Friday, August 31, 2007
Tony Romano in London
London, Ontario, to be precise.
Canoe has an article on the former Cornell Big Red forward and Devils' prospect Tony Romano. As indicated very early in the article (and in my subject), Romano has jumped from the ECAC to the OHL to play for the London Knights. The article discusses the reasons why he's made the switch, why he'll be a good fit for London, and about Aleksey Nikiforov, the trainer who's helped Romano a lot with his game since he was a youth.
(Hat tip to the Devils message board at Hockey's Future, specifically Belizarius)
However, while it's good to read an article about a prospect that has positive quotes about his talents - he's slick, he's a playmaker, he can dangle, et al. - but there is part of the article I want to highlight. Perhaps some insight as to why he's not really a highly touted prospect in the Devils' system:
"I very definitely looked at that before deciding to come here," he said. "The Knights had a similar style of play to mine. At Cornell, the style of play is very different, a lot of dump and chase, a lot of defence, a lot of systems, maybe too many systems.This is a telling sign. Now, to be fair, he recognizes the need for some systems - but this is telling. The article does go on to state that Romano wants to be in an environment where the main focus is hockey. While that is his preference and playing in a 68 game season for London may help his overall game. Hopefully it will change his perspective since pretty much most, if not all, of the teams in the NHL do focus on defense to a degree and have their own systems. Nobody is running free-wheeling hockey where the players have the creativity. Much less the New Jersey Devils, a team who has used defensive systems to thrive and succeed. Now, it is the off season and there's not much going on, but I wanted to point this out as a reason why Romano is a long-term prospect who is a bit of a risk - as suggested by Jared Ramsden's ratings at Hockey's Future. Yes, he's offensively gifted and he could definitely step it up in the OHL; but he should not be annointed to be a future Devil forward. If he's not interested about playing defense or getting in complex systems, he may not get a chance to get into the NHL much less the Devils unless he's incredibly talented.
"My coach says hockey is still a thinking man's game. It's like chess on ice. You need some structure and some systems, but you still have to be able to think for yourself. You have to be able to make decisions and create plays."
To be fair, he's still young and he can change for sure. My intent is not to browbeat a young man looking to further his career. But given that this is from one of the more talented offensive players in the system, it speaks loudly about the Devils prospect depth. Because there really isn't anyone else right now - I want him to succeed. Therefore, I encourage him to pick up some defensive habits while lighting it up in London in the coming season. If he does, I would guess his chances of making the NHL will dramatically increase.
(Hat tip to the Devils message board at Hockey's Future, specifically Belizarius)
Labels: 2007 Offseason, Devils Issues
# posted by John Fischer @ 8:58 PM 1 comments 
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Prospects, Super Series, and 2MA
As the offseason is coming to a close and pre-season starting in a few weeks, Devils-related news and analysis has dried up to say the least. There are a few things you may want to check out:
Jared Ramsden at Hockey's Future has compiled the top 20 prospects in the Devils' organization. Ramsden is quite high on Matthew Corrente and Tony Romano, two players who have great years last year in development. Personally, I think Barry Tallackson is rated too high. Despite a number of call ups to the Devils, he hasn't established himself as a future regular like David Clarkson did nor has he really set the world afire in Albany/Lowell. I really think his window of opportunity is getting narrow whereas others ranked below him - Mark Fraser, Clarkson, and Rod Pelley for example - have better shots at making the team. I understand the list is ranked considering the player's potential as the primary focus - but I don't understand what could cause one to consider that he has the upside of a second-line player. I admit I have only seen Tallackson when he was up with the Devils; so perhaps Ramsden or someone else has seen flashes of brilliance in the minors or in college that lead some to believe he has such potential.
That said, I largely agree with Ramsden's overall point that the Devils have plenty of depth and possibly good prospects; but they are short on players who are sure bets to be impact players. Given the recent emergence of Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, it's not a glaring weakness for now. Furthermore, it's not really a surprising issue given that the Devils normally draft late and that they aren't above signing players to fill in roles or give young players a shot (e.g. Zajac and Johnny Oduya from last season).
For all of you who are into junior/U-20 teams, this coming week should give you some action. It's the Canada-Russia Super Series and this time Russia is bringing a full squad. It's a 8 game series with 4 games played in Russia and 4 games played in Canada taking place from August 27 through September 8. In the bigger picture, it is not a meaningful competition like the World Junior Championships. But I expect both teams to take it seriously as it is definitely a good test for both teams to get ready for the aforementioned tournament.
Canada's roster can be found at TSN, complete with full news of the series from Canada's point of view. While the Devils do not have any prospects on the Canadian team, they have a coaching interest: Brent Sutter will be behind the bench for Canada. Eugene Belashchenko has an in depth preview of Russia's squad at Hockey's Future, complete with an explanation as to why Russia is bringing a talented team. Two Devils prospects have been named to the team: Kirill Tulupov and Alexander Vasyunov - but only Vasyunov will be the only one playing. Tulupov was dropped due to poor conditioning, according to an interview with Sergei Nemichinov - translated at the Russian Hockey Digest. This series will likely be only aired in Canada and Russia, but if you do have access to Canadian television, TSN has a broadcast schedule. If you want a more analytical coverage, Aaron Vickers at Future Considerations will blog the event. He thinks Canada is still the team to beat; but with a better-than-usual Russian squad, I think it'll be closer than he thinks.
Congratulations to 2 Man Advantage for their nominations at the Blogger's Choice Awards.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: I just found this very useful list of start date and venues for training camp for all 30 NHL teams at TSN. The New Jersey Devils' training camp will begin on September 13 at the Codey Arena at South Mountain in West Orange, New Jersey.
For all of you who are into junior/U-20 teams, this coming week should give you some action. It's the Canada-Russia Super Series and this time Russia is bringing a full squad. It's a 8 game series with 4 games played in Russia and 4 games played in Canada taking place from August 27 through September 8. In the bigger picture, it is not a meaningful competition like the World Junior Championships. But I expect both teams to take it seriously as it is definitely a good test for both teams to get ready for the aforementioned tournament.
Canada's roster can be found at TSN, complete with full news of the series from Canada's point of view. While the Devils do not have any prospects on the Canadian team, they have a coaching interest: Brent Sutter will be behind the bench for Canada. Eugene Belashchenko has an in depth preview of Russia's squad at Hockey's Future, complete with an explanation as to why Russia is bringing a talented team. Two Devils prospects have been named to the team: Kirill Tulupov and Alexander Vasyunov - but only Vasyunov will be the only one playing. Tulupov was dropped due to poor conditioning, according to an interview with Sergei Nemichinov - translated at the Russian Hockey Digest. This series will likely be only aired in Canada and Russia, but if you do have access to Canadian television, TSN has a broadcast schedule. If you want a more analytical coverage, Aaron Vickers at Future Considerations will blog the event. He thinks Canada is still the team to beat; but with a better-than-usual Russian squad, I think it'll be closer than he thinks.
Congratulations to 2 Man Advantage for their nominations at the Blogger's Choice Awards.
TRAINING CAMP UPDATE: I just found this very useful list of start date and venues for training camp for all 30 NHL teams at TSN. The New Jersey Devils' training camp will begin on September 13 at the Codey Arena at South Mountain in West Orange, New Jersey.
Labels: 2007 Offseason, Devils Issues, Hockey - General
# posted by John Fischer @ 3:17 PM 1 comments
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Paul Martin - Re-Signed
Tom Gulitti is reporting at his blog, Fire and Ice, that Paul Martin has re-signed with the New Jersey Devils. No word on for how much or for how long, but the signing leaves the Devils with no more restricted free agents. As I get more information, I'll update this post. (Note: Thanks to the Devils message board HFBoards for finding this out first.)
UPDATE #1: Devils' official web-site announces the deal as a multi-year deal, but no word on amount or exactly how many years. However, the important bit is that Paul Martin has been signed.
UPDATE #2: Gulitti's post has been updated to note that Martin has signed with the Devils for 3 years. Still no word on contract amount.
