Todd Cordell: New Jersey Devils appear close to signing Jesper Boqvist to ELC

If we take Jack Hughes and sign Jesper we are going to have a lot of centers in the system. Hischier, Zajac, Zacha, Coleman, and possibly Rooney.... I think McLeod is also a center.

I don't think it's really a problem. Just saying. Personally I think Zacha would be better at wing. Coleman's been playing there.

Personally I think Zacha would be better at wing. Coleman's been playing there.
- Queenie_5_hole

Zacha's a weird one. I think he'd be better offensively if he were playing wing, but less impactful defensively, and to me the one part of the game where Zacha shines is his defensive play.

Awesome news Real excited for this kid. He'll be a great addition to bolster our middle 6 wingers, if he makes the team that is

Zacha's a weird one. I think he'd be better offensively if he were playing wing, but less impactful defensively, and to me the one part of the game where Zacha shines is his defensive play.
- MannySilvers

Interesting point and a better observation then I noticed.

I'd say the question becomes if you move Zacha to wing who's his center. Zajac is as good defensively (give or take) but the rest of the potential centers aren't; except maybe Nico and I don't see that happening. Something for Hynes to figure out.

Damn! We are gonna be a force in 2 seasons.

Is Rasid Becirovic a reliable source? Seems like he is just a fan....

Damn! We are gonna be a force in 20 seasons.
- Leniwm1

Fixed

Interesting point and a better observation then I noticed.

I'd say the question becomes if you move Zacha to wing who's his center. Zajac is as good defensively (give or take) but the rest of the potential centers aren't; except maybe Nico and I don't see that happening. Something for Hynes to figure out.
- Queenie_5_hole

Zacha Hughes Palms

Speed, size, GRIT, skill, Defense, Offense... this line will have it all.

Zacha Hughes Palms

Speed, size, GRIT, skill, Defense, Offense... this line will have it all.
- Leniwm1

I like it but what’s the rest?

Hall-Hischier-Bratt

Coleman-Zajac-Wood

Agostino-Rooney-Noesen

Then add in Anderson/Bastian?

Did we all agree Q is Poo?

HALL-NICO -BASTIAN
BRATT - HUGHES- PALMIERI
BOQUIST - ZACHA - MCLEOD
WOOD -ZAJAC -COLEMAN

I'd be shocked if the Devils don't add some kind of winger this offseason. Even if it's not a bonafide top-6 guy, it'll be a bonafide NHL'er, as opposed to the Bastian/McLeod/Noesen/Anderson kind of guys.

Hall, Hischier, Hughes/Kakko, Palmieri, Bratt, Zajac, Zacha, Coleman, Wood are probably the nine "current" forwards on the roster who should be locks for opening night. Baring injury or one of these guys getting traded, leaves three spots open for UFA signings/trades/prospects.

I'd be shocked if the Devils don't add some kind of winger this offseason. Even if it's not a bonafide top-6 guy, it'll be a bonafide NHL'er, as opposed to the Bastian/McLeod/Noesen/Anderson kind of guys.

Hall, Hischier, Hughes/Kakko, Palmieri, Bratt, Zajac, Zacha, Coleman, Wood are probably the nine "current" forwards on the roster who should be locks for opening night. Baring injury or one of these guys getting traded, leaves three spots open for UFA signings/trades/prospects.
- MannySilvers

Totally agree Shero will try to sign a quality winger and legit help for the top six; but you can't pencil anyone into the lineup until we get them locked up. I like Ray Ray a lot but every free agency period has been between underwhelming, horrific and non-existent.

How the (frank) did I miss Palmeri? Getting old sucks!

Do you guys think that if the Sharks win this year, their victory is tainted? They've benefited from some inexcusable calls.

Do you guys think that if the Sharks win this year, there victory is tainted? They've benefited from some inexcusable calls.
- willschulme

I think to Vegas, St. Louis and Colorado fans it might be a tainted but really it's not like the Sharks did something to get those breaks. It's on the league and the officials.

I have Ranger fan friends who give me a hard time about the 95 cup because it wasn't a full season. The Devils (or whoever else might have one) had no control over that and it didn't specifically benefit them. So no. It just is what it is.

BTW - I usually immediately point out how the 95 Devils played an incredibly hard road to the win the cup playing against Boston, Pittsburg, Philly and Detroit while the 94 Rangers had a relatively easy road against the Islanders, Caps and Canucks while we were the hardest team they played. Just saying.

HALL-BOQUIST -PALMIERI
BRATT -NICO - Zucker/Nyquist
COLEMAN - HUGHES - Samuel Fagemo
ZACHA -ZAJAC -MCLEOD

HALL-BOQUIST -PALMIERI
BRATT - HUGHES- Zucker/Nyquist
COLEMAN - NICO - Samuel Fagemo
ZACHA -ZAJAC -MCLEOD
- cu45161

Sorry, no.

I think to Vegas, St. Louis and Colorado fans it might be a tainted but really it's not like the Sharks did something to get those breaks. It's on the league and the officials.

I have Ranger fan friends who give me a hard time about the 95 cup because it wasn't a full season. The Devils (or whoever else might have one) had no control over that and it didn't specifically benefit them. So no. It just is what it is.

