Speculation: Tomas Kaberle eyeing return to the NHL

[Brodeur]

if he gets a tryout, they will sign him.

why risk it? he is shot. roll with the kids.

if they are going to do this ****, maybe they should have just tried to sign Fayne?

Devils (along with a host of other NHL teams) will bring in NHL vets for tryouts that get nowhere near the Opening Night roster. Awhile back, a few posters were overly excited about Fedor Fedorov being in camp. He didn't make the team. Marcus Nilson was a camp invite and didn't make the cut.

Again, there are actual rules about the number of NHL veterans you have to dress for a preseason game. A few years back, a couple people figured that Vancouver brought in Owen Nolan strictly to meet that rule for a preseason game while resting their regulars. And if you're asking yourself "When was Owen Nolan on the Canucks?" then that should alleviate your worries about Kaberle.

Last year in preseason, the Devils used 11 D when there were back-to-back games. There's a back-to-back this year where I wouldn't be surprised if 10-11 D were used again.

Lou tried to sign Fayne, but the price was more than they wanted to pay. Keeping Fayne would have eaten into the money for Greene's extension and the next contracts for Merrill/Larsson.

I have no problem with bringing in a guy like Kaberle to be a warm body in camp. Worst case, he takes away a preseason game away from a guy like Brandon Burlon. I don't think it'd have much effect on somebody like Gelinas.

 

[MadDevil]

Didn't people say Sykora was done when we gave him a tryout? I don't see how bringing a guy in to see if he's got anything left harms the kids at all. If they falter or we get injuries, we might just need a vet we can sign for cheap.

 

[The 29th Pick]

people are jumping to conclusions here about Kaberle
giving the guy a tryout doesnt mean squat

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

believe me, I know how this organization works. If they give him a tryout (IF it is them, which we don't know), it means they are interested in signing him. THAT is a problem in itself to me.


AGAIN

I realize it doesn't mean anything yet. but it doesn't make any sense at this point. LET THE YOUNG GUYS PLAY.

 

[The 29th Pick]

believe me, I know how this organization works. If they give him a tryout (IF it is them, which we don't know), it means they are interested in signing him. THAT is a problem in itself to me.


AGAIN

I realize it doesn't mean anything yet. but it doesn't make any sense at this point. LET THE YOUNG GUYS PLAY.

Maybe (I said maybe) Lou has some deal(s) he's discussed with another GM that includes one of our young D men, and Lou wants to see if Kaberle has anything left in the tank so he can pull the trigger on the deal?
hey..never say never

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Maybe (I said maybe) Lou has some deal(s) he's discussed with another GM that includes one of our young D men, and Lou wants to see if Kaberle has anything left in the tank so he can pull the trigger on the deal?
hey..never say never

thats fair

but I would HOPE we could get a better player than freaking Tomas Kaberle.

 

[The 29th Pick]

thats fair

but I would HOPE we could get a better player than freaking Tomas Kaberle.

me too
I'd rather have Johnny Oduya back than Kaberle
Maybe one of the Czech boys told Lou Kaberle is in great shape and is still a player?

 

[NJDevs26]

Plus Gelinas hasn't even signed yet for whatever reason, and we're less than three weeks away from camp. Maybe he becomes a holdout? (which would be career suicide imo) In which case I could definitely see them bringing in Kaberle for potential leverage.

 

[The 29th Pick]

Plus Gelinas hasn't even signed yet for whatever reason, and we're less than three weeks away from camp. Maybe he becomes a holdout? (which would be career suicide imo) In which case I could definitely see them bringing in Kaberle for potential leverage.

yeah...maybe Gelly said something negative or gave Lou the impression he's a short timer in NJ and Lou's getting his plan "A" and plan "B" in order

 

[Brodeur]

believe me, I know how this organization works. If they give him a tryout (IF it is them, which we don't know), it means they are interested in signing him. THAT is a problem in itself to me.


AGAIN

I realize it doesn't mean anything yet. but it doesn't make any sense at this point. LET THE YOUNG GUYS PLAY.

Well, players aren't going to accept tryouts unless they think they have a chance at being signed. Brunner/Sykora are recent examples of guys who earned NHL deals. Bernier earned an AHL deal which eventually became an NHL deal. Mathieu Darche was an invite last year and was cut, as was Marcus Nilson a few years back.

Again, I'm not sure who you're worried that Kaberle is blocking in preseason. It's fairly likely that the coaching staff will use 10-11 D for the games on 9/25 and 9/26. If Kaberle ends up being a warm body for one of those games, I don't think it would hamper the development of somebody like Burlon/Helgeson.

 

[manilaNJ]

I'd be more concerned about Gelinas, but there's a whole slew of RFA defensemen with no arbitration rights that are currently unsigned. I think they're all waiting each other. It seems like DeKeyser is the closest.. and the dominoes might fall from there.