UPDATE #3: The signing is announced through the AP, Martin has signed a 3 year deal worth $11.5 million, the article is at Yahoo! Sports. Martin will get a $500,000 raise in every year; earning $3.5 million for the upcoming season. That's a salary cap hit of approxmiately $3.83 million. It's under what I thought it would be - as I thought in this post earlier this month - and it's a bargain for the Devils. Great signing.
UPDATE #1: Devils' official web-site announces the deal as a multi-year deal, but no word on amount or exactly how many years. However, the important bit is that Paul Martin has been signed.
UPDATE #2: Gulitti's post has been updated to note that Martin has signed with the Devils for 3 years. Still no word on contract amount.
UPDATE #3: The signing is announced through the AP, Martin has signed a 3 year deal worth $11.5 million, the article is at Yahoo! Sports. Martin will get a $500,000 raise in every year; earning $3.5 million for the upcoming season. That's a salary cap hit of approxmiately $3.83 million. It's under what I thought it would be - as I thought in this post earlier this month - and it's a bargain for the Devils. Great signing.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 11:41 AM 1 comments
TV, Halls, Pollock, and Why Tocchet Needs to Go
No, the Devils didn't do anything. However, a number of things in the hockey world are worthy of noting and reading about while stroking your chin and going "Hmmmm." Therefore, let's, uh, note it and read about while mulling.
First and foremost, the NHL has announced it's national television schedule set-up for the upcoming season. VERSUS, NBC, HDNet, and the CBC will all remain as the providers of national coverage of the greatest sport on Earth. While VERSUS seems to have a set schedule to start the season, the NHL on NBC will run on a flexible schedule for the 9 dates the channel will air hockey. The best part about this flexible schedule is that the decision for what will be carried nationally will be made 13 days before the date - giving the teams plenty of time to prepare and the league to make any other changes to the schedule. HDNet will remain on a flexible schedule, but will update it twice a month to keep track on trends in the league. Personally, as a viewer, a flexible schedule is a good way to ensure that the better teams or the better matchups get the proper coverage. Especially considering past national coverage deals where it seemed like the Rangers or the Detroit Red Wings were getting national coverage every other date.
Second, guess what these three people have in common: Aaron Broten, Bobby Carpenter, John Vanbiesbrouck. Yes, all three played for the New Jersey Devils at one point or another (for a considerable amount of time in the cases of Broten and Carpenter). Those three, along with John MacInnis, will be enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame this fall. The New Jersey Devils' official website has a summary of this information, giving you ample reasons as to why these three were selected for induction. NHL.com staff writer Evan Grossman also has a more general and complete article about the four selections. Congratulations to Broten, Carpenter, MacInnis, and Vanbiesbrouck for being honored.
Third, it is a sad day in the world of hockey. A legendary member of the Montreal Canadiens, Sam Pollock, passed away at the age of 81. Pollock will be most remembered for being the most accomplished general manager in hockey and in all of sports. He was the architect of the dominant Montreal teams of the 1960s and 1970s, winning 9 Stanley Cups in his tenure as a general manager. Condolences to the Canadiens organization and Pollock's friends and family.
Fourth, the NHL Fanhouse is always filled with interesting stories and opinions about the game of hockey - even in the offseason. You should read it regularly. However, I would like to highlight former Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet. As you may or may not be aware, Tocchet was involved in an illegal betting operation on other sports and was caught earlier this year. As Eric McErlain's post notes that the sentencing for Tocchet's trial comes at the end of this week - just as disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy will plead guilty to betting on NBA games where he was a referee. Basically, things don't look good for Tocchet unless he is absolved of these charges and McErlain believes that Tocchet's days with the NHL are done. Jes Golbez, also of the NHL Fanhouse, argues that as long as Tocchet is not going to jail, he should be allowed to coach again in the league. Golbez dismisses the assertion that gambling on sports should not a big deal and burns quite a bit of straw from my perspective. More relevant to Tocchet's situation, Golbez doesn't buy that the assistant head coach could affect the integrity of the games:
"The integrity of the games is at risk"
What a crock! How, exactly, can Tocchet influence the game enough to profit as a gambler or bookie? He's an assistant coach, and holds very little power over what happens on the ice. If he was making such terrible on-ice decisions, you know Gretzky would either fire him, or the mainstream media would be all over him. The players on the ice, and the refs, hold a great deal of control over the game. An assistant coach does not.Need I remind you that 1. nobody was gambling on NHL games in this ring, nor do they tend to in general, and 2. Tocchet, himself, never bet on any games. Tocchet profited on OTHER people betting on OTHER sports. How, then, does this affect the integrity of ye olde NHL tilt?
Now that Tocchet is under such scrutiny, do you really think he could ever get away with any activity to 'fix' a game? If he makes ONE questionable line change, you can be sure the media will be all over him like lawyers at an accident scene.
Now, I can't agree with this at all. For starters, it is possible for the assistant head coach to have quite a bit of power behind the bench. Lou Lamoriello may have stepped in to be the head coach after Claude Julien was fired, but assistant coach John MacLean was controlling the line-changes and match-ups among other tasks. I don't know the coaching situation in Phoenix too well, but it is most definitely possible that the assistant coach can have some control. Even in an advisory role, it's entirely possible Tocchet could persuade Wayne Gretzky to play a different match-up or a different line or a lesser player when it is really for his own - or someone else's - benefit. Furthermore, it's entirely possible that while the betting ring Tocchet was involved in didn't bet on hockey, some people in that ring may know some people in other similar set-ups who do bet on hockey. And it's entirely possible that a friend of a friend of someone in said ring could just ask Tocchet to provide some information, to get a little inside knowledge just for knowing's sake that could be passed on for betting purposes. I don't know how plausible that is - for all I know, betting rings are exclusive as exclusive gets - but one doesn't need to bet on hockey to risk the game's integrity. Just providing asymmetrical information or being in a position inside the game can do a significant amount of damage.
Integrity, in general, is very fragile and even the appearance of malfeasance can ruin it. This isn't like soccer in Italy where match-fixing can be uncovered and people would still go to games or like baseball where a manager can be caught betting on baseball games and people would still follow it like it was a great sport. Hockey isn't that popular here and something like this could do a lot to hammer nails into the proverbial coffin (or more nails, depending on how you feel about the sport in this country). The NHL does not need this and they are in a position to do something about it now before it gets worse.
That said, I agree with the main thesis of Greg Wyshynski's post - something Golbez was (sort of) responding to in his post - at the NHL Fanhouse. Because of what's has happened to the NBA now, the NHL needs to nip a similar situation in the bud by barring Rick Tocchet from hockey. Wyshynski is entirely correct that the fact that Tocchet was in a situation where he could provide inside information or be in a position to try and affect a game for his or someone else's benefit - not betting on hockey at all - puts the game and the league at a great risk. Where I disagree with Wyshynski is how long should Tocchet be barred: he thinks at least season would suffice. If the NHL really wants to make an example out of Tocchet, they should bar him for life. That may be too harsh, but so is discrediting the NHL. Personally, I think a five year ban will do just as well as a punishment - five years in that is the maximum amount of jail time Tocchet could serve.
Labels: 2007 Offseason, Devils Issues, Hockey - General
# posted by John Fischer @ 8:44 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Aaron Asham: From the Island to New Jersey
As I saw at the Devils message board at Hockey's Future, the New Jersey Devils' official website is announcing the signing of Aaron Asham. Patricia has been on top of this signing at 2 Man Advantage and has plenty of thoughts about the signing. I have no idea how much the deal is worth, but I can't imagine it cutting into the salary cap too much.
