Surprise! Colin White & Trent Hunter Intended to be Bought Out
by John Fischer on Aug 1, 2011 6:20 PM EDT
in Devils Issues, Views & Analysis
Email
Print
To paraphrase Dr. Witticism's comment from an earlier transaction, but it seems that every good and shrewd move the New Jersey Devils have made this offseason has been followed up by a strange and possibly poor move. Today marked a 48-hour buyout period for the Devils. I didn't think much of mentioning it because I just assumed no one was going to be bought out. Zach Parise signed a one-year deal at $6 million and after the Brian Rolston trade, the Devils were pretty much done for the summer with a decent amount of cap space.
So much for assumptions, Tom Gulitti confirmed this afternoon that Colin White and the recently acquired Trent Hunter have been placed on waivers with the intention of being bought out if they clear them. Should that happen, they'll become unrestricted free agents and two contracts come off the books worth a total of $5 million this season. As with any buy out, there is a cost incurred from doing so. As Gulitti noted, the Devils will have an extra $1 million of dead space for the next two seasons from White's buyout and $666,667 of dead space for each of the next four seasons from Hunter's buyout.
I have to say, I'm not a big fan of either move - assuming they will clear waivers and be bought out on Tuesday. I'll explain my feelings on each buy out in a little more detail along with what the ramifications of both buy outs for the Devils after the jump.
The Intended to Be Bought Out
Let's talk about Trent Hunter first. Buying out Hunter is more annoying to me since there will be a relatively small cap hit for nothing for the next four seasons. Looking at his basic and advanced statistics, I thought he would make a decent third line right winger. I suppose the Devils prefer David Clarkson in that role over Hunter. He at least has the advantage of not coming off of a torn MCL in his left knee like Hunter along with being a more aggressive player. Per CapGeek's buyout calculator, the Devils would have a net savings of $1,333,337 from the buy out, provided he clears waivers. If you factor that into trading Rolston, it's certainly some big savings in the short-term.
I have to say that I really don't like that Colin White was bought out. Per CapGeek's buyout calculator, the Devils get a net savings of $1 million out of this; yet I'm still sort of reeling from the decision to buy him out. White is a solid defensive defenseman, his salary has been comparable to his peers (and quite possibly more so after July 1, 2011), and he's got plenty left in the tank at age 33. This all makes White a useful player, not really someone who should have their contract bought out. Especially since he was in the last season of his deal. If the team didn't have him in their long term plans, then why not just let his contract run out instead of removing him altogether and incur a cap hit for the next two seasons? The bizarre thing is this bit from Gulitti's post at Fire & Ice about today's big news:
Lamoriello said he has been trying to move White since the end of the season.
"Colin and I sat down and the end off the season and after the discussion we decided just to go and get a bit of a change," Lamoriello said.
He tried to find a taker for White in a trade, but was unable. Lamoriello said White has been aware for a while that he was going to be bought out.
Lou has been looking to trade White and couldn't find any takers since April. Really? Someone was willing to give something for Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, who isn't much of a hockey player; and no NHL team came up with an offer for a useful defenseman like White? Not even teams like Edmonton or Colorado, who have had recent defensive woes and could use a $3 million boost in their quest to reach the salary cap floor? No one at all? Maybe someone's looking to pick him up for cheap off waivers; but if Lou couldn't find a deal for White, then he could really clear waivers and get bought out. I don't know about you, but I'm honestly baffled. No one in the NHL would want Colin White for just one season? I will say it's good that Lou laid this all out for White and both sides agreed to this mutual split-up. But I'm just not sure if it was smart to tack on some more dead cap space through 2012-13 on top of the Hunter buy out.
The Roster Ramification
The Hunter buyout clears up a little clutter among the bottom 6 forwards on the team. Hunter was either going to be the third line right winger ahead of Clarkson or the fourth line right winger behind Clarkson. Given that the top 9 is seemingly set, with Jacob Josefson, Mattias Tedenby, and Clarkson acting as a third line; this leaves Vladimir Zharkov, Eric Boulton, Cam Janssen, David Steckel, Rod Pelley, and Stephane Veilleux for the fourth line. Given Steckel is a center and a great faceoff taker, that's 5 other players fighting for two active spots on the roster. A $2 million/year player like Hunter would be too costly for such a role; so I can see him as surplus to the Devils' needs at forward.
As for White getting bought out, another spot on the blueline will be open for one of their many young defenders in their system. On paper, the Devils could absorb his loss. White has been very reliable in his own end and has done a good job killing penalties. However, Anton Volchenkov can certainly do what White has been doing and even with more minutes if necessary. Henrik Tallinder proved last season that he can be a big minute defenseman, and the re-signing of Andy Greene gives the Devils another veteran who can do it. Should all three stay healthy - and that's not a guarantee for Volchenkov - the Devils may not be hurt too badly without White. It'll be even easier to take his loss should Bryce Salvador be able to play hockey and play like he once. Likewise, if Mark Fayne shows that he regularly play like he did when he was alongside Tallinder for the second half of last season. It's when the veterans start getting hurt that when we'll begin to miss White.
Which young defensemen benefit from White's departure? Certainly, Mark Fraser, Matthew Corrente, and Matt Taormina have to be pleased that they all could conceivably be on the active roster in 2011-12. With White gone and the possibility Salvador can't play, there are two open spots on defense and possibly a 7th defenseman role. All three have on the bubble between the AHL and NHL, and so the opportunity could be there for all three to make a leap. The Devils may go in another direction and decide Adam Larsson (who I would not like in there because I don't want his ELC burnt at age 18) or Alexander Urbom (who I would prefer since he's 20, has a year of AHL hockey under his belt, and has played a few NHL games before) would be more suited for the extra spot. Training camp will still feature this competition, in my mind; but now the Devils have more flexibility as to who they want to pick.