As was said, it'd be detrimental for Gelinas to sit out... so Kaberle would have to impress well and Gelinas would either have to not play or play like a train wreck for this to really mean anything, I think.


If he's even invited/accepts, of course.

 

[MadDevil]

people are jumping to conclusions here about Kaberle
giving the guy a tryout doesnt mean squat

Jumping to conclusions? Here? Never.

 

[manilaNJ]

Jumping to conclusions? Here? Never.

Jump to conclusions like... this?

(god help summer boredom)

 

[livewell68]

The Devils are indeed the team giving Kaberle a tryout along with Scott Gomez.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Todd-Cordell/Devils-Extend-Camp-Invites-To-Scott-Gomez-Tomas-Kaberle/159/61992

If this was 2006, the Devils would be heavy favorites to win the Cup.

 

[Chessarmy]

believe me, I know how this organization works. If they give him a tryout (IF it is them, which we don't know), it means they are interested in signing him. THAT is a problem in itself to me.


AGAIN

I realize it doesn't mean anything yet. but it doesn't make any sense at this point. LET THE YOUNG GUYS PLAY.

Half the defense is young guys. I think they're getting plenty of opportunities.

 

[Emperoreddy]

believe me, I know how this organization works. If they give him a tryout (IF it is them, which we don't know), it means they are interested in signing him. THAT is a problem in itself to me.


AGAIN

I realize it doesn't mean anything yet. but it doesn't make any sense at this point. LET THE YOUNG GUYS PLAY.

We didn't sign Darche last year despite his tryout.

 

[HellOnIce]

Like many have said, Kaberle MAYBE (unconfirmed from NJ) will get a tryout.

I think they are looking at it as Gelinas insurance, in case he doesn't sign.

If he doesn't sign, they aren't going to want to put Helgelson/Severson there if they aren't ready..plus Gelinas is a PP guy, maybe they use Kaberle in that spot in protected minutes and/or Harrold and scratch one or the other.

If Gelinas is unsigned, Harrold probably skates opening night with Kaberle as the 7th.

We still have too many forwards, interested to see who we can get dangling a Gelinas, Brunner or Ryder - maybe Kaberle plays a role in their somewhere...

Watch...it'll be a 3 way deal.

We'll get Oduya and a young forward back.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Gelinas has no leverage whatsoever. Where is he going, to Russia?

he'll sign.

 

[Roomtemperature]

If he gets that 7th defensemen or AHL call up veteran in case of injury I see no problem... if he earns it.

 

[ScottyK]

If Gelinas continues to make Zidlicky look like a norris candidate in comparison it's going to be smart to have Kaberle around.

 

[NC107*]

If Gelinas continues to make Zidlicky look like a norris candidate in comparison it's going to be smart to have Kaberle around.

Exactly. What is Gelatin waiting for, he is not a proven D man?

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Exactly. What is Gelatin waiting for, he is not a proven D man?

Lol oh autocorrect.

 

[Devilswede]

believe me, I know how this organization works. If they give him a tryout (IF it is them, which we don't know), it means they are interested in signing him. THAT is a problem in itself to me.


AGAIN

I realize it doesn't mean anything yet. but it doesn't make any sense at this point. LET THE YOUNG GUYS PLAY.

Well, of course a team is interested in signing a player if they're inviting him to a tryout. That doesn't mean they will sign him. It's just that they are giving him a chance to prove himself. There would otherwise be no point in bringing people in besides maybe to make sure you have enough veteran players during some pre season games.

This is not unusual for Lou at all and I don't see why some are upset. It'd be nice too se these guys surprise us and actually be worth signing.

Go back to Damien Brunner, Petr Sykora, Mathieu Darche, Marcus Nilson, Anton Strålman, Scott Lachance, Adam Mair, Scott Lachance, etc.

Some guys made it, some didn't.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

If Gelinas continues to make Zidlicky look like a norris candidate in comparison it's going to be smart to have Kaberle around.

I wouldn't be so sure that Kaberle could outplay Gelinas defensively at this point. Kaberle was a sieve in his own end his last few years in the league.

 

[livewell68]

I wouldn't be so sure that Kaberle could outplay Gelinas defensively at this point. Kaberle was a sieve in his own end his last few years in the league.

He kept getting bounced around and was never placed in a situation to succeed. Boston left him to hang the same way they did to Jagr. Did anyone think Jagr had anything left in the tank when the Devils signed him? What's to say that won't happen to Kaberle?

Certain players can benefit from a change of scenery and with Kaberle trying to kick start his comeback to the NHL, and having a bunch of Czechs around him might be enough to push him to compete at a level he has lacked in the past few years. I don't think it was a coincidence that he was so good in Toronto, the team trusted him to be a go-to guy and he played like one. In Boston, Montreal and elsewhere, it just wasn't a fit.