While he's not a big winger, he's definitely feisty and gritty. I generally agree with Patricia at 2MA that this is a signing for the fourth line, given what Asham does on the ice - being feisty and gritty. Looking at his career stats at NHL.com, he may provide some offense from the fourth line (something that didn't really exist all that well last season). Erik Rasmussen has not been signed, and with the signing of this fourth line left winger, Rasmussen's tenure with the Devils it's not looking good at this point. I'd like to point out that there's plenty of competition, however, between Jari Vihukola, Asham, Mike Rupp, Cam Janssen, Rod Pelley, and David Clarkson for those fourth line spots (though Clarkson may fight for a higher spot). Training camp is going to be interesting.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 3:36 PM 4 comments
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Zach Parise Will Stay For A While
Yep. The left winger who you all know as Zach Parise has signed a 4 year contract totalling $12.5 million, according to TSN. Parise put up 62 points last season, with a team-leading 31 goals; and it doesn't look like he'll be stopping his production anytime soon. For an average of $3.125 million per year, that is a complete bargain should Parise continue to develop into a first-line caliber scoring winger. An absolute bargain. You can argue it's a bargain right now.
The most interesting thing, and the only aspect where I have a complaint, about this re-signing is it's length. Parise just turned 23 a few days ago (July 28th, happy birthday Zach), so a 4 year contract should take him to 27 which will make him eligible for unrestricted free agency should the UFA status under the current contract bargaining agreement still holds (27 years old or 7 pro seasons, whichever comes first). This is my only caveat about this contract. Should Parise continue to grow and develop, he can simply sign with any other team he wants just as he will hit the prime of his career. So unless the Devils plan to sign him to a sweet extension in 3 or 4 years from now, the possibility of Parise leaving New Jersey as he approaches the peak of his playing years is quite real. I wish the contract was for 5 or 6 years, tie him up with New Jersey a little more. That said, that is more of a future problem than it is a current problem. Right now, holding onto a potential future star in the NHL for a salary as low as this is absolutely solid. Great job, Lou.
The only remaining thing the Devils have to do now is to re-sign Paul Martin. With roughly $7 million in cap space, money should not be an issue. From what I see and understand, I can see Martin getting $4 million/year - he is pretty much a top-pairing defenseman now, he can command that much money - but maybe not much more than that for now. If the contract is in that range or a little higher, the Devils will actually have some cap space during the upcoming season. This means New Jersey can call up players from Lowell to fill in open slots from injuries and perhaps more breathing room at the trade deadline.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 8:33 PM 9 comments
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Sutter's Helpers: Robinson, MacLean, and Albelin
You write one essay defending Colin White and you know what you miss? Brent Sutter announcing his coaching assistants for the upcoming season. The official Devils website has the full story on the Sutter's coaching staff. Larry Robinson returns from being a "special consultant" to being an official assistant; John MacLean returns as an assistant coach again, Jacques Caron remains the goaltending coach, and Tommy "Scott Swedens" Albelin returns to the Devils organization not as a player (I know, I know, some of you are surprised by that - me too) but as a coach. What of assistant Jacques Laperriere? Joe Betchel of 2 Man Advantage has found out that he will go to Lowell to help develop their defensemen, something that should definitely be positive for Mark Fraser and Sean Zimmerman. Joe has his own thoughts about the coaching staff decisions, so be sure to check that out as well.
I think these are excellent decisions. My one concern about Sutter was his lack of NHL experience - in that this is his first coaching job in the NHL. The assistant coaches will more than help Sutter acclimated to the Devils organization. Robinson has been with the organization for a while, John MacLean has been a Devil for the majority of his playing career and has risen to the role as an assistant coach, and Tommy Albelin knows New Jersey all too well. Can they replace inexperience? Not completely, no. But they'll help Sutter out; especially Robinson who has been a NHL head coach. Sutter understands this and that's definitely a good thing, check out these quotes from the announcement:
I think these are excellent decisions. My one concern about Sutter was his lack of NHL experience - in that this is his first coaching job in the NHL. The assistant coaches will more than help Sutter acclimated to the Devils organization. Robinson has been with the organization for a while, John MacLean has been a Devil for the majority of his playing career and has risen to the role as an assistant coach, and Tommy Albelin knows New Jersey all too well. Can they replace inexperience? Not completely, no. But they'll help Sutter out; especially Robinson who has been a NHL head coach. Sutter understands this and that's definitely a good thing, check out these quotes from the announcement:
"I told Lou this right from the start, that if we can keep it inside the organization, let's keep it there, because they know what the front of that jersey's all about," Sutter said. "And if we have those people why would we have to go outside? I'm very excited about the staff that we've named."On Robinson and MacLean:
"I know him [Robinson] as a person and I know how respected he is inside the dressing room with everybody, and he, to me, is a great piece of the pie on this staff," Sutter said. "I was excited when he committed to doing this, just because of the knowledge that he has of the game. The head coaching experience and all the success he's had, I think it's a tremendous asset to have on your staff."I'm actually very pleased that Robinson and MacLean in particular were named assistants, and not just from the quotes above (though those are good reasons - Robinson's experience and MacLean bleeding Devils red). MacLean being behind the bench allows for some continuity from last season in terms of the coaching staff. Robinson's reputation as a coach is that he's not a hard disciplinarian - a player's coach, if you will. He'll provide a direct contrast to Sutter's supposed tough means and ways behind the bench. It's not unlike a good cop, bad cop situation. Albelin? He'll be up in the press box, it seems (not a new thing for Tommy in New Jersey):
...
"I am thrilled and honored to have Johnny [MacLean] come back and be an assistant coach," Sutter said. "He bleeds New Jersey Devils. He played the game the way the game the needed to be played. Every night he put it all out there, and again he's someone that's huge for this staff."
"I wanted a guy that can be upstairs during the games, and to have someone like that you need someone with a real good knowledge of the game," said Sutter. "We needed someone that can come down and communicate things between periods to the staff and be a teacher on the ice during practice. I think Tommy fits all those needs perfectly, as far as what we were looking for."I wish the new coaching staff the best of luck in the coming season; I'm confident that it'll work out well. Good luck also to Laperriere in helping the development of defensemen down in Lowell - from what I understand, they need it.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 11:38 AM 3 comments
Friday, July 20, 2007
More Misc.
Such is the offseason; hence, the really light posting. There are a few things I'd like to call attention to:
2 Man Advantage has been expanded to 5 people now, including two new writers and the return of Joe Betchel. 2MA hasn't been quiet either, noting that the Devils actually had two more signings in this past week: the retaining of Grant Marshall and the signing of Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre. I must echo Patricia Greuter's comments that both of these signings are for Lowell. Marshall's NHL time is past and Grand-Pierre just isn't good enough. Hopefully the two can bolster the Lowell Devils in their coming season.
Interchangeable Parts continues to give reasons why they love hockey and why their readers love hockey. If you want to submit a reason, give them an email; I'm sure they won't mind - reading their blog seems to make you a Gentle Reader™.
Kukla's Korner generally has a treasure trove of articles and thoughts about the NHL and hockey in general on a day to day basis. Yesterday, Paul notes that the NHL has announced an agreement with NeuLion to stream hockey games over the Internet for a fee. A pretty good move by the NHL if you ask me; those who want to watch their favorite team who don't live in the local area can watch the game as opposed to listen to it (which they can do at NHL.com for free) without Center Ice (the TV version, this seems to be an online version of Center Ice) or other means. However, the main drawback may be the quality; Center Ice on your TV would likely be a better picture than streaming video. But that remains to be seen. Even if the quality is not so good, Rome wasn't built in a day. In terms of viewing live hockey online, I think this is a good start. Also, I need to read Kukla's Korner more often.
Anyway, that's it for now. A few dead sites were removed, some other links have been added and fixed so until something happens soon, expect more of not much to happen here. All the Devils really need to do that is some priority is sign Zach Parise and Paul Martin. Maybe that will happen soon.
UPDATE THAT DOESN'T WARRANT A NEW POST: Ian Moran is now a member of the Devils organization. Thanks to Patricia at 2 Man Advantage for letting me know. This has to be another signing for Lowell. Moran is a bad defenseman who makes bad plays (right, Andrew?). In other minor-league defenseman news, Alex Brooks and Jim Fahey are no longer with the organization - also pointed out at 2MA. Where are they now? Well, a quick look for their player profiles at NHL.com reveals that Brooks is now with the St. Louis Blues and Fahey is a new member of the Chicago Blackhawks. Best of luck to the both of them in with their new organizations.
