In Lou We Trust: FanPosts

2013-14 Regular Season Schedule?

2013-06-17T18:28:06Z

Hey guys. New to In Lou We Trust Anybody have any idea as To When the schedule for next season will come out?

Trying to plan an away game and want to see when they play the wild. Usually it comes out the day before the draft. I know the nhl has to get this whole coyote situation figured out but have you guys heard/know of a date you think it will be released?

Hey guys. New to In Lou We Trust Anybody have any idea as To When the schedule for next season will come out?

Quick draft tix update and question on draft prospect profiles

2013-06-13T22:57:07Z

Hey guys so I just received a call today from a Devils ticket rep, as I had registered through their website to receive tickets to the draft. TG still has the link on his most recent post I believe.

Anyway, he said that a lot of people that registered have a good shot at getting tickets, while the number of tickets for each season ticket holder may go up as well- I think they may have started hammering out details of seating charts which may have opened up sections for general seating for the public. At least, I think this is what the guy said to me, it was early in the morning and I was only half-awake haha so hopefully that helps out with those seeking tix for the draft. Since I may have a connection with a season ticket holder to get one, he also said that I could call him just in case it doesn't work out and I still need one. So there should be more made available as we get closer....*I hope*. Don't like quote me on this or anything I could obviously be wrong.

The question I wanted to ask was if there already is or if there will be a draft prospect profile on Bo Horvat. I scrolled though the section and couldn't find one for him, so I was wondering if he might come up because he had a good jump in ranking towards the end of the season, and since there are later-round prospects being mentioned, I figured he would be too, especially because he could go in the top 20.

Unless I'm blind and just missed him.

Thanks.

Hey guys so I just received a call today from a Devils ticket rep, as I had registered through their website to receive tickets to the draft. TG still has the link on his most recent post I believe.

Unless I'm blind and just missed him.

Thanks.

Stadium Series Jersey Options

2013-06-13T22:29:39Z

As everyone knows by now the Devils are going to be in an Outdoor game in 2014. Lou says that discussions about possible jerseys hasn't happened yet. So let's give him some ideas.

Status Quo

via nhluniforms.com

Why it might not happen: $$$$. These outdoor games are huge money makers for the league and its sponsors.

The Winter Classic has been wildly successful – from attention to attendance to merchandising. Collins said the Winter Classic – one regular-season game – generates 40-60 percent of the merchandising revenue that a market like Boston or Chicago generates when it wins a Stanley Cup.

Interested parties would love to make some extra cash off a specialty jersey.

Garth Snow in a recent interview also stated:

every team has a different jersey that they wear for it

Snow has never been wrong before though right?

Why it might happen: The Devils have one of the best jerseys and logo in the NHL. Don't try to change something that is already great. We can always tell that it's great because when people try to come up with third jersey concepts, they usually are not that good.

Go Green A) White B) Red

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

Why it might not happen: The Devils have already used the Retro Red jersey for St. Patricks Day recently. Again, interested parties might not want something that has already been used.

Why it might happen: The Retro White gets my vote as what I would like to see in the outdoor game. It is part of their history and is something they haven't used or sold in two decades. The one downside to the Retro White might be wanting dark home colors. The Devils are technically the "home" team at Yankee Stadium. Also, it makes it hard to Rock your Red at the Prudential Center with a white jersey.

None of the above

via wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net

via theehl.com

Why it might not happen: This might be the least likely to happen. Not only does it not include the NJ logo, but the Jersey Devils don't have any connection to the current Devils. The outdoor game will be a huge way to promote the team and the Devils might not want their logo to be missing.

Why it might happen: After the Retro White, this is my second place vote. A Red "Jersey Devils" jersey would be a completely new and different dark jersey to sell. Simply using lettering also doesn't try to create a new logo. It would certainly tie in nicely with the "Jerseys Team" theme and if NBC wants to pump up the "roots of the game" and "vintage" aspects for the event, this jersey does that.

What Jersey would you like to see? Vote for your favorite or include your own ideas in the comments below.

As everyone knows by now the Devils are going to be in an Outdoor game in 2014. Lou says that discussions about possible jerseys hasn't happened yet. So let's give him some ideas.

Status Quo

via nhluniforms.com

Why it might not happen: $$$$. These outdoor games are huge money makers for the league and its sponsors.

The Winter Classic has been wildly successful – from attention to attendance to merchandising. Collins said the Winter Classic – one regular-season game – generates 40-60 percent of the merchandising revenue that a market like Boston or Chicago generates when it wins a Stanley Cup.

Interested parties would love to make some extra cash off a specialty jersey.

Garth Snow in a recent interview also stated:

every team has a different jersey that they wear for it

Snow has never been wrong before though right?

