.. not if he doesn't work hard.
- MartysBetter88

Does that not go for every NHLer?

How are you guys not used to this? As Devils fans this is the organizations modus operandi. Every year we throw out the top 5 UFA names we want, and we get none of them. Either Lou doesn't want them or they dont want to play in NJ.
The only exception was Kovalchuk.
Not even sure why some of you fret so much, this franchise still manages to be competitive, even after the offseason's in which our stars leave. Which is also the norm.

In the end, Devils always remain competitive. Chill.

How are you guys not used to this? As Devils fans this is the organizations modus operandi. Every year we throw out the top 5 UFA names we want, and we get none of them. Either Lou doesn't want them or they dont want to play in NJ.
The only exception was Kovalchuk.
Not even sure why some of you fret so much, this franchise still manages to be competitive, even after the offseason's in which our stars leave. Which is also the norm.

In the end, Devils always remain competitive. Chill.
- FLdevilsFAN

We got Volchenkov and Tallinder. That was pretty good.

We got Volchenkov and Tallinder. That was pretty good.
- Pomegrant

I was going to say the same thing. Everyone was dying for Volchenkov.

I was going to say the same thing. Everyone was dying for Volchenkov.
- _Zippy_

I'll give you Volchenkov. (frank) Tallinder.

I'll give you Volchenkov. (frank) Tallinder.
- FLdevilsFAN

Devils just need to sign Kyle Wellwood, and I'm good.

wtf is up with you and Wellwood?



Seriously though, I wouldn't mind him. Seems like he can produce if given adequate linemates which he should have in our top 6. May be cheap, too. Then again, that's what we said about Mueller.

We'll see. I still think Lou does nothing else, outside of possibly re-signing Sykora.

Devils just need to sign Kyle Wellwood, and I'm good.
- _Zippy_

Wellwood blows

wtf is up with you and Wellwood?



Seriously though, I wouldn't mind him. Seems like he can produce if given adequate linemates which he should have in our top 6. May be cheap, too. Then again, that's what we said about Mueller.

We'll see. I still think Lou does nothing else, outside of possibly re-signing Sykora.
- FLdevilsFAN

I don't know.

Wellwood blows
- Pomegrant

Volchenkov is a warrior.

Maybe Buffalo wants Tallinder back :D

FORWARDS
Ilya Kovalchuk ($6.667m) / Travis Zajac ($3.888m) / Dainius Zubrus ($3.400m)
Patrik Elias ($6.000m) / Adam Henrique ($0.854m) / Petr Sykora ($0.800m)
Mattias Tedenby ($0.875m) / Jacob Josefson ($0.900m) / David Clarkson ($2.667m)
Steve Bernier ($0.775m) / Stephen Gionta ($0.563m) / Ryan Carter ($0.775m)
Cam Janssen ($0.575m) / Krystofer Barch ($0.750m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Anton Volchenkov ($4.250m) / Marek Zidlicky ($4.000m)
Henrik Tallinder ($3.375m) / Bryce Salvador ($3.167m)
Andy Greene ($3.000m) / Adam Larsson ($0.925m)
Mark Fayne ($2.500m)
GOALTENDERS
Martin Brodeur ($4.500m)
Johan Hedberg ($1.400m)
BUYOUTS
Colin White ($1.000m) / Trent Hunter ($0.667m) / Eric Boulton ($0.163m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $70,200,000; CAP PAYROLL: $58,433,333; BONUSES: $262,500
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $11,766,667




Still say this (plus or minus a call-up from Albany or two) will be our opening night roster with a 8 seed berth in the future.