Anyway, that's it for now. A few dead sites were removed, some other links have been added and fixed so until something happens soon, expect more of not much to happen here. All the Devils really need to do that is some priority is sign Zach Parise and Paul Martin. Maybe that will happen soon.
UPDATE THAT DOESN'T WARRANT A NEW POST: Ian Moran is now a member of the Devils organization. Thanks to Patricia at 2 Man Advantage for letting me know. This has to be another signing for Lowell. Moran is a bad defenseman who makes bad plays (right, Andrew?). In other minor-league defenseman news, Alex Brooks and Jim Fahey are no longer with the organization - also pointed out at 2MA. Where are they now? Well, a quick look for their player profiles at NHL.com reveals that Brooks is now with the St. Louis Blues and Fahey is a new member of the Chicago Blackhawks. Best of luck to the both of them in with their new organizations.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 10:27 AM 7 comments
Friday, July 13, 2007
It's Sutter (Updated)
Well, this is not a very well kept secret. The front page of the sports section in the Star Ledger has it in big, bold letters: Devils ready to tab Brent Sutter. Rich Chere's article can be found online here. Tom Gulitti's blog Fire & Ice states that there will be a press conference today at 1 PM to announce Sutter has the new head coach of the Devils. Well, to be precise it's a "major announcement;" but it's clearly Sutter from both articles. This story is on the front page of TSN.ca right now, showing the magnitude of this signing - and the fact that there's not much going on in the world of hockey right now.
Anyway, I got the Star-Ledger right in front of me and their reasons for why Sutter is a good fit for the Devils is as follows:
1. No-nonsense personality
2. History of winning. Winning as a player with the Islanders in 1982 and 1983, winning as a coach with Red Deer winning the WHL and Memorial Cup, and internationally winning with two World Junior Championship titles (as a coach, I assume).
3. He's a Sutter - which means grit and skill will be favored.
4. He's learned from legendary coach Al Arbour, whom Sutter played for during his time on Long Island.
5. No fear - how this is different from #3 is beyond me, but whatever.
All good reasons, I'm more confident about the signing. After all, while I still think Pat Burns is the best man for the position, aspects of Sutter are Burns-esque. Also, Lou generally knows what he's doing when it comes to personnel decisions, so this signing will likely turn out well.
Some notes from Chere's article are of interest: Lou has talked with Zach Parise and Parise hopes to sign a new contract soon. Paul Martin's contract talks are just that right now: talks.
Lastly, the Devils' official website has been re-designed and given a new address. The old address just re-directs you to the new site, so no need to worry about learning a new URL just yet. It's not bad, a bit busy in my opinion, but all the information you'd want is there. Plus new Prudential Center pictures.
No idea how well covered the press conference will be; but hopefully it'll just be to announce Sutter as the new head coach. I don't want any surprises or anything like that.
UPDATE: Now it's official, Brent Sutter is now the new head coach of the New Jersey Devils. Congratulations to Sutter for the position, I wish nothing but the best of luck to achieve success in New Jersey.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 10:29 AM 6 comments
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Lowell, Schedules, and Sutter?
Apologies for missing a whole bunch of things yesterday. Don't worry, I have something lined up for later today.
First things first, thanks to an anonymous commenter in the previous post, the Devils' farm team in Lowell will definitely have a new look. According to Rich Chere's article in yesterday's Star Ledger about the Vishnevski signing, a number of players will not return to Lowell: Tuomas Pihlman, Chris Minard, Dan McGillis, and Scott Lachance. Interestingly, Jim Dowd is brought up in the same notes section. He wants to play again, but Lou isn't sure. I fear that the signing of Jari Viuhkola and the possible emergence of Rod Pelley may have replaced Dowd's spot on the team. That said, I wouldn't be opposed to him being re-signed for a relatively small fee; you can't teach experience. On the other hand, he would not likely be contributing much if he does play another season. I'm starting to see why Lou hasn't made up his mind yet.
Second, the NHL has announced the schedule for the 2007-2008 season yesterday. You can see the schedules of all the teams at NHL.com. For those of you who just want to know what the Devils' schedule is, go right over to 2 Man Advantage where there is a colorful and easy-to-read listing of all 82 games the Devils will play next season. The first thing you'll probably notice if the 9 away games right in the beginning of the season. With the Prudential Center going to open in late October (October 25th by Jon Bon Jovi of all people), this was the only option. Rich Chere highlights the fact that this is the longest road trip in franchise history in today's Star Ledger. He helpfully notes that the Devils do not play the Central Division at all (that means no games against Rafalski) and the Pacific Division comes to New Jersey instead of New Jersey going out west like last season (I still don't want a loss to the Coyotes). Pre-season will be all on the road except for a game in Trenton, NJ.
While long road trips for any team aren't desirable, I think if you're going to have one, it's best to have one early in the season. If things don't go well, there is the rest of the season to make up for it. If things do go well, it's a sign that the team is primed for a successful season. More importantly, the 9 road games in October means January and February - crucial months in the season - are mostly at home, with 8 road games combined in both months. I certainly have no problem with that.
Of note on the schedule is November 14 - the return of Scott Gomez to New Jersey - so expect more boos than the Bronx on that night. Just briefly looking at the schedule, I'm also pretty excited for November 30, in the hopes that Montreal continues to falter at the sight of Martin Brodeur and December 15, the revenge game against Phoenix - hopefully the Devils do not play as horrible and awful as they did last season against them.
Lastly, by way of Yahoo sports, the Devils may reportedly name Brent Sutter head coach of the Devils this Friday. This report is based on an article that Sportsnet had yesterday, stating that they can confirm that Sutter will step down from his role as general manager and head coach of the Western Hockey League's Red Deer Rebels to coach the Devils. As a general rule, I don't get into rumors, but the fact that this is being reported so widely (OK, widely relative to the hockey world) means I cannot ignore it like other rumors.
Would Sutter be a good coach for the Devils? Consider the last really good coach for the Devils, Pat Burns - a tough, disciplinarian coach who demands defensive and offensive responsibility. Sutter is most definitely a tough coach, given his rep; and from what I understand he's all about discipline and defensive hockey. That alone would make him a decent fit, in my view based on what little I know of him. He's been very successful in the major junior leagues with Red Deer; but my one concern is how well he can transition to the NHL. Yes, he's a veteran - he is a Sutter after all - but coaching in the NHL is most likely a lot different from coaching in the WHL. I still think Pat Burns is the best man to coach this team; but I also understand that his health is preventing him from that - otherwise, he'd likely be named coach already. As far as whoever else was available, I think Sutter would be a better fit than other available personnel (e.g. Pat Quinn). Patricia has her own thoughts on these reports at 2 Man Advantage.
Would Sutter be a good coach for the Devils? Consider the last really good coach for the Devils, Pat Burns - a tough, disciplinarian coach who demands defensive and offensive responsibility. Sutter is most definitely a tough coach, given his rep; and from what I understand he's all about discipline and defensive hockey. That alone would make him a decent fit, in my view based on what little I know of him. He's been very successful in the major junior leagues with Red Deer; but my one concern is how well he can transition to the NHL. Yes, he's a veteran - he is a Sutter after all - but coaching in the NHL is most likely a lot different from coaching in the WHL. I still think Pat Burns is the best man to coach this team; but I also understand that his health is preventing him from that - otherwise, he'd likely be named coach already. As far as whoever else was available, I think Sutter would be a better fit than other available personnel (e.g. Pat Quinn). Patricia has her own thoughts on these reports at 2 Man Advantage.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 11:45 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Vishnevski is Now a Devil
Go to the NHL Player's Association Website. Go to the Devils's list of players. Notice anybody new? No? Here's a hint, I put his name in the title of this post.
Vitaly Vishnevski is now a Devil and will be paid $1.4 million for next season. The link goes to his profile at the NHLPA's site.