Incidentally, with the addition of Veilleux and the eventual subtraction of White and Hunter that the Devils will have 14 forwards and 7 defensemen up in New Jersey. They'll have an additional roster spot with additional cap space to fill it with, should they choose to do so. I wouldn't get my hopes up, though. There's not a lot left in free agency, and the Devils eventual penalty of giving up a first round pick prevents them from giving an offer sheet to any restricted free agents. Another trade may be done, but it could be something minor to just clear up another roster spot or two.
Budget? There's A Budget?
The most curious word from Lou's quotes about the buy outs in Gulitti's post is "budget" - as a reason why these moves were made. One of the under-the-radar issues with the Devils over the past few months is that one of the minority partners in Devils ownership, Mike Gilfillan and his company Brick City Hockey, has decided to sell his stake in the team back in February. Since that news came out, nothing much has happened since; and it's entirely possible that Jeff Vanderbeek could buy out Brick City Hockey's stake. Still, the ownership situation has caused a few fans to wonder if it is factoring into the Devils' transactions. I didn't think it was given last season and prior moves. I didn't think it was the case this summer until he dropped that b-word today.
"Budget" being a factor implies that the team now has a budget other than "spend to the cap ceiling." That's actually a major departure as the Devils have spent up to and even over the salary cap ceiling since the lockout. They were definitely over last season ($63.88 million per CapGeek), though it was acceptable due to players being on long term injured reserve. Clearly, that's not going to happen again this season. While the Devils spent over $11 million on players this summer, they've managed to move Brian Rolston's salary ($5.025 million) to a different team and when you include the buy outs of White and Hunter, they come close to evening out for this summer. I don't think that's a coincidence.
I do not expect the Devils to suddenly drop to the cap floor, but that may not be going to be spending close to $64.3 million for another season either. After their buyouts, their total salary payroll would be around $55 million; that may be a lot closer to what they want to spend as a team. Should that be the case, I doubt the Devils will do anything with their potential $6.1-ish in cap space resulting from both of these buy outs. They could just keep it open for flexibility during the season, and save on salaries either until the ownership situation is resolved or ownership allows for more spending. Of course, this is just a guess; for all we know, the Devils are doing this as a precursor to something else surprising.
Your Take
While the Devils may be able to carry on without White and Hunter on the ice; and the budgetary decision behind it make sense, I still think the Devils shouldn't have bought out White. I'd prefer his veteran presence and stable defending for another season than to throw someone younger into a larger role and risk suffering because of it. Besides, his contract expires after this season; so even if White wanted out, he could put up with it through at least part of 2011-12 and could be moved during the season. Essentially, I'll miss White and what he's done for the Devils since 1999-2000.
Of course, the buy outs will only happen should the player pass through waivers. If they get claimed, then it'll just be another surprise in an offseason that's had it's share of them in New Jersey. In any case, those are my thoughts on the matter. What do you think of these buy outs? Do you think they were each the right moves to make? Do you think the Devils will be fine without either player in 2011-12? Do you think ownership changes are at play, or is cut in salary for other reasons? Please leave your answers and other thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading.
P.S. Thank you to Jacob Sheperd, Zelepukin, and SinDonor for FanShotting this through the day.
171 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Ah, thanks for that, I’ve added that in a P.S. at the end.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
I was WAAAAAY after the other two guys.
The story popped up on the Devils FB feed, so I came here and saw nothing about it. I looked over the Fan Post section and nobody had it up.
I was wondering if the story was real or not since there was no sign of it here for a lil while.
After I posted,I realized I had forgot to look at FanShots section, then I said “Doh!”.
Thanks anyways.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
WWTTD?
I said it, John
In the comments for the Rolston trade, I said, “And so continues a summer of oscillating between ’Amazing!” moves and “What the hell Lou?!?!?” moves
Link
Here’s the link to my comment: http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2011/7/28/2300748/brian-rolston-traded-to-the-islanders-the-albatross-flies-to-long#73085539
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Ah, excellent. Let me go add it to the post.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
is it at all possible that lowering the payroll of the team lowers the overall value of the franchise so jeff could buy out the other stake at a lower cost? and then tack the salary right back on by making a trade after the ownership deal is done?
I was just thinking today as I was driving in the car how nice it is that the devils go for guys and how its assumed we’ll pay up to the cap max every year (this in comparison to my football team not going out and making an effort compared to other teams) JUST TODAY I WAS THINKING THAT! Hope this isn’t a sign of a change
Same here
Yeah I was thinking the exact same thing today myself. I’m also a NY Giants fan and have not been feeling too good about their off season. Not crazy about what the Devils are doing right now either. I seriously hope we aren’t caught in the middle of a downward spiral for both of my favorite sports teams :( I’m not used to losing!!
I really don’t know what buying out White now accomplishes. The Devils gain $2 mil in cap space Now but lose $1 mil in cap space for 2012-12. White isn’t a burden to the team- sure he can’t move the puck but he can still shut forwards down. Makes no sense to move him unless the Devils are sold with Larsson being as good as White.
As for Hunter, I wasn’t really surprised. But the Devils aren’t exactly swimming with right wingers. and yes, Clarkson will be on the Roster /eats crow.
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Talking toilet, you may call me Jane.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Aug 1, 2011 6:27 PM EDT reply actions
You shouldn’t eat crow. Just because he is on the roster doesn’t mean you (and I) aren’t right about him :)
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions
There is too much speculation without really knowing all the facts. Lou knows how to build teams and I am not going to question his skills. I never really cared for White (he always reminded me of Craig Wolanin!) and I never really saw Hunter play, but his production had been decreasing even BEFORE his injury last season. All in all, I am not going to worry about their loss.
