The New Jersey Devils Defense

[Saugus]

raymond for tallinder swap? seems like it would make sense for both sides in certain ways. im down, you can always use speed up front.

And with DeBoer's system, the forechecking prowess will be of great use. Put him with Henrique and the opposing team will never get out of their own zone.

 

[Mgd31]

I don't like Volch and his contract at all but I think his play in that 7 game Florida series is leaving a bad taste in people's mouth. He looked like he was skating on one leg.

Overall I liked his play last year and although he is overpaid for an over-term if we can't move him now, that is perfectly fine.

I like Tallinder a lot but if he is the odd man to go, he's the odd man to go. We desperately need an upgrade to the top 9, especially when you have guys like Butler, Tedenby, and Pesonen competing for spots.

This defense is fine:

Greene-Fayne
Salvador-Zidlicky
Larsson-Volchenkov.

You can change the pairings if you want but that top 4 should be getting the most minutes to start and I assume Larsson's ice time will increase as the year goes on.

I expect very solid years from Greene and Fayne especially.

 

[Wingman77]

Larsson in the AHL/riding the pine? Let's have the guy who led our offensively starved defense in pts, sit in the press box or play down a level after playing pretty damn good in his first season in the NHL, less his post injury play prior to the playoffs

Anybody remember Tallinder's play prior to the blood clot or Salvador's play the last month+ of the season before the playoffs? Anybody remember Larsson's play in the playoffs, specifically the Flyers series when he was all over Giroux and co or how a big reason why he wasn't playing was because the rest of the D was playing well so the lineup wasn't changed because it was working?

Sure we just came off of a cup finals appearance, but there are a lot of high expectations around here for most of our defensemen

 

[StvBroDan]

Just finished watching Game One again and how excited Edzo got. Still hurts hate Edzo can't wait to get going.

 

[Bleedred]

Just finished watching Game One again and how excited Edzo got. Still hurts hate Edzo can't wait to get going.

Edzo sucks, same with that follically challenged nerd Pierre. Hated having to listen to their crap in the ECF and SCF. Almost wished I was Canadian, so I could get TSN's feed, but Don Cherry does their intermissions!

 

[NJDevs26]

Cherry's an entertaining cook that's funny on the right day and irritating on the wrong day. Like when he accused Zubrus of being soft during the Finals

 

[Bleedred]

Cherry's an entertaining cook that's funny on the right day and irritating on the wrong day. Like when he accused Zubrus of being soft during the Finals

I'm surprised he didn't rip Parise a new one for being coned down the ice by that inferior euro Anze Kopitar!

By the way I think Kopitar is way better than Parise. The inferior euro part was just in Don Cherry talk.

 

[Saugus]

Edzo sucks, same with that follically challenged nerd Pierre. Hated having to listen to their crap in the ECF and SCF. Almost wished I was Canadian, so I could get TSN's feed, but Don Cherry does their intermissions!

Then you'd have to listen to Glenn Healy crying through the entire Devils-Rangers series.

 

[kiwidevil]

I would definitely like Raymond on the team.

 

[GM17*]

How do none of you know Don Cherry is CBC, not TSN?

TSN is Gord Miller or Chris Cuthbert, and Ray Ferraro (used to be Pierre McGuire)

FOR SHAME

 

[Mgd31]

Tom Gulitti ‏@TGfireandice
Devils D today: Salvador-Zidlicky; Volchenkov-Harrold; Larsson-Tallinder; Greene-Fayne; Goalies: Brodeur, Hedberg.

Volchenkov the odd man out?

 

[Oroku Saki*]

I wouldn't read into day one of lines.Otherwise Darche is on our top line.

 

[Zippy316]

Tom Gulitti ‏@TGfireandice
Devils D today: Salvador-Zidlicky; Volchenkov-Harrold; Larsson-Tallinder; Greene-Fayne; Goalies: Brodeur, Hedberg.

Volchenkov the odd man out?

Those lines are all chemistry based. The first and last ones were dynamite last playoffs. Volchenkov and Harrold complimented each other very well, but like someone said, don't read too much into that.

Darche was only on the top line because they always do that, they play the fourth liner or extra forward there when a top player is out. Also allows the Devils to gauge how good he is offensively as well.

 

[Saugus]

Those do seem like the most natural pairings though. That's what worked in the playoffs.

 

[Mgd31]

I wouldn't read into day one of lines.Otherwise Darche is on our top line.

Well yes, but that's because we are missing Kovalchuk and Josefson. I know it means nothing, but any discussion is good discussion here.

 

[billingtons ghost]

You trade a player when his stock is high and over-valued. Volchenkov is about at the lowest it has been in a long time. If he's a shot-blocking machine again after a couple of weeks, and the kids are ready, then maybe we move him. Tallinder seems like an obvious choice to deal, but he has to show he can play again after being hurt - same problem, his stock is low.

Right now I think everyone has warm memories of Zid, Greene, and Salvador, during that run.

I can't see them moving Sal, especially with that contract.