Now, let's be realistic here. Vishnevski will not be a top pairing defenseman. He is in the prime of his career at 27 years of age and he definitely is a physical presence on defense. If you're somebody who wanted the Devils to get bigger and more physical, you'll like this signing. Vishnevski is a guy who fits those needs. The downside is that he's caught out position frequently - so you can't rely on him often to provide solid defense - and he brings little offense from the blueline.
That all said, he's a depth defenseman - a #4 at best right now and a #6/bench player at worst. I say at best he's a #4 right now because if there's any team who can help a player improve, especially on defense, it's New Jersey. He won't develop or blossom into a top defenseman, not likely at 27, but if he improves on his positional play, he could see a lot more time on the second pairing than the third. To get an overall picture of the Devils' defense, here is how I would slot everyone:
White-Martin
Matvichuk-???
Third pairing, pick two: Andy Greene, Johnny Oduya, Karel Rachunek, Vitaly Vishnevski
Those question marks are not a mistake. It'll be an interesting fight in training camp to see who gets that #4 spot because in my view, no one has a lock on it just yet. I'd even go as far to say that Matvichuk may end up on the third pairing more than the second pairing - so there will be guys competing for more ice time. I have absolutely no problem with that provided those who win those spots can handle the responsibilities.
With this signing, the Devils' next moves, in my opinion, should be clear: sign Zach Parise and Paul Martin and hire a new coach. Once these steps are met, the roster may be ready - hopefully with plenty of room under the cap. There doesn't seem to be many viable options left on the free agency market - not a lot of talent at forward left, and the Devils have far too many defensemen to sign another one.
MORE INFORMATION UPDATE: TSN.ca confirms the deal, but provides more information. Vishnevski signed with the Devils for 3 years for a contract totalling $5.4 million. An average of $1.8 million (I think that's the salary cap hit?), and Vishnevski will earn $2 million each year in the next two years after this coming season. I guess the Devils see him as a #4 defenseman, otherwise I'd say that's a little much for someone who would be primarily on the third pairing. That said, I still think the spot is up for grabs.
With this signing, the Devils' next moves, in my opinion, should be clear: sign Zach Parise and Paul Martin and hire a new coach. Once these steps are met, the roster may be ready - hopefully with plenty of room under the cap. There doesn't seem to be many viable options left on the free agency market - not a lot of talent at forward left, and the Devils have far too many defensemen to sign another one.
MORE INFORMATION UPDATE: TSN.ca confirms the deal, but provides more information. Vishnevski signed with the Devils for 3 years for a contract totalling $5.4 million. An average of $1.8 million (I think that's the salary cap hit?), and Vishnevski will earn $2 million each year in the next two years after this coming season. I guess the Devils see him as a #4 defenseman, otherwise I'd say that's a little much for someone who would be primarily on the third pairing. That said, I still think the spot is up for grabs.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 11:38 AM 8 comments
Friday, July 06, 2007
Ampersand, Etcetera
There was a fairly significant event in free agency today; not to mention some other things to point out:
Brad Lukowich signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this week. (Source: TSN) Personally, he did better in his second season with the Devils; but I don't think he was going to last much longer in NJ. Not with a healthy Richard Matvichuk and an improving Andy Greene and Johnny Oduya. I would think he'll have a more stable spot in Tampa Bay. Mr. Frisby has some thoughts about Lukowich and other new signings to the Devils at Frozen Fiend.
Speaking of thoughts about signings, Trendon Lynch has been heating up at On Fire about the Devils' new signings of Kevin Weekes and Dainius Zubrus, not to mention the rumors surrounding defenseman Sheldon Souray coming to the Devils. Just keep scrolling at On Fire. If you're into Sheldon Souray-to-New Jersey rumors, Patricia at 2 Man Advantage has been your one-stop blog for all of that. I'll refrain on any comments here about Souray unless he becomes a Devil. To be brief, I don't think he'd be that great of a signing in general, especially with a potentially large contract that his performance could command.
TSN has reported today that Scott Clemmensen has signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Given that he got so little time in New Jersey being Martin Brodeur's backup, I must say I'm pleased he'll be getting playing time in Toronto. Granted, it will most likely will be with the Toronto Marlies; but it beats sitting on the bench for over 90% of the season.
The biggest news of the day involves the Edmonton Oilers of all teams. If you want proof that things have changed; the Oilers offered Thomas Vanek of the Buffalo Sabres a 7 year contract worth $50 million! The linked article at TSN notes this while discussing what else general manager Kevin Lowe will do for the Oilers. Now, the reason why this is a big deal isn't the fact that a player who has not played over 200 games (but does have 68 career goals) is being offered so much - it's the fact that he was offered anything at all.
Vanek is a Restricted Free Agent - and since he was given a qualifying offer from Buffalo prior to July 1, Buffalo normally has the first rights to sign the player and match any other offers. It is not often that other teams try to get RFAs because the original team can easily match the offer. Furthermore, if the player does sign with the team providing the offer (an offer sheet, if you will), then the original team is compensated with draft picks depending on the amount of the contract. So if Vanek signed with Edmonton and Buffalo let it go, Buffalo would get Edmonton's next four first round draft picks - a substantial compensation, to say the least. However, considering that the Oilers have not done much in this offseason, Lowe swung for the fences.
Unfortunately for Edmonton, Buffalo matched the offer immediately and will give Vanek the exact same contract. A lot of money? Definitely. However, it's defensible. For starters, players who score 40 goals that early in their career are rare - if his career continues to produce, he would definitely be worth that much. Furthermore, while draft picks are tempting, they are essentially question marks. Maybe the picks would be high and the Sabres could have drafted a player like Vanek. Or they could pick high and the prospect would not develop into a good player. Proven commodities are generally better assets than potential ones. Lastly, Buffalo definitely had the cap space given the loss of Daniel Briere and Chris Drury - this sort of move is really effective if the targeted team is too close to the salary cap ceiling. So Lowe swung for the fences, but ultimately missed.
In my opinion, while RFA hunting isn't often and generally not looked upon well, Lowe should have targeted the Rangers. Specifically, Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist is an RFA and arguably a big reason why the Rangers are competitive again since the lockout. Given that the current goaltending tandem in Edmonton is Dwayne Roloson (who will not get any younger) and Jussi Markannen (who will not get any better), Lundqvist would be a big upgrade. Plus, consider that the Rangers do not have much room to maneuver under the salary cap. Lowe could have offered Lundqvist a very large contract and really put the squeeze on the Rangers. Maybe enough of a squeeze to get Henrik Lundqvist for a long time (and a lot of money) and make a lot of Devils fans happy. Well, he didn't. Technically, the Oilers could try again for Zach Parise; but I can't imagine they would be successful (the Devils also have a ton of cap space to match any contract for Parise).
Back to more Devils-relevant issues, today was the last day to file for arbitration, if I'm not mistaken. The NHLPA website has the whole list of the 29 players who did file for salary arbitration. The good news is that no Devils have filed for arbitration. Since Zach Parise is a RFA coming off his entry level contract, only Paul Martin would be eligible and he did not file. No bad feelings, no forced contracts, no problem.
Now for some non-hockey news items: I have an essay posted at Interchangeable Parts about why I love hockey. In the future, I'll re-post it here (for my own reasons); but in the meantime, I suggest you go check it out over there. Though you probably read IPB everyday anyway.
Finally, I just want to say thanks to all of you for reading this blog. It's a great feeling knowing that you have readers from Moscow to Kobe, Hyogo to Edmonton, Canada to Bombay, Maharashta to Bogota (New Jersey). Thanks.
Back to more Devils-relevant issues, today was the last day to file for arbitration, if I'm not mistaken. The NHLPA website has the whole list of the 29 players who did file for salary arbitration. The good news is that no Devils have filed for arbitration. Since Zach Parise is a RFA coming off his entry level contract, only Paul Martin would be eligible and he did not file. No bad feelings, no forced contracts, no problem.
Now for some non-hockey news items: I have an essay posted at Interchangeable Parts about why I love hockey. In the future, I'll re-post it here (for my own reasons); but in the meantime, I suggest you go check it out over there. Though you probably read IPB everyday anyway.