Well, I will agree that Trent Hunter is the perfect candidate for a buyout. I dearly hoped that he would stay healthy because, if he did, he would be perfect for our third/fourth lines, especially if one considers the dearth of right wingers on our team.
Unfortunately, Hunter’s history suggests that there is a greater chance of him getting injured than him actually playing anything close to a full season. If he had a history of being healthy for most of the time, I would be really angry that we did this. Since his history seems to foreshadow nothing but problems, I’m ok with this.
White, on the other hand….blah, I don’t like waiving him/buying him out.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions
He probably were asking for this, a wise move for a retirement perhaps ?
Lou buying Colin out ? come on guys, that makes no sense seriously !
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m still speculating, sorry.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I might be inclined to agree if we didn’t have that quote from Lou (in the post). But if Lou had been trying to trade him, then White wasn’t planning on retiring.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
But if Lou had been trying to trade him, then White wasn’t planning on retiring.
Sure, but at the end, that’s just what they’re saying to the media, Idk, just hypothesis.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey ! this made me think about John’s quote.
Lou has been looking to trade White and couldn’t find any takers since April. Really? Someone was willing to give something for Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, who isn’t much of a hockey player; and no NHL team came up with an offer for a useful defenseman like White? Not even teams like Edmonton or Colorado, who have had recent defensive woes and could use a $3 million boost in their quest to reach the salary cap floor? No one at all?
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Hmmmm
Why wouldn’t the Islanders pick Hunter back up? It would mean they got Rolston for nothing and helped themselves get to the cap floor.
Go Devils
Go Jets
Need to lose weight?
If they picked Hunter up off of waivers it would leave less money with which to overpay Yashin for the second time.
by tigger on Aug 1, 2011 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Parise
If the Devils are currently operating under a self-imposed budget, there may be no reason to worry about Parise only signing a one year deal. It would most likely have come up in contract negotiations, Parise and his team would have a right to be worried about the ownership problem. Parise may have wanted to wait for the Brick City Hockey situation to be resolved before signing long term here. What’s more, Lou could very well have told him he wasn’t authorized to spend as much as Parise wanted/deserves at this time, but would after this season. I know this is pure speculation, but it does put my mind at ease a bit.
I think the problem with getting a taker for Colin White is that he is not a “big name” defenseman. It’s very hard to get people to recognize an excellent shut-down defenseman when being a shut-down defenseman is the player’s only attribute. As silly as it is, GMs and fans alike just don’t give guys like White credit, regardless of the fact that he deserves it.
I think this is especially true for a guy who costs $3 million; thus, it’s my belief that nobody wanted him at that price because nobody really knows much about him. The unfortunate fact is that the hockey world rarely pays attention to guys like White.
GMs and fans always want a defenseman who is not only good in his own end, but has the stats to show at least some offensive ability. Even if a defenseman doesn’t have the stats, GMs will take notice of a guy who merely seems to have offensive potential (hey, why else would Salmela continually get chances in the NHL?). With White, they see absolutely no potential for offense.
Of course, I don’t agree with this view. I have always thought that Colin White is an excellent defenseman, but the truth is that no GM really seems to care. How many non-Devils (or other metro teams) fans have even heard of him? Probably very few.
So, especially at $3 million, my suspicion is that there wasn’t even a single GM who gave any serious consideration at all to the idea of acquiring him by trade. In fact, I’m going to guess that nobody will even take him at half price. It’s sad because he deserves to play and would be an asset to any team in need of some excellent, physical defense. The sad truth is just that nobody in the NHL seems to care about guys like White :(
I hate losing White as he has been a long term Devil. Yet, if the Devils can land Luke Schenn from the Leafs then it will be worth it. Shea Weber would be best, but his dollars will be too much. Chris Campoli would be fine, but Schenn is a monster and only 21 or 22. The Leafs have a number of big contracts and may be forced to part with Schenn.
The time to win is this year and losing White for nothing seems pointless. Lou must be planning something big to win. Exciting summer none the less.
by hundred acre wood on Aug 1, 2011 6:57 PM EDT reply actions
I guess it’s just me, but every time I ever attended a Devils game, Colin White made a huge mistake in his own end that wound up behind Marty and contributed to the Devils losing the game. I never got to see what people liked about him, so I found the articles defending him a bit confusing based on personal experience. Personally, I won’t miss him. I felt like Volchenkov was brought in to replace him, and I’m actually excited that guys like Fayne and Taormina may play all next season under DeBoer.
Hunter was now obviously brought in just to be bought out, which makes me feel bad for Hunter, but if it helps the Devils get someone else who’s better, I won’t really care. Hopefully we’re just reading too much into this “budget” stuff…
man i can’t even count how many times white would get the puck in his own end, then his head would explode. without fail, a huge majority of the time he wouldn’t bother skating much, just throw the puck into the neutral zone along the boards, completely miss whomever he was supposedly passing to circling around the red line, and the puck would just go down for an icing. he’s not as physical as he once was and was just terrible with the puck. no exaggeration- this would happen at least 2-3 times a game for him.
truth is, he was one of the best d-men on a bad devils team last year, but one of the worst on a good devils team.
but where i have to give him credit is that he would NEVER bite on a 1-on-1 deke from someone. he wouldn’t pay attention to the puck at all and just take the body and rub the guy out on the boards, completely neutralizing him. he’s done this almost perfectly for years, but i think his use has just worn out, seeing as he couldn’t control the puck very well.
I never cared for White either. Between his minor nagging injuries and the numbers of mistakes I’ve seen him make in the past I always secretly hoped that he would be traded. I never thought he was worth his salary. The only season that he played that really stands out as good was 00-01 when he logged 20 points and was +32. He did log some decent ice time though.
You know, it’s a shame Glen Sather is the GM of our hated rivals because I’ll bet he was the only GM Lou didn’t talk to about trading White. If he wasn’t GM of the Rags, we probably could have traded White for Marc Staal, a first round pick, and a box of cigars!