BTW - I usually immediately point out how the 95 Devils played an incredibly hard road to the win the cup playing against Boston, Pittsburg, Philly and Detroit while the 94 Rangers had a relatively easy road against the Islanders, Caps and Canucks while we were the hardest team they played. Just saying.
- Queenie_5_hole

Yeah maybe you're right. It'll be hard to look back and not think that they shouldn't even have made it out of the first round.

The Blues are far from out of this series though, so it'll be a while before we deal with legacies.

I like it but what’s the rest?

Hall-Hischier-Bratt

Coleman-Zajac-Wood

Agostino-Rooney-Noesen

Then add in Anderson/Bastian?

Did we all agree Q is Poo?
- Queenie_5_hole

Q is valuable as a trade chip to Edm!

I have Ranger fan friends who give me a hard time about the 95 cup because it wasn't a full season. The Devils (or whoever else might have one) had no control over that and it didn't specifically benefit them. So no. It just is what it is.
- Queenie_5_hole

If a Rangers fan ever brings up the lockout as a means to lessen the 95 Cup, just bring up how their first three Cups involved less than 10 teams being in the league and having to win a max of (I believe) 8 playoff games to win the Cup.

HALL-BOQUIST -PALMIERI
BRATT - HUGHES- Zucker/Nyquist
COLEMAN - NICO - Samuel Fagemo
ZACHA -ZAJAC -MCLEOD
- cu45161

What?

Do you guys think that if the Sharks win this year, their victory is tainted? They've benefited from some inexcusable calls.
- willschulme

Like seven out of ten cups are won for tainted reasons.

But the NHL playoffs aren't really about winning; they're more about "surviving". You have to outscore the opponent, certainly, but chiefly, you can't get tilted even when things don't fall your way. Some calls went SJ's way, but they're also justifying it by not getting utterly destroyed in the following series'.

Like seven out of ten cups are won for tainted reasons.

But the NHL playoffs aren't really about winning; they're more about "surviving". You have to outscore the opponent, certainly, but chiefly, you can't get tilted even when things don't fall your way. Some calls went SJ's way, but they're also justifying it by not getting utterly destroyed in the following series'.
- archromat

Not like this. 2 out of the 1st 3 rounds have had both a GAME 7 decided by a major penalty, and an OVERTIME GAME WINNING GOAL allowed on a BLATANT mis-call.. BOTH for the same team!!

There's been missed calls in the playoffs, egregious calls (that lovely boarding major against us in game 6..), and yea a game-deciding missed offsides or something.. but TWO for the same team? Including a series-deciding game 7 call and OT GWG?? This doesn't happen often. Whatever conflict I had in rooting for the Sharks after that major penalty is now gone. They were given game 3.. which they shouldn't have even have been playing to begin with. Go Blues!.. for justice!

Do you guys think that if the Sharks win this year, their victory is tainted? They've benefited from some inexcusable calls.
- willschulme

YES. Anyone that doesn't think so didn't watch the games. Any call or missed call that decides a game (let alone a game 7), is ridiculous. But TWO.. can't overlook it. SJ has played great.. they EARNED their right to play in that game 7.. they also EARNED being down 4-1 in that game! They did not EARN the incredible benefit and boost to have one less player on the opposition for 5 whole minutes. What happens after that is credit to the Sharks, but they shouldn't have had that opportunity to begin with.. making it all a fraud. Terrible. Vegas won that series. The refs even admitted they screwed up.

Not like this. 2 out of the 1st 3 rounds have had both a GAME 7 decided by a major penalty, and an OVERTIME GAME WINNING GOAL allowed on a BLATANT mis-call.. BOTH for the same team!!

There's been missed calls in the playoffs, egregious calls (that lovely boarding major against us in game 6..), and yea a game-deciding missed offsides or something.. but TWO for the same team? Including a series-deciding game 7 call and OT GWG?? This doesn't happen often. Whatever conflict I had in rooting for the Sharks after that major penalty is now gone. They were given game 3.. which they shouldn't have even have been playing to begin with. Go Blues!.. for justice!
- MartysBetter88

When you're calculating the luck element, officiating is but a small piece of that pie.

Other variables include:

- Other upsets to take out the teams that can take you out.
- Not taking on a nemesis (every team has that team that just beats them, even if they are a top of the league team).
- Not playing a forechecking team that'll bang up your defence.
- Not constantly playing fatigued because of long series' (though some of the past few winners have bucked that trend).
- Not having key injuries.
- Having a steady roster (a good mix of hot and cold players)
- Your goaltender suddenly not being bad.

So many great teams got knocked out for one of these silly reasons, but this is why it's about "surviving" rather than winning. And many of the teams that have won survived because better teams got bent because of one of these variables.

For SJ, they had a blown call against them early in the series against VGK. Then they had another "blown call" (still think Stastny upended Pavelski by sweeping his thighs with his knee), and they did something pretty much unprecedented.

The hand pass was hard to notice. But who's to say SJ wouldn't have scored anyway?

In the end, it is what it is. We celebrate teams that win the cup all the same, but I'm not going to pretend none of it was luck: there's a crap ton of luck that goes into a cup run. Some of it is officiating.