Finally, I just want to say thanks to all of you for reading this blog. It's a great feeling knowing that you have readers from Moscow to Kobe, Hyogo to Edmonton, Canada to Bombay, Maharashta to Bogota (New Jersey). Thanks.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 7:27 PM 3 comments
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Devils Sign Kevin Weekes
TSN is reporting that the New Jersey Devils have signed goaltender Kevin Weekes. As Lou Lamoriello states in the article, Weekes was signed primarily to be an experienced back-up goaltender for Martin Brodeur.
Well, this is likely the end of Scott Clemmensen's career in New Jersey unless he wants to sign with Lowell. Don't be fooled by Weekes' numbers from last season, Weekes is a capable goaltender. He was a starting goaltender a couple years back for Carolina prior to the lockout and did pretty well. He's only been the back-up in New York due to the emergence of Henrik Lundqvist. Needless to say, Weekes will once again be a back-up for Brodeur.
The question that should be asked is whether the signing of Weekes means Brodeur will play less than 70 games. I've stated before that I think it would be best to let the best goaltender in hockey decide how many games he wants to play. However, it would not be the worst thing in the world for Brodeur to get a rest and Weekes to get 15-20 starts - as Weekes is a much more experienced and proven talent than Clemmensen. Knowing what I know about Weekes, I have no problem with him getting starts provided he gets ice time more regularly then Clemmensen has got over in recent seasons. Of course, the Devils can have Brodeur play 70 games or more provided Brodeur has no problem with playing that much (and all indications during his career show that it is not a problem). But I don't think Weekes can be like Corey Schwab, play once in a six week span and still provide quality goaltending (I don't think many goaltenders can do that, much less want to).
$1.375 million over two years (I hope I'm reading the article right that it's $1.375 million over two year) for a quality back-up goaltending option is a great price. Even if Weekes sees less than 10 games in action, the Devils did not pay a lot for a solid insurance option; let's be realistic, if Brodeur goes down due to injury, the Devils are in serious trouble - period. If Weekes plays a relatively decent amount of games and does well in net, giving the best goaltender in the NHL more rest, then it's a great bargin.
What's more, Kevin Weekes' has his own website with his own (very catchy) theme song. (Someone on HFBoards pointed this out. Thanks.)
As an aside, if you need further proof as to why Lou Lamoriello is excellent at being a general manager, consider the past few days. He's addressed team needs by signing free agents without overpaying them - keeping Johnny Oduya, Karel Rachunek, Dainius Zubrus, and now Weekes. More amazingly, he's doing all this with a vacancy at the head coaching position - these guys are signing with New Jersey without knowing who will coach them in the coming season. That is simply astonishing, in my opinion.
$1.375 million over two years (I hope I'm reading the article right that it's $1.375 million over two year) for a quality back-up goaltending option is a great price. Even if Weekes sees less than 10 games in action, the Devils did not pay a lot for a solid insurance option; let's be realistic, if Brodeur goes down due to injury, the Devils are in serious trouble - period. If Weekes plays a relatively decent amount of games and does well in net, giving the best goaltender in the NHL more rest, then it's a great bargin.
What's more, Kevin Weekes' has his own website with his own (very catchy) theme song. (Someone on HFBoards pointed this out. Thanks.)
As an aside, if you need further proof as to why Lou Lamoriello is excellent at being a general manager, consider the past few days. He's addressed team needs by signing free agents without overpaying them - keeping Johnny Oduya, Karel Rachunek, Dainius Zubrus, and now Weekes. More amazingly, he's doing all this with a vacancy at the head coaching position - these guys are signing with New Jersey without knowing who will coach them in the coming season. That is simply astonishing, in my opinion.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 1:29 PM 4 comments
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Devils sign Dainius Zubrus
I go out for a bit on a beautiful day in New Jersey and guess what happens? A big signing, that's what!
The Devils have signed Dainius Zubrus to a 6 year $20.4 million deal, as reported by TSN. Thanks to Superfan #99 in a comment in the previous post to alerting me to this deal.
Now this is a great signing. Zubrus is 29 years old and he can play the center or right wing positions. He may be better on the wing, but he definitely produced while centering Alexander Ovechkin's line in Washington. He's got some offensive skill, but he's more of a playmaker as his low goal and shot totals would suggest. His numbers were definitely helped by playing with Alexander Ovechkin in Washington for the past two seasons; so perhaps high point totals won't be in the cards. But he definitely displayed some skill in his brief time with the Buffalo Sabres, with 4 goals and 4 assists in 19 regular season games and 8 assists in the playoffs. Furthermore, he's a huge player - 6'4", 224 pounds - so those concerned with the Devils being a bit too small should have those concerns allayed.
But what makes this a great signing isn't his numbers but the contract itself. He's pretty much signed long term, likely for the rest of his career, but it's a very cheap 6 year deal. It's an average of $3.4 million per year; definitely a great bargin if he steps up his game with the Devils. If he falters, the contract is not such an albatross for trades nor does it kill the Devils' salary cap. Shrewd signing, at a first glance, in my opinion. Especially since I thought Buffalo would move heaven and earth to keep someone who can play center after seeing Chris Drury and Daniel Briere leave the team.
ONE MORE THING: I can't believe I didn't figure this out sooner. Consider these lines:
See, what makes Patrik Elias special is that he can set up plays as well as being the finisher of plays. Suppose Zubrus centers Elias and Gionta. Elias can dictate the play while Gionta buzzes around the slot; Zubrus can more than complement that with his size along the boards or be used as an additional playmaker (not like Gomez where he was a solid playmaker first and foremost). Since Zubrus has centered a first line in Washington for two seasons, he can definitely handle the minutes and the workload - only he doesn't have to be the top guy on the line. He just needs to mesh well with Elias and Gionta, if he does I think that line will work wonders. Plus, the PZL line can remain together and effective with their already solid chemistry. The more I think about this, I like this signing more and more. Especially the contract - the Devils have well over $10 million in cap space remaining with this signing. Time to pay Parise and Martin!
ONE MORE THING: I can't believe I didn't figure this out sooner. Consider these lines:
Elias-Zubrus-Gionta
Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner
Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner
See, what makes Patrik Elias special is that he can set up plays as well as being the finisher of plays. Suppose Zubrus centers Elias and Gionta. Elias can dictate the play while Gionta buzzes around the slot; Zubrus can more than complement that with his size along the boards or be used as an additional playmaker (not like Gomez where he was a solid playmaker first and foremost). Since Zubrus has centered a first line in Washington for two seasons, he can definitely handle the minutes and the workload - only he doesn't have to be the top guy on the line. He just needs to mesh well with Elias and Gionta, if he does I think that line will work wonders. Plus, the PZL line can remain together and effective with their already solid chemistry. The more I think about this, I like this signing more and more. Especially the contract - the Devils have well over $10 million in cap space remaining with this signing. Time to pay Parise and Martin!
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 4:20 PM 4 comments
Signings: Rachunek, Janssen
I got word of both of these articles through HFBoards - the premier message board for hockey (in my opinion).
First, the familiar one: Cam Janssen has re-signed with the New Jersey Devils. The information for Janssen on the NHLPA website has an updated compensation value for the upcoming season. I take that to mean the Devils signed him for $550,000. Well, he is the team's de facto enforcer; though I'd wish he'd hit more and fight a lot less. For that price, though I can't complain too loudly. Expect another season of fourth line duty for Cammer the Hammer.