Not a White fan.
I have never been a White fan, I just feel he was a somewhat poor defenseman, he never particularly stood out to me. I think the buyout was a good move for the sake of our amazing defensive rookie core. I would like to see Larsson benefit from this, he is NHL ready in my eyes. However, I do love Taormina, Urbom, Corrente (to an extent) and Fraser. I think without White, the wheels can start rolling and our prospects can begin to take that step up.
It’s starting to get a little crazy here… every day when I open up ILWT, I’m greeted with a huge surprise. I’m not sure I like this move very much, I hate the years of dead space on the payroll that come with buyouts and I didn’t find either of these contracts particularly egregious. That said, maybe we’re all greeted by another big surprise in the coming days. It’s getting to the point where I’m starting to expect it.
Status quo.
I hope the next big surprise is getting another quality defenseman before the season starts somehow, and Lou was moving money because he had a trade or signing already setup.
I’m ok with you guys, but don’t be surprised if he just does nothing.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Nah, I’ll be ok if he does nothing else. I still think the roster is pretty good atm. I just hope if there IS another big move, it’s what I said above.
indeed
being handcuffed by an empty moneybox are no good news…
I’m with you, I hope he’ll make a move, but firstly to prove it’s not cash issues.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions
rolston and white
i am amazed at all of the love being shown the last few days for rolson and white, it seem to me that there wasn’t a whole lot of it here or anyplace else for the past couple of years for either of these two guys
by don_in_central_jersey on Aug 1, 2011 7:39 PM EDT reply actions
I think White’s worth has been staunchly defended here quite a few time sin posts and comments over the years.
even if I don’t post here since a long time, I was reading it already, & I’m pretty sure ppl saying he’ll be missed were the same defending him against hatred.
He’s been respected here, period.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah White is usually defended pretty heavily here because most people understood that he was a staple to the organization for the last 10 years and that he was a hard working and effective defensemen the whole time. The Rolston love is a bit off though. He was generally liked for his play and attitudebut hated for his contract. I think now that his contract is gone people are thinking about him as a player rather than as 5million choke hold on the organization.
by Jacob Shepherd on Aug 1, 2011 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s exactly right, and it’s the same reason that I and many others appear to “hate” Clarkson. I don’t hate Clarkson and don’t think many (if any) other people do. What I do hate is the combination of Clarkson, the services (or lack thereof) he affords the team, and his contract.
Clarkson + $2.6 million = anger
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions
As mentioned above, Luke Schenn is an interesting name that wouldn’t cost as much as a Weber or Doughty. He’d also be a good, young shutdown defenseman replacement for White.
I still have my reservations about Lou going after anyone, but of all the names I’ve heard, Schenn is the best combination of appealing and price. Does anyone know if he’s protected from offer sheets? From what I’ve seen he’s still unsigned and his ELC just ended.
Here comes again the Parise to Leafs speculation
but it’s coming from the Devil’s side now !
(/sarcasm)
Luke Schenn is an RFA $2.9M cap-hit (with bonuses probably)
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Strangely, it seems like every relevant hockey player in the history of the world has played for the Leafs, or at least was supposed to at some point in their lives.
DownGoesAvery. Check out the hockey blog that's shaking the world: Down Goes Avery and on Twitter (@DownGoesAvery ). And now
Down Goes Avery on Facebook
by DownGoesAvery on Aug 1, 2011 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
What?!?!? Don’t you know that every great player ever in the history of all time and all the time in that time of history and ever has and does play on the Detroit Red Wings? Blasphemer!
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Not Cam Janssen.
Eff that guy.
Crazy would be NOT overanalyzing everything.
Lebda-free since July 3.
Schenn would be nice… but think about the possibility of Drew Doughty…
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Talking toilet, you may call me Jane.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Aug 2, 2011 6:50 AM EDT up reply actions
the world called Parise
"Its the letter D"
by Rory B. Bellows on Aug 2, 2011 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
My temporary self-removal from the social media world left me unaware of this for a while, so I guess I’m late to the party.
I have to say, I am in favor of the White buyout, simply because I don’t think White would be a part of another championship run away. In my opinion, the Devils are still a couple years away from a legitimate run at the Cup, so let’s bring on the youth movement now. I completely forgot about Fraser and somehow Greene in my fan post today, but hopefully guys like Larsson, Urbom, Gelinas and Burlon (plus Fayne and Tao) can take advantage of the roster spaces and gain NHL experience this way. If the Devils need a defenseman, they can acquire one at the deadline.
Hunter’s buyout basically says that Lou wanted to ship Rolston out, and he didn’t care what it takes to do it. I don’t really think it’s a big deal, although $667K is more than minimum salary, which means a rookie might lose a roster spot over the next 4 years.
Then there’s this “budget” Lou mentioned. I believe it relates to the Brick City situation. I’m hoping, at least, that this is temporary and that the Devils find an owner to buy the remaining stake in the team. After all, Forbes listed the Devils in the top half of the league in terms of profitability, so hopefully someone will get on board quickly. Next summer could potentially be a big one for the Devils, as Brodeur and Salvador (for sure) have expiring contracts. The Devils might try to make a big splash.
DownGoesAvery. Check out the hockey blog that's shaking the world: Down Goes Avery and on Twitter (@DownGoesAvery ). And now
Down Goes Avery on Facebook
The Devils were in the top half of NHL teams in terms of profitability? I’m shocked. Happily shocked, of course. Seems like it would be tough to turn a profit with so many other teams around “stealing” fans, but I guess they also help fill the seats when their team comes to town since it’s not a big trip to get to The Rock.
