what do you guys think about Jeremy Bracco with one of the 2nd rd picks?

http://www.eliteprospects.../player.php?player=197800
- Senor_Elias

Drafting players below 5'10" makes me nervous.

Drafting players below 5'10" makes me nervous.
- smellmyfinger

Every team should have at least one runt... they draw penalties

I'm not kidding either

Every team should have at least one runt... they draw penalties

I'm not kidding either
- archromat

We got Boucher. Our runt quota is filled.

So phil kessel and the devils might be a thing huh? At least he can chow down on good Portuguese food around the arena.

NJ doesn't necessarily have to be ultra competitive next year... I'd rather the team transition properly. I like Ericsson because he is a second line winger who's likely pretty affordable. The closer we get to the draft, the more I don't want NJ to trade the pick... (don't mind maneuvering the pick, but not getting rid of it for Kessel)

Oh, and HELL NO to Semin. Absolutely not... even if we're getting rid of dead weight, he is deader weight. Havlat and Ryder are better than he is.
- archromat

The ONLY way I would take Semin is if we are trading up one position also. That would then mean we are two spots behind Arizona with one of Hanifin or Marner being available and it could allow us to trade up to third to get Strome, with Arizona dropping two spots and still getting one of Hanifin or Marner.

Edit: It also makes no sense to trade Zubrus and Ruutu, who have one year left for Semin, who has three years left.

So phil kessel and the devils might be a thing huh? At least he can chow down on good Portuguese food around the arena.
- tomburton99

Our 9th overall for Schneider was a good move. Giving up 6th overall for Kessel not so much.

Our 9th overall for Schneider was a good move. Giving up 6th overall for Kessel not so much.
- smellmyfinger

It will be interesting. Getting Schneider was good because he is in and has few more of best years ahead of him. Don't think Kessel has that. Especially if he's minus Bozak.

4 yrs/12mill and im happy
- Rangers_Suck01

He can get waaay more. There are hardly any decent UFA's under 30. He's set to get a big payday.

So phil kessel and the devils might be a thing huh? At least he can chow down on good Portuguese food around the arena.
- tomburton99

i forgot about the portuguese food. i don't live in jersey any more and now i'm sad

i forgot about the portuguese food. i don't live in jersey any more and now i'm sad


- Pomegrant

The rock and the Portuguese food is the only reason to go to Newark. Only when the Rangers play though.

JOEL WARD BABY!

Todd Cordell: On The Devils & Their Search For Right Wingers
- Todd.Cordell

Eriksson would be awesome

what do you guys think about Jeremy Bracco with one of the 2nd rd picks?

http://www.eliteprospects.../player.php?player=197800
- Senor_Elias

Greenway

NJ doesn't necessarily have to be ultra competitive next year... I'd rather the team transition properly. I like Ericsson because he is a second line winger who's likely pretty affordable. The closer we get to the draft, the more I don't want NJ to trade the pick... (don't mind maneuvering the pick, but not getting rid of it for Kessel)

Oh, and HELL NO to Semin. Absolutely not... even if we're getting rid of dead weight, he is deader weight. Havlat and Ryder are better than he is.
- archromat

Let's not get crazy. Semin definitely isn't a good fit here, but he's only a couple years removed from being a ppg player and he's still putting up strong possession numbers. I don't want him more because of his contract and because I think he would do better on a team that's less about structure and playing a system than NJ. Havlat and Ryder, well, I'd rather have Matthias Tedenby back and on the top line than have Havlat anywhere on the roster next season. Ryder might still have a few years left in him... if he's playing on Crosby or Malkin's wing.

Let's not get crazy. Semin definitely isn't a good fit here, but he's only a couple years removed from being a ppg player and he's still putting up strong possession numbers. I don't want him more because of his contract and because I think he would do better on a team that's less about structure and playing a system than NJ. Havlat and Ryder, well, I'd rather have Matthias Tedenby back and on the top line than have Havlat anywhere on the roster next season. Ryder might still have a few years left in him... if he's playing on Crosby or Malkin's wing.
- CaptCrankypants

I'm not... when a "possession player" produces as little offense as Semin does, you plainly don't want him on the ice. Havlat you could at least put on a power play, and Ryder at least scored some goals.

