Dont expect much come trade deadline

Ooooh, an interesting and contrarian take. I like this. I wish the spelling and grammar were better, but it’s a start.

There’s a very valid reasoning behind all this too – why move depth for the future if one is confident the future will generate solid players. There’s not much value in making a move to make a move, after all.

I trusted Lou in doing the right thing with this one at the time. Never expected to be an egg to the face. Of course, I’ll trust him still in that he won’t fall for that one twice.

This is all true, but the bottom line with the Devils and the trade deadline is to expect the unexpected. Sometimes it’s pretty much impossible to guess what Lou is going to do (see: 2008, Cam Janssen for Bryce Salvador) but more often than not it doesn’t come back to bite us like Havelid did.

I agree with your reasons, but really have just one main concern about the current devils squad.

Definitely, when Elias/Clarkson/Zubrus are back, the four lines are going to be disgustingly powerful (or atleast have the ability to be.. whether they choose to or not, thats up to them). The main problem, are the blueliners. Let’s face it… besides Martin and very few others, our defense corps are nonames. Sure, they’ve managed to hold up their own for the most part this season (even with Martin and Oduya going out for extended periods of time), but I fear the playoffs and the breakdowns that happen there. I can see Lou fishing around for a high calibre, powerful, experienced blueliner (lets hope its Scotty) around the deadline, and would definitely understand/support that decision (hell, I’d support Lou if he told me to stab myself with a knife)

There really are two distinctively different issues.

1- Does Lou think we need a piece that will help us in the palyoffs? If so he will make the deal he thinks appropriate. There are many deadline trades that have worked for us, not to minimize any of them but I think the Ben Hankinson/Alexander Semak trade for Danton Cole and Shawn Chambers was a huge trade for us. Semak was pretty much done by then, and Hankinson was a role player. Danton Cole never made it, but Shawn Chambers was tremendous for us.. Of course my favorite trade of all time was Sylvain Turgeron to theHabs for you know who… Who is that piece? I would suggest a puck moving center could be on the radar, and likewise a puck moving defensmen. I have finally forgiven Niedermeyer, but at what price? Fraser and a pick? i’m not sure that does it.

2- The big picture is what do we do with Corrente and Eckford. These guys could be on our blue line for a long time and are both ready to take that role next year. We also have a few other future blueliners in the system and Fraser has played well. So who stays and who goes. Oduya has been lackluster this year, so would I send him to Anahiem for Niedermeyer? yes I would, but that won’t be enough.

Here are the facts. White/Salvador/ Greene are not going anywhere. White has a ntc, so we are stuck with him at a price higher then his current production level. We need room for Corrente and Eckford, and Fraser has proven himself so far. So who is the odd man out. I’ll be shocked if Mottau is here next year, if he is it will be with an understanding that his role will be diminished and he will be the #7 d man.
 
Yes, I am pointing the trade finger directly at Paul Martin. Not because I dont like him, Not because he hasnt played well for us, but purely upon the emergence of Andy Greene and the fact that Martin is UFA after this season. His salary is 4.5 million with a cap hit of 3.8. He is definitely going to want a raise next year, 20% raise is 5.4 million. That is elite defensemen money, and money I think we can use better elsewhere. This isn’t a good comparison year for Martin, but last year he played 73 games and his numbers look like this among defensemen.
scoring-46th
+/- 12th
Hits-88th
TOI-43rd

Respectable numbers, but is that a 5.5 million dollar defensemen?

Let me-point by point-go over these points:

5. While there are a large grouping of teams (6 seed through the 13th seed) in the East & West that don’t have much separation, a lot of those teams have pending free agents that they will not want to lose for nothing in the offseason. Teams will start to assert themselves more in the next few weeks and more sellers besides the teams that you mentioned should develop. There is also the possibility of a mutually beneficially deal that the Devils can make with a team trying to contend. While those deals are rare, there is still a possibility. If we dealt Bergfors for a young offensive minded defenseman wouldn’t that be a good trade?

4. Lou has never been a big game hunter, so I wouldn’t expect him to go after the big names. In Devils history they have made some big moves at the deadline, but history has also shown us you can win it all by acquiring a player like Neal Broten. If we traded with the Avalanche for Brett Clark to toughen up the D a bit would that be a big name? No, but he would help improve our defense and make Oduya/Mottau have to up their game for playing time which would make the team D that much better.

3. I don’t see why (in the right deal) Clarkson or Bergfors wouldn’t be available and the Devils have assets in the minors and abroad to trade. While I wouldn’t want to deal a Tedenby or Josefsson or a future pick they are all assets that can be moved. In fact I would deal a guy like Henrique who I think has inflated numbers playing on a line with Hall and whose value in a trade might not be higher.

2. I understand your point about Havelid but we have to make sure we don’t overrate our own players. Anssi Salmela is not a big loss at all or a top prospect. Also, if we had the opportunity to add a second line center for Zharkov I think you jump on that. We know what we are getting with Whitney. Zharkov is still a work in progress. That said, I hope we don’t trade Zharkov because I love the way he plays the game.

1. The returning players will help, but right now I don’t think the Devils have the offensive firepower to score with the Caps/Pens in a 7 game series. If we can make a move to put us over the top, I say do it. I would hate to get to the conference finals and not be able to advance because of trading a guy like Zharkov or Eckford.

Just my 1.5 cents.

Since when was Salmela top prospect??? the Devils gave up in him for a reason.

Also I guarantee you all of these players are not off limits on a trade if it’s a cup contender making deal: Greene, Oduya, Clarkson, Martin, Mottau, Bergfors, Halischuk, Vasyunov, Zharkov, Corrente & Eckford.

And that looks like great trade bait in my opinion.

Just a random thought, but what’re the chances Lou could finagle Kyle Okposo from the Islanders?

The guy would look awfully good in a Devils uni.