Second, the not quite so familiar one: Quebec sports site RDS is reporting that Karel Rachunek has signed with the Devils for $1.5 million for next season. Rachunek is a 27 year old (soon to be 28) defenseman who played for the Rangers last season, scoring 6 goals and 20 assists in 66 games with 4 assists in the playoffs. With the Rangers, he averaged 19:23 on the ice - the fourth highest among Rangers defensemen. Repeat after me: Rachunek is not Rafalski's replacement. If anything, I think he's Brad Lukowich's replacement. He's not the quickest guy on the ice, but he's dependable enough in his own end. In a depth role or a #4 spot, I got no problems with Rachunek. Who knows, he may improve a little playing on a team that has a semblance of a clue on how to defend. A good depth signing, in my opinion.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 1:53 PM 3 comments
Monday, July 02, 2007
July 1 Aftermath
Yesterday was the opening of free agency, allowing teams to sign all kinds of free agents. The first day usually has quite a lot of action, with players often moving to brand new teams. Patricia Greuter of 2 Man Advantage thankfully "live-capped" the whole day - resulting in a very useful list of where free agents have ended up.
Needless to say, things did not go well for the Devils as Brian Rafalski took a $30 million for 5 year contract from Detroit and Scott Gomez went to the New York Rangers of all teams in a $51.5 million/7 year contract. Rich Chere has an extensive article detailing the deals and the initial impact of these signings in today's Star Ledger. I highly recommend you read it, it'll tell you everything you need to know. This is fairly big news, especially the signing of Gomez. The Devils forum on NJ.com was featured on the home page for NJ.com in response to the Gomez signing when I checked it this morning. The front page of the Star Ledger had the signing on the very top of the front page. Pookie at Interchangeable Parts has a summary of how she feels about the signings which is bit more...measured (for lack of a better word) than what I've seen at HFBoards, NJDevs, and other places.
Now, I'd be lying if I said these moves does not hurt the Devils. The team's #1 center and their top playmaker is now the #1 center (well, maybe) for their biggest rivals; and the team's de factor #1 defenseman is now on Detroit's top 4. Those are two big holes that are not easy to fill. All the potential #1 centers in free agency were taken in day 1 and they all went to the Atlantic Division (Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Gomez). The defensemen free agency pool is stronger, but the only top end defensemen remaining is Sheldon Souray (who is terrible on defense) and Brad Stuart (who likely cannot replace Rafalski's offensive contribution as he is a defensive defenseman). For a list of who is remaining, James Mirtle's blog has a comprehensive list of remaining players.
At least the Devils signed Johnny Oduya. Therefore, the Devils have two priorities (three, since there is no head coach right now): a center who can play first-line minutes and a defenseman who can give 24-26 minutes of solid defense a night. The latter is easier to fix than the former. Paul Martin's average ice time last season was only 16 seconds under Rafalski's average of 25:29. Martin has improved over the course of last season on both defense and on the point; it is not inconceivable to expect him to step up his game for next season. Of course, if the Devils do that then they still need a defenseman - just not a top end player to replace Martin's spot. Then again, Oduya or Greene could take that spot leaving the Devils only needing a defenseman for depth and would not need a top player. That all said, if the Devils go and sign a top 4 capable defenseman, it would give them a lot more flexibility on how they want to set up their pairings - not to mention what to do when injuries occur.
So the Devils do not need to break the bank for a defenseman. For a center, though, the prospects are pretty dim. At the end of the Chere article, Lou Lamoriello does state that he will look for a player in free agency; but if he doesn't see anyone he likes then he will consider a trade. A trade may be required for the center position. Going down the list of available centers, it seems that the Devils would have to put a #2/borderline-#1 center on the first line and hope he does well. But going down that list you have inconsistent guys (Alexei Yashin, Mike Comrie, Michel Handzus), guys who are not getting any younger (Peter Forsberg, Robert Lang, Michael Nylander), and the unknown (Dainius Zubrus). While I wouldn't be opposed to Lang (Forsberg is too injury prone), the best guys for the Devils may be Zubrus and Nylander. With Buffalo losing Drury and Briere, I fully expect the Sabres to move heaven and earth to keep Zubrus. Nylander leaves a first line position with the Rangers; it begs the question of whether he is really a solid playmaker or whether he's the product of playing with Jaromir Jagr. The fact his two most productive seasons came with centering Jagr's line does not induce confidence. Now that I think about it, Zubrus would be a great fellow to get. Since the first line center will likely be centering Patrik Elias and Brian Gionta (two players whom I'm sure will be more productive in this coming season), the center can be a playmaker and set those two up (while at the same time not being afraid to shoot, unlike Gomez).
Between the two, signing a center is more important in my opinion. The Devils do not have the depth currently to fill that first line position. Shifting Elias or Zach Parise to center after many successful seasons at left wing make no sense. Those two do their best on the wing, let them play there. Not to mention the requisite question of who would play left wing in such a scenario. Sergei Brylin definitely does not have the talent to be the first line center for a season, no one in Lowell can step up to be the first line center right away (and it wouldn't be fair to expect any of them to do so), and Travis Zajac is entering the second year of his career - forcing him to take a larger role could stunt his already-promising development.
While it's clear that the Devils got the shaft on July 1, there are some positives to all this. The first is history. When Bobby Holik signed with the Rangers for an astonishing $9 million per year contract, the thought was "oh no, the Devils are teh doomed." Clearly, this did not happen. When Scott Neidermayer signed with Anaheim, leaving Lou to get whoever was left on defense and force the Devils right up to the salary cap ceiling, the thought that the Devils would no longer be dominant. Two Atlantic Division titles in the last two seasons argue against that. My point is to take any reports of the Devils demise with a grain of salt - wait until January 2008 before lamenting. The second is cap space. Vladamir Malakhov (OK, Alexander Korolyuk), Alexander Mogilny, Gomez, and Rafalski are all off the books. I'm just guesstimating here, but that's at least $10 million in cap space the Devils are free to use. Free to sign Parise and Martin to long term deals and free to sign whoever they want (or whoever is left, rather) for almost any amount. The Devils could just sign an older center in the short term and in the near future have plenty of cap space to get a higher caliber player.
Contrast this with the Red Wings and the Rangers (especially the Rangers when you also consider Drury), who both over paid for each of these players. OK, Rafalski may be worth the money in the short term but he's 34. The deal is for five years, by the time he's 37 (and 38 and 39) will he still be worth that much? I have my doubts. Gomez is getting a hell of a lot of money for a guy who has had only one season with more than 80 points (and that year was the only one where he had more than 20 goals). Rangers fans should hope he meshes well with Jagr, otherwise he'll be a large liability to the team if only for the extensively large cap space he takes up.
Lastly, I just want to say the following: Rafalski and Gomez were unrestricted free agents. As much as you want to talk about lowballing or Lou not making a deal; ultimately it does not do any good to state what deal Lou should have offered. The unrestricted free agent ultimately makes the call as to where he wants to go. Both players got, in my opinion, some incredibly large contracts which are incredibly hard to pass up. Rafalski gets to play for the team he presumably liked when he was growing up in Michigan for a whole lot of money. Gomez gets far more money - which still shocks me considering how poor he was this last season - and does not have to move. If you need to "blame" someone for these moves, you might as well blame the players themselves - if you really can blame them.
That said, I fully expect and demand loud chorus of boos for Gomez during the 8 games they will play New Jersey next season. Unless he's playing poorly, then I want laughter.
Between the two, signing a center is more important in my opinion. The Devils do not have the depth currently to fill that first line position. Shifting Elias or Zach Parise to center after many successful seasons at left wing make no sense. Those two do their best on the wing, let them play there. Not to mention the requisite question of who would play left wing in such a scenario. Sergei Brylin definitely does not have the talent to be the first line center for a season, no one in Lowell can step up to be the first line center right away (and it wouldn't be fair to expect any of them to do so), and Travis Zajac is entering the second year of his career - forcing him to take a larger role could stunt his already-promising development.
While it's clear that the Devils got the shaft on July 1, there are some positives to all this. The first is history. When Bobby Holik signed with the Rangers for an astonishing $9 million per year contract, the thought was "oh no, the Devils are teh doomed." Clearly, this did not happen. When Scott Neidermayer signed with Anaheim, leaving Lou to get whoever was left on defense and force the Devils right up to the salary cap ceiling, the thought that the Devils would no longer be dominant. Two Atlantic Division titles in the last two seasons argue against that. My point is to take any reports of the Devils demise with a grain of salt - wait until January 2008 before lamenting. The second is cap space. Vladamir Malakhov (OK, Alexander Korolyuk), Alexander Mogilny, Gomez, and Rafalski are all off the books. I'm just guesstimating here, but that's at least $10 million in cap space the Devils are free to use. Free to sign Parise and Martin to long term deals and free to sign whoever they want (or whoever is left, rather) for almost any amount. The Devils could just sign an older center in the short term and in the near future have plenty of cap space to get a higher caliber player.