FORWARDS
Ilya Kovalchuk ($6.667m) / Travis Zajac ($3.888m) / Dainius Zubrus ($3.400m)
Patrik Elias ($6.000m) / Adam Henrique ($0.854m) / Petr Sykora ($0.800m)
Mattias Tedenby ($0.875m) / Jacob Josefson ($0.900m) / David Clarkson ($2.667m)
Steve Bernier ($0.775m) / Stephen Gionta ($0.563m) / Ryan Carter ($0.775m)
Cam Janssen ($0.575m) / Krystofer Barch ($0.750m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Anton Volchenkov ($4.250m) / Marek Zidlicky ($4.000m)
Henrik Tallinder ($3.375m) / Bryce Salvador ($3.167m)
Andy Greene ($3.000m) / Adam Larsson ($0.925m)
Mark Fayne ($2.500m)
GOALTENDERS
Martin Brodeur ($4.500m)
Johan Hedberg ($1.400m)
BUYOUTS
Colin White ($1.000m) / Trent Hunter ($0.667m) / Eric Boulton ($0.163m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $70,200,000; CAP PAYROLL: $58,433,333; BONUSES: $262,500
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $11,766,667




Still say this (plus or minus a call-up from Albany or two) will be our opening night roster with a 8 seed berth in the future.
- FLdevilsFAN

Where's Wellwood?

Where's Wellwood?
- _Zippy_

At the buffet.

edit: I reported that by mistake. Goddamn I'm tired.

Looking ahead to next year (ya know, for guys we won't sign )

Iginla, Visnovsky, Perry, Getzlaf, Ribeiro, Andy McDonald, Lupul, Regehr, Horton, Whitney, Enstrom, Clowe, Edler, Weiss, Brouwer, Mason Raymond, Bozak, Klein, Regin.

Seems like most would be due pay cuts as well.

Quite a few possible scenarios. Of course, any number of these guys and the rest of the pending UFA class could be re-signed, but there will be someone there.

Where's Wellwood?
- _Zippy_

I say we jetison Barch and Janssen and just sign Clowe, at least he can skate and shoot.

You're the reason trolls come here and fish for responses. If you're going to get worked up about a player not being signed then you've completely lost it.
- Pomegrant

its not the player, its the whole offseason and the way we do things. we sit and watch and lose. 2 years ago was an exception.. we actually signed some good defensemen for a change.. after watching Stevens, Nieds and and Rafalski be replaced by .. well you know the 8 horrible dmen we've had since then, minus the trade for Salvador. We signed them 2 years ago and this year actually made trades for serviceable players! No coincidence this was the year we went to the Finals.
now we lost a key component and have replaced him with nothing. .. just like every other time. So now we'll wait a few years before Lou realizes we don't have any weapons besides Kovalchuk, can't win like this, and need a scorer. THEN we'll sign someone.. after a few years of 1st round exits. This is what Lou does.

We have Kovalchuk. He's our only sniper. Sykora can shoot but will be fortunate to be in the right position to get the shot off. Elias is slowing down and doesn't have a hard shot. Zajac and Henrique are really our only hope.. but neither of them are snipers either. We have Kovy and then a bunch of play makers and grit guys. How do you stop a team like that? Easy. Put the top pairing against Kovalchuk, isolate, shut down.. win the game. We had 2 weapons with Parise (not that he's a sniper either but was our 2nd best threat).. and now we have 1. It is nearly impossible to win a Cup like this.

At least we got to the Finals. Thats a good accomplishment. 5 Finals in 17 years.. not too bad.

I think Lou will assemble a good team, but unless we make at least 1 move for a decent player with some skill and speed, we'll be hard pressed to beat the Penguins or the Rangers en route to the Finals. [/img]

its not the player, its the whole offseason and the way we do things. we sit and watch and lose. 2 years ago was an exception.. we actually signed some good defensemen for a change.. after watching Stevens, Nieds and and Rafalski be replaced by .. well you know the 8 horrible dmen we've had since then, minus the trade for Salvador. We signed them 2 years ago and this year actually made trades for serviceable players! No coincidence this was the year we went to the Finals.
now we lost a key component and have replaced him with nothing. .. just like every other time. So now we'll wait a few years before Lou realizes we don't have any weapons besides Kovalchuk, can't win like this, and need a scorer. THEN we'll sign someone.. after a few years of 1st round exits. This is what Lou does.

