The choice is always up to the player. If you're implying Lou should sell off his captain instead of coming within two games of a Stanley Cup, I think you're doing hockey wrong. We're here to win, not sell off whenever there's a chance we can't keep a player.

Does it suck to lose a player we spent years drafting and developing? Absolutely. But that was his decision to make to leave. Lou's job is to try and win a Stanley Cup. His decision not to dump Parise got us within two games of that.
- TheJerseyDevil1

Yes it IS always the players decision, but 2 games, 1 game makes no difference in the grand scheme of things. He didn't get a cup, it was a gamble and a swing and miss.

Can't sell your soul to make one cup run. It rarely works out. Of course it's easy to talk tough in hind sight and I get that, but IMO, a good GM is always looking down the road 3 or 4 years minimum. Sure you can make moves for the "now" and live for one possible cup run, but you also have to be sure you're covering your ass should you lose in UFA or have your best player up and retire on a whim. It's impossible to predict, but has to be accounted for as a possibility no matter what. Lou was caught with his pants down.

I agree, but I wasn't in the negotiating room. Maybe Parise would only sign for that term because he wanted to go home and we had a bad owner at the time. I don't know.
- TheJerseyDevil1

We were also really strapped for cash. There was only so much wiggle room lou had and he most likely didn't have enough to sign him during the season.

Yes it IS always the players decision, but 2 games, 1 game makes no difference in the grand scheme of things. He didn't get a cup, it was a gamble and a swing and miss.

Can't sell your soul to make one cup run. It rarely works out. Of course it's easy to talk tough in hind sight and I get that, but IMO, a good GM is always looking down the road 3 or 4 years minimum. Sure you can make moves for the "now" and live for one possible cup run, but you also have to be sure you're covering your ass should you lose in UFA or have your best player up and retire on a whim. It's impossible to predict, but has to be accounted for as a possibility no matter what. Lou was caught with his pants down.
- MnGump

Yeah, Lou really should have seen this coming. People love looking back 2-3 years and completely ignore the situation that the franchise was in.

Yeah, Lou really should have seen this coming. People love looking back 2-3 years and completely ignore the situation that the franchise was in.
- rmdevil313

I think he should be on his toes though and he was sort of caught sleeping. It's tough but I do think he could of done more the past two seasons. If you can trade a first for Schneider then you can make other moves. They say he knew about kovy before he made the Schneider trade so if I where him I would of either drafted and signed an f/a goalie or traded the pick for a top line talent and signed a goalie from f/a. Cory is a great addition but after just losing parise and knowing kovy was on the way out he should of gotten us some real talent to score rather then a top goalie. It's pretty arguable that you don't need a top goalie anymore and that teams are better off using that extra money on another quality player. Have a good goalie with a bunch of crap around him won't wib you much. Sure you will seem in the games you play and what not but you need to be able to score in today's NHL.

Where I blame Lou is the lack of homegrown talent on our offense. Elias, Henrique, Zajac, and Josefson are the only guys we have developed and drafted ourselves. Elias shouldn't be allowed to count anymore since that was a while ago. That's pathetic that more than half of our forwards have been UFA's/Trades. Lou needs to find some better scouts immediately. I don't care we haven't drafted high...you still need to find some players.

Replacing Deboer would be replacing frosting on a fruit cake.

It would be a miracle if another coach could take this team and win with it. The only way they could do that is to rely on the offensive talent of our defense and allow them to play recklessly (at least one per pairing) and have the stay at home guy/Schneider play out of their minds. Only Henrique and Cammi are going to give us more than 20 goals out of this squad. Ryder and Jagr might. But improving the offense of the D enables the offense of the forwards.

We're not a "hold em to 25 shots and win 2-1" team anymore, you need players like Parise and Kovy to make that system work. But whoever Lou is going to hire is going to be just another PDB incarnation. Lou accidentally built a team that doesn't play classic Devils hockey.

Yes it IS always the players decision, but 2 games, 1 game makes no difference in the grand scheme of things. He didn't get a cup, it was a gamble and a swing and miss.

Can't sell your soul to make one cup run. It rarely works out. Of course it's easy to talk tough in hind sight and I get that, but IMO, a good GM is always looking down the road 3 or 4 years minimum. Sure you can make moves for the "now" and live for one possible cup run, but you also have to be sure you're covering your ass should you lose in UFA or have your best player up and retire on a whim. It's impossible to predict, but has to be accounted for as a possibility no matter what. Lou was caught with his pants down.
- MnGump

I mean... We're bad now, but I hardly think not trading our captain constitutes "selling our soul". We have a great core on defense, a good goalie locked up through his prime, and a few pieces in our forward group.

