the boards.

Thank you.

I'll be sure to continue to make an azz out of myself.


(no I'm not Chere though I wouldn't be surprised if he was a member here)

 

[MadDevil]

More Chere click bait. Shocking...

 

[NJDevs26]

Thank you.

I'll be sure to continue to make an azz out of myself.


(no I'm not Chere though I wouldn't be surprised if he was a member here)

He probably just has an intern reading the board. One way or another he certainly does 'know' about the discussions here.

 

[StnTwnDevil]

No I don't but he didn't do anything to make me believe otherwise that he doesn't like these two as players and that he isn't harder on them

Edit: basically he dodged the question which is what I fully expected

Did you read what I said? And did you read what Deboer said? He didn't avoid the question. He gave a perfectly acceptable answer. Maybe its just not what you are looking for?

Maybe you should ask yourself this question: Why is every coach in the NHL doing exactly what Deboer is doing with young players and their playing time?

 

[Devils Dominion]

He probably just has an intern reading the board. One way or another he certainly does 'know' about the discussions here.

Definately, I think he reads it himself, same with TG.

 

[BJD]

I'm not trying to be rude, but did you actually read what I said? And did you read what Deboer said? He didn't avoid the question. He gave a perfectly acceptable answer. Maybe its just not what you are looking for?

Maybe you should ask yourself this question: Why is every coach in the NHL doing exactly what Deboer is doing with young players and their playing time?

Deboer didn't answer the original question directly about larsson and gelinas. Chere asked 2 different questions in one. One about larsson and gelinas and one about young players in general. Deboer gave a predictable answer about the young players. He avoided the question about favoritism and lack thereof towards gelinas and larsson, if you think he did then I'm sorry to inform you otherwise.

Edit: Again he answered the way I expected. I never expected him to answer about larsson and gelinas and whether he doesn't like them because a coach is never going to admit if he doesn't like a player or is harder on them. I'm just saying I still believe that he is harder on them two, for whatever reason

 

[StnTwnDevil]

Deboer didn't answer the original question directly about larsson and gelinas. Chere asked 2 different questions in one. One about larsson and gelinas and one about young players in general. Deboer gave a predictable answer about the young players. He avoided the question about favoritism and lack thereof towards gelinas and larsson, if you think he did then I'm sorry to inform you otherwise.

He said why he gives Salvador a longer leash. You read that? That directly involves Gelinas and Larsson because the only reason you, and other fans think they aren't liked, is because they aren't in over Salvador. I don't know what you are informing me of, if you seemed to have skipped over some stuff there.

 

[MadDevil]

Oh no, he didn't say every young players name. Clearly that means something!

 

[BJD]

He said why he gives Salvador a longer leash. You read that? That directly involves Gelinas and Larsson because the only reason you, and other fans think they aren't liked, is because they aren't in over Salvador. I don't know what you are informing me of, if you seemed to have skipped over some stuff there.

No I fully expect him not to scratch Salvador. It's pretty hard to scratch your captain. It's been an ongoing thing though. Severson and Merrill haven't been perfect and have had some bad plays/games, but nothing comes of it from them, not even reduced ice time in a single game/period.

 

[StnTwnDevil]

No I fully expect him not to scratch Salvador. It's pretty hard to scratch your captain. It's been an ongoing thing though. Severson and Merrill haven't been perfect and have had some bad plays, but nothing comes of it from them, not even reduced ice time in a single game/period.

Everyone here sees something different, and its because a lot of fans, including you and me, are focusing on different things. I personally disagree with your assessment, but I can't really counter you without using video to break down a million of the little plays that add up and are the difference between Merrill/Severson being in more consistently than Gelinas/Larsson.

 

[AfroThunder396]

DeBoer: What people don’t realize, especially with the players unless you’re around them every day, is how hard they work and what they say between periods. You don’t get a read of a guy’s true value just watching him play a game on a Friday night.

So basically, sentiment and character are more important than on-ice results.