You don’t want Larsson to play in the NHL because it will burn a year of his ELC? He is playing in NA either way so it makes no difference whether he plays in Albany or New Jersey. He isn’t going back to Sweden either because he signed the deal so he can turn pro in NA. The point was to get him to his 2nd contract quicker because he wasn’t going to be signed if he took a contract without bonuses.
That is not a valid reason to deny him a spot. If he is good enough he gets a spot if not he can play in Albany.
His ELC contract will start when he’ll play more than 10 games in the same season at the National Hockey League level.
If I’m not wrong.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
No, his contract kicks in if he plays more than 9 NHL games. Meaning it starts now and not later, which means he’ll be a RFA at age 21 instead of 23 and a UFA at age 25 instead of 27. 2 years may not seem like much, but it makes all the difference when it comes to negotiations down the line. It’s bad business to pay out earlier than you have to.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
larsson’s going to be on the team in 2012-13, that’s pretty much a lock.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
I agree. I don’t see how Larsson ISN’T on the team with all the moves Lou has made, unless Lou makes more moves to get more defensemen.
“but it makes all the difference when it comes to negotiations down the line”
larsson really wants to play in the nhl he has said that it is his goal many times and he would love lou if he does :D
Exactly how does Adam Larsson’s desire to play in the NHL have anything to do with whether or not he’s on the team? How does said desire have anything to do with the business of hockey and whether it is a sound move to burn a year of his ELC this season or next?
We’ve seen Larsson’s desire to play in the NHL sooner rather than later result in his taking an ELC without the bonuses most high draftees often receive. That will help…. but if the kid isn’t ready for the bright lights in the big city, you don’t force him there just because he wants to be there. It isn’t his decision to make.
He will also like money which will also help him re-sign down the road. If he’s honestly going to feel miffed about not being in the NH at 18 and hold it against New Jersey years later, then that speaks poor of Larsson.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
It seems he made the Devils a favor, but he’s ready to earn what’s he worth soon enough. For the Devils love or not.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes but he is going to be sent to Albany and if he plays there it counts against his ELC I think. If he is ready to be in the NHL he should be on the team. Especially after he took less money so he could.
What didn’t you understand when someone says
his contract kicks in if he plays more than 9 NHL games
No meant to be condescending but there’s no interpretation possible here.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I was just saying that I think it doesn’t matter whether he plays in the NHL or Albany since it is at the professional level in NA. He has already played a few years in Sweden so he is eligible to play in the minors as opposed to Albany.
by zach parise9 on Aug 1, 2011 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I was just saying that I think it doesn’t matter whether he plays in the NHL or Albany since it is at the professional level in NA
Ok, but you’ve to understand that until he plays 9 games in NHL, his ELC will NOT kick in.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, but while delaying him one more year for development delays nagotiation by one year, he’s still a rookie the year he does play in the NHL. If he is already better than your current D-men then it’s not bad business at all.
If he is already better than your current D-men then it’s not bad business at all.
This is exactly the point why I’m not already done on Larsson not playing big yet.
Even at 18, this talent could as good as half our D-men already. We’ll know soon enough.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Budget?
The most curious word from Lou’s quotes about the buy outs in Gulitti’s post is “budget”
Ok, maybe someone could clear this up for me. I’m not understanding it.
Don’t they pay White $3 million one way or another?
Unless he means Cap budget.
the actual monetary value is 2/3rds of the remaining value of the contract I believe. they save a little money.
by Chris Calabrese on Aug 1, 2011 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions
They save money plus a little more for the present value of money.
Absolutely Brilliant
Lou continues to amaze me.
We all know Rolstons contract was a problem, so essentially we got rid of him for Hunters cap buyout hit.Still a net plus for us even though the term is longer, and clears up line space for some of our youth.
No disrespect to White, there is a time where he was one of my favorites, but we have a crowded blue line and needed to make room. If Salvador can play any where near his previous levels this is an even better move, but even if he can not we still have a lot of young D that need to take the next step.
so if lou was planning to buy out hunter the whole time, why wouldnt he just get a draft pick for rolston so they wouldnt have to worry about buying him out or the cap hit later on. He did get a 5th rounder for PL3, I imagine he could atleast get that for rolston…
Because the Islanders wanted to get rid of Hunter almost or just as bad as we wanted to get rid of Rolston.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Question for you guys:
Would you rather pick up an amazing defenseman, or an amazing center? Because honestly, I desperately want a bonafide number one star center.
Look, I love Zajac. I think he is an excellent center. But I don’t think it would be fair to say that he could even crack the top fifteen in the league — maybe top 25. Now, when you have Parise AND Kovalchuk on your team — both left wingers, and thus both needing different centers — you need another/better center. I don’t think anyone would argue that Zach wouldn’t score even more with, say, Anze Kopitar or Paul Stastny centering him. And the reason I mention those two is because I want to be realistic and not suggest that we could ever get any of the top ten NHL centers out there.
Zajac is a good center, but he’s not great, and the greatest players are even greater when they have a center to match their level of skill. Honestly, do any of you think he is in the top 15 in the league? And that’s not a rhetorical question. I’m honestly curious.
I know that this might not be a popular opinion, so please don’t flame me. Just tell me if you feel he really is better than I think and, more importantly, why you think that.
Oh, and I would love for him to be our sort of secondary center. See, part of my reasoning here is that Elias should never play center unless he has to. He is absolutely terrible terrible terrible at faceoffs. He had a 45% win percentage last year. That is just awful, and NO center should EVER ever ever ever be that bad at faceoffs. I’ve never seen a guy that bad at faceoffs who plays regularly.
That’s a fine question – but I don’t see how buying out White & Hunter helps unless you think the Devils are going to somehow spend this newfound space on one – regardless of whether one is available?
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
Well my feeling — and, from what I can tell, the feeling of many others — is that this move was made to clear up room for a big trade. IF that’s the case, I personally would rather have a star center than a star defenseman.