Its only upwards from here; 5 of or 6 starting defensemen are 23 or younger. Cory's 28. But you're right, if we're not in the finals every year, we should fire Lou's ass and his 3 rings.


Edit: and we're not even like HORRIBAD, we're just bleh.

Yeah, Lou really should have seen this coming. People love looking back 2-3 years and completely ignore the situation that the franchise was in.
- rmdevil313

Yes, I read your sarcasm loud and clear, but like it or not that really is the bottom line. Probably never saw it coming I know, but that's my whole point, fair or not, he should have been planning for the possibility or at least a contingency if indeed something else or unforeseen would go wrong, I mean he had just lost his captain the previous season so at least some bells should have been going off to make an immediate plan of action.

Like I said, I realize it's easy to pick apart GM moves or lack thereof in hind sight, but I think the onus still has to be on Lou even in spite of that ease. Not saying DeBoer is not expendable, more so that he has had less and less to work with since that cup season.

I mean... We're bad now, but I hardly think not trading our captain constitutes "selling our soul". We have a great core on defense, a good goalie locked up through his prime, and a few pieces in our forward group.

Its only upwards from here; 5 of or 6 starting defensemen are under 23 or younger. Cory's 28. But you're right, if we're not in the finals every year, we should fire Lou's ass and his 3 rings.


Edit: and we're not even like HORRIBAD, we're just bleh.
- TheJerseyDevil1

I wouldn't say the Devils are bad by any stretch. They're in the midst of rebuilding plain and simple and yet they are still a highly competitive squad.

Whatevs, I do feel a bit for you guys, you've been dealt some tough blows and yet your team remains competitive every season for the most part. No doubt Lou's a good GM, but he needs to be accountable at some point if they don't get back to the dance soon.

On a total side note, looks like Brodeur is practicing with the Blues.

On a total side note, looks like Brodeur is practicing with the Blues.
- Devilsdoc30

There goes their season

There goes their season
- shvingter88

I don't know how long Elliot is out, but there's no way that Brodeur (at his current stage) could play better than Elliot. Elliot was a beast in UW, and has continued a great level of play since. If Brodeur signs with the Blues, I wonder what happens when Elliot returns. I doubt Brodeur will be alright with a backup role, regardless of what he tells the media or coaches.

If the Devils are gonna collapse big-time, this would be the ideal year to do so. They've never actually had the first pick in the draft before, and McDavid may be the best prospect since Lindros.

I would give our first this year ++ for Duchene. I honestly think having a legit #1 center would do us better then a winger. Henrique can play wing or Elias can go back to his natural position and Also Zajac to play against favorable competition.

I would give our first this year ++ for Duchene. I honestly think having a legit #1 center would do us better then a winger. Henrique can play wing or Elias can go back to his natural position and Also Zajac to play against favorable competition.
- blizzzard

Not going to happen

Not going to happen
- shvingter88

Hall then.

Team is not great but seems to me to be clearly underperforming relative to its ability. When that happens the solution seems pretty simple to me.

If the Devils are gonna collapse big-time, this would be the ideal year to do so. They've never actually had the first pick in the draft before, and McDavid may be the best prospect since Lindros.
- eggnugg

Did we forget Crosby!

Did we forget Crosby!
- Champ

I see people picking up Brodeur in fantasy leagues. in what way does this remotely make sense? No guarantee Brodeur even gets a contract, and even if he did, Allen will get the bulk of the starts.. and Brodeur will be weak.. as he was last year. Elliot is week to week, not month to month. Unless they plan on trading Elliot, I see no value in picking up Brodeur.

I see people picking up Brodeur in fantasy leagues. in what way does this remotely make sense? No guarantee Brodeur even gets a contract, and even if he did, Allen will get the bulk of the starts.. and Brodeur will be weak.. as he was last year. Elliot is week to week, not month to month. Unless they plan on trading Elliot, I see no value in picking up Brodeur.
- MartysBetter88

Well I have elliot in another league and people are hoarding goalies so I had no choice but to pick up Brodeur in hopes he signs

Well I have elliot in another league and people are hoarding goalies so I had no choice but to pick up Brodeur in hopes he signs
- shvingter88

he'll get 3 starts ..

Did we forget Crosby!
- Champ

Nope!

he'll get 3 starts ..
- MartysBetter88

That's better than any other option in that league. Everyone has 3-4 goalies on their team. My next option is to pick up scrivens.