 

[Oneiro]

Sometimes our fanbase, as presented on here, seems really young. What I mean is that if you've been watching NJ develop defensemen for a long time, then how do you not see why Severson and Merrill have a longer leash than Larsson and Gelinas?

Merrill may be struggling but he's doing what is perceived to be the "correct" way. So he doesn't get benched. It sucks but that's also how you teach YOUR way of doing things. And when YOUR way has developed more long-time NHL defensemen than any other team in the past 25 years (I may be wrong on this), then it's tough to question it.

Can anyone say why Andy Greene is a leader for this team? Why Colin White lasted so long? Why Paul Martin got 5 million on the open market? Why Johnny Oduya was picked up by the Blackhawks?

Because if you can, then you know why Severson and Merrill have the leash.

 

[ghoti]

He probably just has an intern reading the board. One way or another he certainly does 'know' about the discussions here.

Doubt it.

He just reads the same crap in the comments section of his blog as people post here.

 

[NikF]

From an outsider, the Devils to me look like a team that has solidified their goaltending position, has quietly built one of the better groups of young blueliners, and still maintains the commitment to structure of the Devils past. Now you'll probably start building up the forward group with additional prospects and the team will essentially go through an entire rebuild while staying competitive and never losing sight of what the Devils are about. All that it's needed is a tiny bit more patience because you're not realistically a Cup contender right now. Lou Lamoriello not only has NOT lost it, he's done an absolutely sublime effort and you'll see the fruits of it very very soon. Some of the results are already there, but this isn't the full end-result. Watch out when bridge veteran forwards start getting replaced with homegrown talent. That's when you'll be close (think LA pre-Carter/Richards). Then you'll probably see one big trade from the excess young assets to address whatever hole there might be (think Jeff Carter or Mike Richards in LA). Then you'll be there.

 

[Emperoreddy]

From an outsider, the Devils to me look like a team that has solidified their goaltending position, has quietly built one of the better groups of young blueliners, and still maintains the commitment to structure of the Devils past. Now you'll probably start building up the forward group with additional prospects and the team will essentially go through an entire rebuild while staying competitive and never losing sight of what the Devils are about. All that it's needed is a tiny bit more patience because you're not realistically a Cup contender right now. Lou Lamoriello not only has NOT lost it, he's done an absolutely sublime effort and you'll see the fruits of it very very soon. Some of the results are already there, but this isn't the full end-result. Watch out when bridge veteran forwards start getting replaced with homegrown talent. That's when you'll be close (think LA pre-Carter/Richards). Then you'll probably see one big trade from the excess young assets to address whatever hole there might be (think Jeff Carter or Mike Richards in LA). Then you'll be there.

Good post, and I agree with you that that is what the long term plan is here in Jersey. We shall see if we can complete it over the next few years.

 

[glenwo2]

From an outsider, the Devils to me look like a team that has solidified their goaltending position, has quietly built one of the better groups of young blueliners, and still maintains the commitment to structure of the Devils past. Now you'll probably start building up the forward group with additional prospects and the team will essentially go through an entire rebuild while staying competitive and never losing sight of what the Devils are about. All that it's needed is a tiny bit more patience because you're not realistically a Cup contender right now. Lou Lamoriello not only has NOT lost it, he's done an absolutely sublime effort and you'll see the fruits of it very very soon. Some of the results are already there, but this isn't the full end-result. Watch out when bridge veteran forwards start getting replaced with homegrown talent. That's when you'll be close (think LA pre-Carter/Richards). Then you'll probably see one big trade from the excess young assets to address whatever hole there might be (think Jeff Carter or Mike Richards in LA). Then you'll be there.

You should post here more often. Thank you for this uplifting one.

Especially since it's the truth.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I think dome sort of thread on Pete Is valid.

He's lost the fanbase and it appears at least some of the locker room.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Another Chere article on Pete.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/...he_right_coach_at_this_time.html#incart_river

Hope the next one is that he has been dismissed as Devils head coach.

 

[Cowbell232]

This thread got VERY off topic from the original post by including more/other articles, etc.

Pools closed guys, if you want to post about PDB go start a thread on it and let's keep it ALL in there.