But also, just curious: what do you think about Zajac? Agree? Disagree?
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, but I should also add that while I want to believe that this has been done to make a big trade, this whole talk about “budget” is making me pretty worried. He might not be planning anything at all. Let’s just assume, for the sake of this discussion here, that he is doing this to make a trade.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Zajac is Top-25
But I would love to have a Top 15 Center.
KovyisLove said it well, Zajac doesn’t dominate offensively, although I love watching him work in the offensive zone. He just isnt the most creative playmaker, and I think that is a requisite for an elite Number 1 Center.
Jason Spezza is probably in the same tier of centers as Travis Zajac. If you don’t think Zajac is that “Number One Center”, you won’t think Spezza is, either. Then there’s the NTC that Spezza has, and his contract — four more years at a cap hit of $7 million per, with payouts of $8 million this year and next followed by $5 million and $4 million.
Another high-priced and overrated center you could have is Scott Gomez, and he isn’t the solution, either. Elite “Number One” centers are like elite defensemen — they don’t become available all that often, and they’re expensive to obtain by way of trade. The trade market isn’t a viable solution for such an animal at this point in the off-season.
Yes, I did mean only by trade (obviously there’s nobody left on the free agent market). While it might be expensive to trade for a great center, it’s not if you have something the other team has. Then you can even it out. Now, I don’t know what that would be or what team we would be talking trades with, but I’m just throwing the possibility out there.
I’m actually more interested in finding out what people’s opinions are when it comes to Zajac. I’ve wondered for a long time if people feel the same way I do about him.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Should read: “While it might be expensive to trade for a great center, it’s not if you have something the other team needs.”
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
In my book, Travis Zajac isn’t a “True Number One” center. He’s a very good player, and he can fill the role if you need him to, but I’d be happier if I had another guy who was good enough to slot Zajac down to the second line where I think Travis would be a better fit.
That being said, the elite guys don’t grow on trees, and they don’t come around very often in trade or free agency. Nor are the Devils the only team in this particular boat, with a Zajac-like player serving as their top center when the guy probably should be a second-line center in a perfect world. There simply aren’t enough of the elite guys to go around.
Josefson>Zajac in a few time.
But overall great centers are all already locked up= Insane price.
& personally I’d run after a Weber’s type of player more than a Rich Nash. we’re the Devils after all.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I guess I should have made it clearer that I was only talking about trades. Sorry
But still, it’s a question that’s good for an interesting discussion.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah, absolutely, that’s interesting, but really via trades ? we need both of them, hard to make a choice there
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Even though we don’t have that one superstar defenseman, I feel like we’re pretty stacked on the blue line. I feel we need a great center more than a great defenseman, if only because we have two of the best left wings in the league.
Then again, if Josefson ends up being totally amazing, I won’t need to worry about this anymore. I just Don’t. Want. Elias. Playing. Center. Anymore!!!
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions
elias had a terrific year and should not be moved from center.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
Like I said: 45% faceoff win percentage. And since he only played 56 games in 09-10, if you take his 48 points from then and extrapolate it comes out to more than he scored last year. In fact, if you exclude 05-06 (where he only played 38 games) and count 09-10 as a higher-scoring year than this past season, he scored more points in four out of the five seasons before 10-11. Did he do well last season? Yes. But not as well as he had before. And…45%
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions
So yeah, you could say he played “well.” But “well” doesn’t mean “as good as he could have played.” And…wow, 45% is just so awful.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:41 PM EDT up reply actions
45% is 5% less than 50%. what that means is that out of 20 faceoffs, the average center wins 10, and elias wins 9. so that’s 1 less win in 20 faceoffs. 45% is not awful, and faceoff percentage is generally overrated.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
That’s not how you measure whether it’s awful. The way you measure it is that he had had the 169th best % of all centers last year. More importantly, it’s the fact that when he is out there taking a draw, there is a better chance that the team loses it than wins it. There are barely, if any at all, good centers in this league with a % anywhere close to that bad.
And what about the fact that he scored more in four out of the previous five seasons?
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s not how you measure whether it’s awful. The way you measure it is that he had had the 169th best % of all centers last year. More importantly, it’s the fact that when he is out there taking a draw, there is a better chance that the team loses it than wins it. There are barely, if any at all, good centers in this league with a % anywhere close to that bad.
no, that’s completely ridiculous. if he ranked 169th in facial hair among centers, would that matter? faceoffs aren’t that important. as long as you’re above 40%, you’re not killing your team. because, again, elias loses 1 more faceoff in 20 than does the average center. how important do you think that 1 faceoff really is?
And what about the fact that he scored more in four out of the previous five seasons?
no one did well scoring-wise last season, and elias is 35 years old. he still had a great year and pushed the play in the right direction a ridiculous amount, despite being ‘horrible’ at faceoffs.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
Ok, so faceoffs are irrelevant to this conversation now, and the fact that he scored more in previous seasons is irrelevant now. Well then, I don’t know what else there is to go on. He scored less? Well, wasn’t his fault. He sucks at faceoffs? Well, not important.
Ok, fine. I don’t have the energy to do this tonight.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Ok, so faceoffs are irrelevant to this conversation now, and the fact that he scored more in previous seasons is irrelevant now. Well then, I don’t know what else there is to go on. He scored less? Well, wasn’t his fault. He sucks at faceoffs? Well, not important.
faceoffs are one part of being a center, elias is not good at them. but it’s much more important whether he’s actually a good player. david steckel could not fulfill elias’s role despite being great at faceoffs.
he scored less, but points aren’t the way i evaluate a player, they fluctuate from year to year. not having parise on the power play can’t have helped him very much.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
This is addressable, have Zubrus take faceoffs and then switch positions after the draw.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
No, but he’s better at winning them than Elias. I think it’s a fair compromise.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Aug 1, 2011 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know if JJ will be amazing, but I’d be more than ok with a 2-way center with some play-making finesse. Zajac’s not that well needed #1 playmaker.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
With some of the money I think the Devils should go for Nik Zherdev. When he was allowed ice time for the Flyers he produced points. I Know defense is now a priority but the guy can put up points and could be paired with any star line for the team. Not to mention It would be amazing to see him sink in some against philly.