Go Green A) White B) Red

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

Why it might not happen: The Devils have already used the Retro Red jersey for St. Patricks Day recently. Again, interested parties might not want something that has already been used.

None of the above

via wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net

via theehl.com

What Jersey would you like to see? Vote for your favorite or include your own ideas in the comments below.

Poll

What should the Devils wear in the Stadium Series?

Finals Poll!

2013-06-12T16:13:26Z

The Bruins and Blackhawks are in the finals. The Blackhawks winning the Western conference probably isn't to much of a surprise. But the Bruins winning the East might be. I thought it would be fun to get a consensus from my fellow ILWT readers.

I really don't have a favorite between the two. I've been routing for both these teams a long the way. Now that they are playing each other, I'm a bit conflicted. I really just want to see a close entertaining seven game series.

Who will win? I'm not going to get into the specific match ups or talk about the goal tending. I think both these teams are deep and talented. However...after watching both conference finals. I just can't see Boston beating Chicago. So I'm going with gut feeling here and calling it:

Chicago in 6.

I'd like to see everyone's predictions. Team and in how many games. Feel free to discuss reasons behind your predictions as well.

Chicago in 6.

I'd like to see everyone's predictions. Team and in how many games. Feel free to discuss reasons behind your predictions as well.

Poll

Who will win the Stanley Cup?

Whats the deal with the draft?

2013-06-09T18:22:40Z

Has anyone heard anything about tickets being available for the draft? It seems like the devils wonderful marketing team has not given anyone any useful information. The only thing regarding tickets to the draft is this

page

I'm not a season ticket holder, nor do I want to have to "win" tickets. I just simply want to purchase two tickets to the draft, yet the devils organization wants to make that mighty challenging. You'd think they would hype this up a bit more considering nothing else is going on for them at the moment.

page

The Future: Looks Promising

2013-05-31T19:57:23Z

I know many of you have complained about the future of the organization in terms of the prospects. I'm here today to tell you that the future is brighter than many of you think. There is little doubt that the offensive prospects are rather unimpressive outside of matteau, boucher, pietilla, and ben jonhson. While this may be the case, there are already several promising young forwards on the NHL roster and Lou will surely replenish the offensive side of the prospects with the 9th and 39th overall picks in this years draft.

A future forward corps of Kovy, Zajac, Henrique, Lokti, Boucher, Matteau, (Monahan, Shinkaruk, or Linholm), Josefsen, and Pietilla can be very effective and if most things work out, dominant. IMO that is a top 9 that does a little bit of everything and one that you can win a Cup with.

The current strength of the Devils organization is the young, talented defensemen. All of the top defense prospects possess great size, almost all are above 6 3, and have some type of offensive upside. The leader has to be Adam Larsson who already has over 100 NHL games under his belt at the age of 20. I look for him to take an increased role (yes that means more offense) this year. Jon Merrill is a big dman (6 3 over 210 pounds) with good agility, hockey IQ, and the ability the run a PP while being steady on defense. Eric Gelinas is a big dman (6 4 over 200 pounds) who possess great offensive instincts (he led the AHL in goals with 16 2 years ago), he has very good speed, and has the long reach and size to be effective on defense. The last of the current big 4 Alexander Urbom is in fact the biggest at 6 5. Urbom has waited to crack the Devils lineup for a couple years. He eventually will provide the Devils with a steady, physical presence that can contribute some offensively especially for a 4th dman. Add Damon Severson, Mark Fayne, and Reece Scarlet to the mix and the Devils should be more than okay in the future.

Lastly the Devils obviously have to replace the greatest goalie of all time and also possible NHL cover boy Martin Brodeur. In the pipes they have Keith Kinkaid who had a solid season in Albany and who many feel will be the era-parent to Brodeur, Scott Wedgewood the former 3rd round pick. One of Kinkaid and Wedgewood should step into a starters role and be good enough to win a lot of games considering the team they will have in front of them.

With all of this in mind the tremendous depth that the Devils will have throughout the organization after this year's draft will enable them to be successful and maintain the excellent play that has become synonymous with wearing the Devils uniform.

RAGS FIRE TORTS

2013-05-30T03:22:10Z

The Rags announced today that they fired John Tortorella. Personally, I hate the guy so much that I'm very happy he's gone. On the other hand,. he added to the rivalry between the two clubs, so i don't know how his absence will affect that. But I love this move because it's deflating for the Rangers organization. I think it lowers their morale to a degree. To all you Devils fans: I want to know what your feelings are.

Poll

As a Devils fan, what are your feelings about the Rags firing Torts?

I love that he's gone

30 votes

I'm upset that he's gone

7 votes

I couldn't care less

34 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed

Should the Devils trade down?