I bet they move Greene or Zid - based on the fact that Zids stock will never be higher and he's UFA and Greene has a fair contract and would be a good depth defender on a young team.... That is, if we really expect to get back a 2nd/3rd line winger in the deal that can actually play in the NHL and not a prospect.

Of course - those are our only PMDs... but we do have Harrold, Merrill, Gelinas and Urbom waiting, if things go badly early on...

 

[apice3*]

I think you're confusing "high value" and "good players." Greene and Zidlicky are good players. David Clarkson has high value.

After the finals, Henrik Tallinder has high value as well.

 

[hlaverty06]

You trade a player when his stock is high and over-valued. Volchenkov is about at the lowest it has been in a long time. If he's a shot-blocking machine again after a couple of weeks, and the kids are ready, then maybe we move him. Tallinder seems like an obvious choice to deal, but he has to show he can play again after being hurt - same problem, his stock is low.

Right now I think everyone has warm memories of Zid, Greene, and Salvador, during that run.

I can't see them moving Sal, especially with that contract.

I bet they move Greene or Zid - based on the fact that Zids stock will never be higher and he's UFA and Greene has a fair contract and would be a good depth defender on a young team.... That is, if we really expect to get back a 2nd/3rd line winger in the deal that can actually play in the NHL and not a prospect.

Of course - those are our only PMDs... but we do have Harrold, Merrill, Gelinas and Urbom waiting, if things go badly early on...

Urbom really is the only one we have waiting. Gelinas is super close and Harrold is good for his role, a depth D.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I think you're confusing "high value" and "good players." Greene and Zidlicky are good players. David Clarkson has high value.

After the finals, Henrik Tallinder has high value as well.

Yeah - that's fair -

Although I'm not sure of the difference when talking trade. I can think of alot of GMs who would pull the trigger on a 30-goal-scorer who can fight and grind... even if he can't really skate

I think this team can part with a Greene, Zid or Tallinder far sooner than they could part with Clarkson at this point - even if he only puts up 15 Clarkarounds.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

The difference is you should generally want to hang onto great players while selling high for players with high value. This is cause they'll be back to earth eventually.

 

[Bleedred]

Then you'd have to listen to Glenn Healy crying through the entire Devils-Rangers series.

Healy is actually fun to laugh at though cause he's always been a joke!

 

[apice3*]

Yeah - that's fair -

Although I'm not sure of the difference when talking trade. I can think of alot of GMs who would pull the trigger on a 30-goal-scorer who can fight and grind... even if he can't really skate

I think this team can part with a Greene, Zid or Tallinder far sooner than they could part with Clarkson at this point - even if he only puts up 15 Clarkarounds.

It has to do with playing level vs expected playing level. I expect Greene to be a top pairing D-man on this team. I expect Zidlicky to be solid on the PP. They consistently do that.

I expect Clarkson to score 15-20 goals a season. He just hit 30. I expect Tallinder to be a traffic cone. In the SCF, he looked like a decent hockey player.

The latter two are the types you trade. GMs care more about what the player has done recently. When they see the tape, they'll see those two guys better than they really are, and that's how you get maximum value out of a trade. If the players keep up the "over their head" pace, then you got fair value. If they regress to normal, you got a steal. Very rarely does a player play above his normal abilities, get dealt, and continue to improve. I guess someone like Andrew Ladd would be an example. Most GMs know where their own guys should be.

 

[Bleedred]

I hate Tallinder. Throw CORSI stats at me, but I felt shaky almost every time he was on the ice last season. He made a lot of costly mistakes in front of the net. I saw it with my own eyes, and so did many others. That's why GDT's were constantly filled with ''Tallinder was a statue on that play'' ''Tallinder lost his man in front of the net'' ''Tallinder with a stupid giveaway'' I think people complained about Tallinder more than any other defenseman on this team last year.

He was good for the first two games in the SCF that he played in. In game 6 he was one of a few of the jokes of our epic collapse on the PK. I remember him doing something that lead to one of the goals too on that 5 minute major.

I'd be fine with getting rid of him for a pick. It frees up salary too. He could be replaced for cheaper by Urbom next year.. And right now he could be replaced by nobody because we have enough spots without him.

 

[FirmestPiano]

I do think we need to get younger, both on D and at F to have that perfect mix of veterans and youngsters. So trading Tallinder/Volchenkov/Whoever and letting Zidlicky go in the summer paving the way for Urbom and maybe Gelinas wouldn't be such a bad idea. Urbom is most certainly ready to play third pairing right now and Gelinas should be able to compete for a spot at the begging of next season if he plays solid in the AHL until the summer.

Urbom replaces Tallinder as the Defensive D with puck moving ability and Gelinas Zidlicky as the offensive D, capable of producing points both at ES and on the PP. Maybe it's slightly optimistic but it could turn out pretty well too, considering cap hit and so forth. Could give us more dollars to spend on forwards.

 

[Bleedred]

I'd rather dump Tallinder, and use that $3 million next year to give raises to our free agents. Tallinder is a shell of who he was in Buffalo. It's too much money for a Daneyko defenseman that brings no offense too.