We have Kovalchuk. He's our only sniper. Sykora can shoot but will be fortunate to be in the right position to get the shot off. Elias is slowing down and doesn't have a hard shot. Zajac and Henrique are really our only hope.. but neither of them are snipers either. We have Kovy and then a bunch of play makers and grit guys. How do you stop a team like that? Easy. Put the top pairing against Kovalchuk, isolate, shut down.. win the game. We had 2 weapons with Parise (not that he's a sniper either but was our 2nd best threat).. and now we have 1. It is nearly impossible to win a Cup like this.

At least we got to the Finals. Thats a good accomplishment. 5 Finals in 17 years.. not too bad.

I think Lou will assemble a good team, but unless we make at least 1 move for a decent player with some skill and speed, we'll be hard pressed to beat the Penguins or the Rangers en route to the Finals.
- MartysBetter88[/img]

Hopeless. Keep drinking the Koolaid.

Hopeless. Keep drinking the Koolaid.
- Pomegrant

I'm disappointed in the offseason, hoping for the best, but expecting no further than the 2nd round unfortunately.

its not the player, its the whole offseason and the way we do things. we sit and watch and lose. 2 years ago was an exception.. we actually signed some good defensemen for a change.. after watching Stevens, Nieds and and Rafalski be replaced by .. well you know the 8 horrible dmen we've had since then, minus the trade for Salvador. We signed them 2 years ago and this year actually made trades for serviceable players! No coincidence this was the year we went to the Finals.
now we lost a key component and have replaced him with nothing. .. just like every other time. So now we'll wait a few years before Lou realizes we don't have any weapons besides Kovalchuk, can't win like this, and need a scorer. THEN we'll sign someone.. after a few years of 1st round exits. This is what Lou does.

We have Kovalchuk. He's our only sniper. Sykora can shoot but will be fortunate to be in the right position to get the shot off. Elias is slowing down and doesn't have a hard shot. Zajac and Henrique are really our only hope.. but neither of them are snipers either. We have Kovy and then a bunch of play makers and grit guys. How do you stop a team like that? Easy. Put the top pairing against Kovalchuk, isolate, shut down.. win the game. We had 2 weapons with Parise (not that he's a sniper either but was our 2nd best threat).. and now we have 1. It is nearly impossible to win a Cup like this.

At least we got to the Finals. Thats a good accomplishment. 5 Finals in 17 years.. not too bad.

I think Lou will assemble a good team, but unless we make at least 1 move for a decent player with some skill and speed, we'll be hard pressed to beat the Penguins or the Rangers en route to the Finals.
- MartysBetter88[/img]

Elias had more points that Parise last year. There's two threats. Holy poop you are a debbie downer. Elias and Kovalchuk are both big threats, Henrique and Zajac are also some pretty damn good players in their own right. Zubrus, Clarkson, JJ, all good players. The fourth line is finally going to be something decent this year as well.

Elias had more points that Parise last year. There's two threats. Holy poop you are a debbie downer. Elias and Kovalchuk are both big threats, Henrique and Zajac are also some pretty damn good players in their own right. Zubrus, Clarkson, JJ, all good players. The fourth line is finally going to be something decent this year as well.
- _Zippy_

Elias is a threat...except in the playoffs!
DOOMED!!!

Elias had more points that Parise last year. There's two threats. Holy poop you are a debbie downer. Elias and Kovalchuk are both big threats, Henrique and Zajac are also some pretty damn good players in their own right. Zubrus, Clarkson, JJ, all good players. The fourth line is finally going to be something decent this year as well.
- _Zippy_

mmmmeh. hoping for the best. I really did want Mueller. perfect addition. RW, cheap, works hard, skill and some grit.. injury prone.. but an asset for 1.7mil. I would've been happy just getting him. There's no downside besides the injury. Semin has a handful of downsides.. but is of course more skilled... but a lot more money.
whatever.
we'll be ok, I just think our Cup chances are a lot slimmer than last year. But who knows, maybe Tedenby will break out with 50 points! Maybe Henrique/Zajac will hit 60/70. Maybe Josefson will play 70 games and really hit his stride along with Tedenby. heck maybe Teddy-Josefson-Clarkson will be a dominant 3rd line. .. or maybe Barch is on that line and Clarkson+Greene are packaged with a 1st and 2nd round pick for Ryan