"Its the letter D"
For some reason I have a feeling that the Devils can be a real offensive threat this year.
"Its the letter D"
by Rory B. Bellows on Aug 1, 2011 9:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Zherdev is remarkably skilled, which makes it ever more telling that nobody has picked him up yet. Even with just 56 games and less than 14:00 of ice time per game last year, he still put up 16 goals. The fact that nobody has taken him shows just how bad he is in every other area of the game, including his attitude (or so we have heard many times in the past). This is even more telling considering that he must be asking for what’s practically a thrift store price at this point, and still nobody wants him on their team.
by Dr. Witticism on Aug 1, 2011 9:36 PM EDT up reply actions
exactly I think the flyers gave him a raw deal considering how their view is on russian players… well up until this summer
"Its the letter D"
by Rory B. Bellows on Aug 1, 2011 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m a pro-russian hockey fan & I tend to think that Nikolaï could be good at hockey if Lemaire was still here,
but seriously we’ve got a kinda rookie coach in DeBoer there, no need to bring in this bi-polar type of players for now.
He’s had many many chance with some respectable teams, but he had behavior issues every time.
Concerning if you ask me.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
Yeah but I think the flyers gave him a rough time last season. I mean look what they do to their star players.
"Its the letter D"
by Rory B. Bellows on Aug 1, 2011 9:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I totally agree about the Flyers episode. Truth is, I was hardly rooting for picking the kid up when he was waived out off Phithy. With a Lemaire & a vengeance he coulda been lethal. We missed something imo.
But this a different season coming.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Aug 1, 2011 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions
My Take?
Chill bros, its the youth movement baby!
Bleed Black & Red
by Goblechuk on Aug 1, 2011 10:12 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Boggles the mind
that there weren’t any takers for Colin White [in a trade]. Can think of plenty of teams who could use a guy like him.
@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
You get it. And you’re not even a Devils fan. I’m kinda surprised how much irrational hate White gets.
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Talking toilet, you may call me Jane.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Aug 2, 2011 6:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Combination of confirmation bias and scapegoatism, if I may make up a word.
Most anti-White posts go something like, “I can’t tell you how many times I saw him do X,” or “Every game I watch it seems like White does X,” where “X” is a “bad thing.”
I have a friend that has hated Colin White since he made a mistake at some point in the 2001 Cup Finals (I have no clue what mistake it was at this point). “Mr. Useless” he’s known as in that circle.
Blueshirt Banter - Where Rangers' Fans Matter
Tracking the Rangers - Numbers don't lie. They just don't agree with you.
Twitter: RangerSmurf
by George E. Ays on Aug 2, 2011 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Budget Cutting or Making Room in the Salary Cap?
With the Devils ownership situation still unsettled and with Lamoriello bringing up the word, “budget”, one has to wonder if the moves to waive White and Hunter have more to do with cutting the budget and less with making more room in the salary cap. I believe Lamoriello has more moves in mind.
I would like to take a moment to thank Colin White for his many years on the Devils and for helping to bring two Stanley Cups to New Jersey. I wish you well in your future!
Now, these moves by Lamoriello open up several opportunities for a number of players. If the pre-season was opening up tomorrow, Coach DeBoer could be looking at the following line combinations and positions to be filled:
Parise – Zajac – Zubrus
Kovalchuk – Elias – Palmieri
Tedenby – Josefson – Clarkson
_/Boulton – Steckel – __
Volchenkov – Greene
Tallinder – Fayne
______ – ______
______
The candidates for 4th line Right Wing and/or Left Wing are: Pelley, Zharvov, Henrique, Jassen and Veilleux. Pelley and Zharkov, most likely will be the favorites
to stay in New Jersey. Janssen, in my opinion has to vastly outplay Boulton. I can’t see
both Boulton and Janssen taking roster spots in New Jersey. I am very curious to see what Henrique and Veilleux can do.
On Defense, the Devils now have several positions open. I hope Salvador returns playing the way he did before he got hurt. If he does, he should be playing on a regular basis. Salvador could also end up being the 7th defenseman. Larsson and Urbom will get their chance to become one of the top 6 defensemen. If they are not ready yet, I hope they are not the 7th defenseman since they need to play on a regular basis to continue developing their game. The other candidates are Taormina, Corrente and Fraser. I am curious to see what Taormina can do playing during an entire season. Let the pre-season begin!
PEACE OUT COLIN WHITE!!!
I’m so glad this happened and you had to feel it coming. While i dont hate Colin White his better years were behind him and with the log jam of players in the system something had to give. With all the pluses there had to be some of the minus. White and Rolston were good players, the key word being WERE. At some point you need to let the youth work into the line up and these two players were holding the team back from making serious moves to either farm out their roles or trade for a younger players. I think this plus the Larrson deal means there may have been a gentlemens agreement for him to play this year. This of course would be contingent upon him making the roster of course. He is the most NHL ready defenseman of the draft & he did wave his bonuses. There had to be some motivation behind that. We have too many players all vying for the same positions, someone had to go. My question is who’s next?? Think about the whole roster, who fits the same profile as the two departed?? Who’s better years are behind them? Who’s position could be filled by youth or trade? And who is making good money while being both of those? We have alot of youth ready to make the leap and while the loyalty of the heart and mind are present it is still a business. All the nostalgia in the world cant buy you a cup!!!!
on white
remember that colin had a ntc, so he had a say in where lou dealt him. why would he want to go to edmonton when hes from the other side of the continent, and would have virtually no chance at a stanley cup this year. i think it could be possible there was an offer out there, but colin could have refused to waive his ntc. the buyout allows colin to go where he wants, so lou decided to extend him the courtesey of finding the team he wanted to play for.