Contrast this with the Red Wings and the Rangers (especially the Rangers when you also consider Drury), who both over paid for each of these players. OK, Rafalski may be worth the money in the short term but he's 34. The deal is for five years, by the time he's 37 (and 38 and 39) will he still be worth that much? I have my doubts. Gomez is getting a hell of a lot of money for a guy who has had only one season with more than 80 points (and that year was the only one where he had more than 20 goals). Rangers fans should hope he meshes well with Jagr, otherwise he'll be a large liability to the team if only for the extensively large cap space he takes up.
Lastly, I just want to say the following: Rafalski and Gomez were unrestricted free agents. As much as you want to talk about lowballing or Lou not making a deal; ultimately it does not do any good to state what deal Lou should have offered. The unrestricted free agent ultimately makes the call as to where he wants to go. Both players got, in my opinion, some incredibly large contracts which are incredibly hard to pass up. Rafalski gets to play for the team he presumably liked when he was growing up in Michigan for a whole lot of money. Gomez gets far more money - which still shocks me considering how poor he was this last season - and does not have to move. If you need to "blame" someone for these moves, you might as well blame the players themselves - if you really can blame them.
That said, I fully expect and demand loud chorus of boos for Gomez during the 8 games they will play New Jersey next season. Unless he's playing poorly, then I want laughter.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 10:17 AM 4 comments
Friday, June 29, 2007
Salary Cap Increased
TSN is reporting that the NHL salary cap ceiling is increased to $50.3 million for the upcoming season. The salary cap floor is at $34.3 million.
This benefits New Jersey, allowing them to spend more money to get higher calibur players. Hopefully the team will remain under the cap enough to allow players to be called up from Lowell to replace injured players in the coming season. As great as it was to see the Devils play and win games with 16 players, I really don't want to have the Devils do that again.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 1:35 PM 6 comments
Rupp Remains, Oduya May Not
In today's Star Ledger, Rich Chere brings some news related to Mike Rupp, Johnny Oduya, and Brian Rafalski. I think you should read it, but I'll summarize the article anyway:
- Mike Rupp signed a 2 year deal with $1 million. For $500k/year, I have no issue with Rupp remaining with the team. He brings some skill with some physical presence; a valid fourth line player. However, considering the recent signing of Jari Viuhkola and the possible emergence of some Lowell Devils (e.g. David Clarkson, Rod Pelley, Petr Vrana), I wonder how much action Rupp will be seeing in the future.
- The Devils are close to a deal with Brian Rafalski. Good. This means the Devils can focus on shoring up their offense - something that definitely needs to be addressed after a season where the team scored an average of 2.51 goals per game (that's 27th in the league).
- Johnny Oduya was not given a qualifying offer and will become an unrestricted free agent. I'm very confused by this. Oduya played well above expectations, in my opinion, and definitely showed he can play like a top 4 defenseman (especially when he had to for stretches this past season). All in his first NHL year. Does he need work on somethings? Of course, I'd like him to be more physical and work on his shot from the point; but he's definitely a keeper. The article states a rather odd quote from Lou Lamoriello:
"Oduya was not qualified," general manager Lou Lamoriello confirmed. "There was no reason for the decision, but we will do everything we can on (Sunday) to sign him. We want to keep him."
- So why didn't Lou just offer him a qualifying offer and not have to worry about this? Does he want to sign Oduya for less money? How can there be no reason for the decision? Lou even says he wants to keep Oduya; this doesn't make any sense to me. So much so I put a separate number here.
Anyway, Paul Martin, Zach Parise, and Cam Janssen were all given qualifying offers so they will remain as restricted free agents. I can't imagine any team risking so much compensation for giving them an offer sheet, so suffice it to say, they will remain as Devils in the coming season. Well, as far as we know anyway.
The offseason of signing free agents officially begins next week. Where will Scott Gomez end up? Who will the Devils sign to replace Gomez should he leave? How unhappy will I be if that signing is not a #1 center or a player who is good enough to be a #1 center? Will the Devils address their issues on offense - which is more of a pressing need than, say, size or defense? All these questions and more will be answered quite soon.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 10:32 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Expect Rafalski to Stay
Tom Gulitti has an article in today's Bergen Record stating that Brian Rafalski would like to stay with the team. Here's a quote that really just sums it all up nicely:
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Although that possibility looms, Rafalski's agent, Bill Zito, reiterated Monday that his client wants to remain a Devil and has instructed him to make sure that happens. Brian wants to stay, so we're going to do whatever we can to make it work," Zito said. Zito said he had a productive sit-down with Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello while at the NHL Entry Draft in Columbus, Ohio, over the weekend.
While it's not a guarantee, generally players don't leave after their agents publicly state that their client wants to stay. Therefore, I think it's safe to expect Rafalski to remain in Devils red for the next season. Of course, nothing is official - I'm just saying it's probably highly unlikely for Rafalski to sign with some other team short of a wonder deal.
It's more beneficial that Rafalski remains with the Devils. He was the team's top defenseman in terms of goals (8), assists (47), plus/minus (+4), and most importantly average time on the ice (25:29). He's a two-way defenseman who's solid on the break outs, playing from the point, and playing sound positional hockey. Until Paul Martin or someone else steps up, he's the de facto #1 defenseman for New Jersey - a team who has been solid on defense. If Rafalski agrees to stay, that means the focus can be placed on the #1 center position (an absolutely vital hole that must be properly filled if/when Gomez signs with another team).
With free agency looming, there is much to look forward to and you can't do much worse than going to James Mirtle's blog. He notes that the salary cap ceiling is likely going to increase, but it's not clear to how much it will be increased. The higher, the better with respect to the Devils. He also has three absolutely useful lists for the upcoming unrestricted free agents (UFA), listing each player's points, their prior salary cap hit, their expected salary for next season, and where they would play. This post has lists for UFA centers and wingers; this post has a list for UFA blueliners. By that list, Rafalski is among the top UFA blueliners, so it's not as if he's expected to regress in the next few seasons.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 5:04 PM 0 comments
Sunday, June 24, 2007
12 Years Ago...
The Devils achieved glory. Yes, 12 years ago to this date, the Devils won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. It took the New Jersey Devils 13 seasons and 16 post-season wins in 1995 to win the right to Lord Stanley's Cup. The official New Jersey Devils website has a little blurb about the day of Devils history.
I did a little looking into the Devils draft picks. By which I mean I went to Hockey Future's message boards. At the Devils' forums, some people found the following videos on YouTube. I found them as well after running a search on their names. I hope they don't mind me mentioning them here and there's not a lot, but it's better than none.
- A 5:27 compilation of action by Mike Hoeffel, the Devils' first selection in this year's draft. This was taken while he was playing with the United States National Development Program. I wonder if Central Scouting originally put this together; I'm not sure.
- Third round selection Nick Palmieri with a sweet deke and an even sweeter pass to Zack Torquato for him to score for the Erie Otters. It's not much, but it's something cool to look at. I doubt whether he can do that outside of junior. The only other video I could find of Palmieri is a fight; but that doesn't help anyone.
Well, I did say it wasn't much. I'm a bit surprised there wasn't anything on Vili Sopanen, as he did make Finland's World Junior Championships squad. Well, perhaps I shouldn't be as Sopanen put up no points in the six games he did play.
Again, it's a week before July 1, the day free agency begins. We should see Lou Lamoriello announce a new head coach soon. I would imagine that negotiating with free agents would become difficult if there is no head coach in place.
Labels: 2007 Offseason
# posted by John Fischer @ 9:06 PM 0 comments