JOEL WARD BABY!
- SteveJ123

Zubrus' replacement as he ages and slows to a standstill.

did anyone read the Vancouver post about possible Vrbata trade rumor?

He's older, but still good, could be a good stopgap while our younger guys develop, in hopes that SOMEONE matures into that role. If not, we can always find another decent RW. In the meantime, it wouldn't cost us the 6th overall. I'd be interested. Maybe our 2nd and try to re-sign him for another 2 years? Maybe throw in a prospect? He'll be a young 34 at the start of next season. meh, if the price is right.

Cammalleri-Zajac-Vrbata
Henrique-Gomez-Matteau
Elias-Barzal-Bernier
Ruutu-Josefson/Gio-Zubrus/Tootoo

lots of questions this offseason, and I wonder how long we'll have to wait for them to be answered.

1. Will Lou trade the #6, and for what?
2. Will Lou trade a dman? which one?
3. Will Lou sign a dman?
4. What will Lou do with Zubrus???
5. Which of Bernier, Tootoo, Gomez does Lou bring back?
6. Will Boucher/Matteau/Blandisi land a full-time spot? .. will there even be a spot open?
7. Will the 6th overall pick start in NJ?

can't wait for the draft.

the oilers taught me that if we suck long enough, eventually a legend will fall into our laps.

Frolik and Fehr ...... Both UFA and RWs.

And B Bennett (RW) is RFA but Pitt will be at cap ceiling.

Frolik and Fehr ...... Both UFA and RWs.
- Ocean24

both shtink

both shtink
- MartysBetter88

Frolik just put up back to back 42 point seasons. He'd be a fine 2nd line RW. If we can sign him to a contract of 2/$10M or 3/$12-14M, that would be a fairly reasonable deal. I'd think about going to 4 years if the cap hit is $4M or less. I just wouldn't go higher than $5M, that's too much for a .5ppg player, even on a short term deal.

We're never going to find a quality top line forward in FA, so that's about as good as it gets. With Bernier hopefully being re-signed to be our 3rd line RW and Gionta on the 4th line, that only leaves us lacking that top line RW we'll either need to acquire via trade or by drafting and developing one ourselves and a center who can play on our 2/3 line since I'm not sure Josefson has the offense to be more than a 4th line center and Gomez probably won't be around more than 1-2 more years.

Maybe we can also sign someone like Soderberg to fill that 3rd line center role. If we can pick him up on a similar contract to what I suggested for Frolik, that would be great. I wouldn't go much higher than $5M for Soderberg since he doesn't play the PK at all. He's the same age as Zajac, they'll both be 30 next season, and his offensive production is similar to what we expect from him as well, but he's a less skilled defensive forward, so he shouldn't get more than $5-5.25M on a 3-4 year deal.

With signing Frolik and Soderberg, our lineup probably looks like this:

Cammalleri-Zajac-Frolik
Elias-Gomez-Boucher
Henrique-Soderberg-Bernier
Matteau-Josefson-Gionta

That's not terrible if Elias and Zajac bounce back next year. Then we just need to draft a top line center with our 1st rd pick this year to replace Gomez in the next couple years. If we could find a potential top 6 RW with one of our 2nd rd picks, that would make the draft an amazing success. If that happens, one if Hrabarenka, Scarlett, Santini or Jacobs can become at least a decent 2nd pairing defenseman and one of our forward prospects like Blandisi, Black, Coleman, Pietila, Quenneville or Lorito develops into a solid bottom 6 player by 2016-17 or 2017-18, that will make us a much better team.

By 2017 I'd like the lineup to look more like this:

Cammalleri-2015 1st rd-2016 1st rd pick/trade
Henrique-Zajac-2015 2nd rd/2016 1st rd pick
Matteau/Boucher-Soderberg/UFA-Frolik/UFA
UFA-Josefson-Bernier/UFA

Not too concerned with finding 4th line wingers. They can be acquired via FA pretty easily. The length of this "rebuild" all hinges on if we can find a top center, a top 6 RW in the next two drafts and if one of our defense prospects makes the jump to the NHL and gives us the depth to trade Merrill/Gelinas+pick for a 1st line RW. If we can't do these 3 things, then a return to Cup contention within 3 years isn't realistic.