This is true – except for the part where Lou said he was looking for a trade and couldn’t find any takers. White would only be asked to waive his NTC if there was a deal in place. Lou’s quote to Gulitti suggests that didn’t happen – so White didn’t have a say because there was nothing to say anything for.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
youre right, but to be fair lou did not elaborate on that statement. he couldve asked colin to say which teams hed be okay with and which ones he wasent. iti also could mean he didnt find a deal he felt was beneficial to the organization. it doesnt necesarily mean “no takers” at all.
by poopydoodie11 on Aug 2, 2011 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions
on lou
i think the only reason lou bought out colin is because hes paranoid about the jersey numbers and he wanted larsson to be able to wear 5. lol but if you dont think hes paranoid you should know that nobody on the devils has ever worn 13 since lou has been here becasue he has a phobia for the number 13.
That’s pretty interesting. I had to look to it up and it’s true. Robin Burns of the Kansas City Scouts was the last person in the organization to wear 13 at the NHL level.
Once the Islanders move to Kansas City, they can reintroduce 13 to their new fans. Anyone think they will change the name of the team to the Scouts? Hey, it worked for the former Atlanta Thrashers in their new home.
Yeah, everyone knows the Isles are moving to Quebec City.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
WWTTD?
by SinDonor on Aug 2, 2011 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
but if you dont think hes paranoid you should know that nobody on the devils has ever worn 13 since lou has been here becasue he has a phobia for the number 13.
lou may or may not have that phobia, but he claims he’s carrying on a tradition started by some equipment manager or something. no one has worn #13 as a devil at all, so that pre-dates lou.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
Follow up note on trading White from a Couple Months Ago
I would be amiss if I didnt recall that a couple months ago i posted on the board that the Devils should attempt to trade White both to go with more youth and because White’s skills were redundant on the team, and that he was our weakest defenseman generally. My comments drew a score of criticisms to the effect that White was crucial to the team and that i was off my rocker for even entertain the idea that the Devils should and probably would be looking to move him. Well, we now know they were from the start and that they do feel is the weakest D man or the most easily replacable.
Having said that, unless a major trade is coming for a big name or Lou for some reason wants an extraordinary amount of in season flexibility, I think the argument that the team is operating on a self imposed budget is probably the strongest suggestion. and that is really unfortunate because it obvioulsy hampers their ability to compete in what I think is the toughest division in the NHL, where the Penguins, Flyers, and Rangers all look to be solid playoff teams.
your persistance
oh yeah there’s another one of your usernames.acasser something is theother one. yep you’re the “there is no market for langenbrunner or arnott” guy and “a no trade clause means a trade wont happen” guy and now your the “colin white is isnt on the block, the Devils need him next year” guy. keep going buddy. your pathetic. your pathetic not because you wrongheaded so often (although that is telling) but because even when you are blatantly proven to be wrong, you persist in ignorance. very persistent in ignorance.
Your memory and comprehension of past arguments are as faulty as your current reasoning, and, I might add, your grasp of grammar.
by elesias on Aug 2, 2011 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
elesias is not me, and I am not elesias. Why don’t you try and debate the merits of the argument made against you instead of trying to smear everyone who opposes your logic? There’s no particular reason you needed to slander both of us just because you don’t like that our points make sense and in the process have your points make less sense.
Maybe there are some budget woes going on ,b ut as far as ont the ice product this frees up room for guys like Corrente, Urbom, Gelinas, Taormina. I’d also say that AL must’ve impressed @ rookie camp and he’ll make the team to start at least.
With the extra $ the Devs now have the chance to be buyers at this years trade deadline.
So maybe the “big” next deal won’t happen right away but there’s always a chance that a big name player would be coming back then when teams are forced to sell because of their situation.
As far as Whitey, he was a good player but mainly because of his experience and patience, not so much in his talent. I’d be surprised if he weren’t signed quickly by someone. Where have all the whipping boys gone? Good job LL.
I feel like if Salvador does or doesn’t play the defense is so unstable that everyone who is a fan should be worried. Without Salvador you have Greene Volchenkov and Tallinder as the only D-men who know they are playing in the NHL this season. That’s crazy, Fayne Taormina and other D-men can fail big time with the added pressure this year. I don’t know if I feel comfortable about this. I will agree though that the White buyout increases Larsson’s chances to play next season. I think he will if he has a good camp. Lou doesn’t care about burning ELC’s.
Much to no one’s surprise, they both cleared
The question is not how far. The question is, do you possess the constitution, the depth of faith, to go as far as is needed? - Il Duce
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on In Lou We Trust
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- NHL Playoff Beard Watch: Blood, Sweat and Beards of unsung unshaven heroes
- Devils guarantee they’ll downplay 1994 conference finals for Game 6 vs. Rangers
- Dodger Stadium Winter Classic; 10 worst NHL fans; ‘While The Men Watch’ debate (Puck Headlines)
- Lightning GM Yzerman suggests he won’t be trading for Luongo, strengthens position for Luongo trade
- Marek Vs. Wyshynski Radio: Ron Hextall, Luke Richardson and Rangers/Devils
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Shawinigan wins, advances to Memorial Cup semifinal
- Cataractes romp to 6-1 win, eliminate Oil Kings from Memorial Cup
- Despite loss, Phoenix Coyotes build solid foundation in the desert with run to West finals
- Coyotes finish off best season ever
- Maple Leafs sign defensive prospect Petter Granberg to entry level deal