2013-05-27T04:20:37Z

Ever since reading the Ryan Hartman draft profile (KUTGW by the way), I've been thinking about the Devils moving away from the number 9 pick. Obviously it would depend on the Devils' board and if they had a player they wanted to take at #9 or not, plus having a partner that does have someone they want to take at #9. But, without any names, could we possibly see the Devils move down, and if so, how bad would we freak out about it collectively as a fanbase, for better or for worse?

First, a look at the numbers. Copper and Blue, via NHLNumbers.com, had the breakdown about the success rate of various draft picks based on where they are picked (from 1997-2005), which came up last year as an argument about keeping the pick that became Stefan Matteau. The band from 8-13, where the Devils currently pick, has a success rate of about 34%, or a 1 in 3 chance a GM takes a top player (defined as someone with 200GP and a 0.50 Pts/Gm average for forwards). From 14-25 sees the rate drop off to 28%, while from 26-30 is 27%.

We know that the Devils are keeping the 2013 pick and getting rid of their 2014 pick. It makes sense. Hopefully the Devils will be earn a draft pick lower than 9th next year anyway. But would a 34% chance of a top player this year and a 0% chance (barring trades) next year be better than two 28% chances this year? It seems like for the 6% difference, the Devils could make a trade.

The most obvious trading partner when it comes to picks is, for me, the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets, by virtue of sending many of their players to Our Hated Rivals and the Kings, have three first round picks in the 2013 draft: 14th, the Rangers' pick*, and the Kings' pick^. If they had someone they wanted to take at the number 9 spot, a potential swap of picks could see them get the 9th pick and keep the Rangers pick, while giving Lou the 14th pick and the Kings pick. The Rangers' pick has as much likelihood for success as the 14th, per the Copper and Blue numbers, and Columbus improves on the percentage from the Kings' pick to the 9th by 6-7%. Meanwhile, the Devils would decrease by 6% to move to 14th but gain a whopping 27-28% on the chance of success of next year's forfeited pick.

*The Rangers' pick will be 18th if Detroit makes the Western Conference Final, and 19th if Chicago makes the Western Conference final.

^The Kings' pick will be 20th if they do not make the Western Conference Final, and 27th or below if they do make the Western Conference final.

Very few other teams have multiple draft picks in the 1st round. Calgary has 2, at 21/22 (from St. Louis) and 27 or below (from Pittsburgh). Even if the numbers "worked" in the Devils favor, I'm not sure they make that trade or should. Dallas also has 2, if I'm correct, because the Bruins made the ECF and give up a pick as a result of the Jagr deal, which would give the Stars the 10th and 27th or below (from Boston). While I'm sure Lou would happily move down 1 spot for an extra pick, I can't see Dallas making that trade. Montreal has two early second round picks, 34th and 36th, but with a first round pick no higher than 24th that does not make them great trading partners with the Devils (at least not for the no. 9 pick.) So there's also a problem of finding the right trade partners.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that this is a Devils team not far removed from a Prince of Wales trophy, and they are a team that is certainly in "win-now" mode and the Devils are more likely to find a contributor to next year's roster that can take them back to the heights at number 9 than at a lower pick. Stockpiling picks seems more like a rebuilding idea than a win-now idea, and this might not be the best move considering that.

In this coming draft, the Devils start with the 9th, 39th, 100th, and 160th picks and next year, only a 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th round pick. But they could also be just one player away from being the 2011-12 Devils or better. So "You be the Lou" - would you want to see the Devils turn their 1 first round pick into 2 this year, or a lower first rounder but more low round picks? Would you rather them trade the 9 slot for a player? Or is a shot at an NHL-ready contributor at number 9 more important? Feel free to vote and comment below.

*The Rangers' pick will be 18th if Detroit makes the Western Conference Final, and 19th if Chicago makes the Western Conference final.

^The Kings' pick will be 20th if they do not make the Western Conference Final, and 27th or below if they do make the Western Conference final.

Poll

Would you mind the Devils trading down?

Amnesty Buyout Speculation

2013-05-25T19:29:07Z

I was thinking about the Devils, and the fact that they have a lot of cap space this summer to sign someone decent to fill that top 6 role that the Devils are missing right now. The UFA list really isn't super deep this year. I would say the only people maybe worth consideration are Nathan Horton and maybe Derek Roy. That's not much of a choice exactly. The most significant UFA is Jarome Iginla, who is up there in years and probably not much of an option for the Devils.

All that said, the cap is going down, and there are going to be a lot of teams up against the cap. With the cap constraints, salary dumps will be less plausible than in years past. I am guessing more than a few guys will be bought out this summer using an amnesty buyout. As a result, the UFA market might be a bit better than it appears. People being bought out doesn't mean that they aren't NHL caliber players. It simply means their team will be up against the cap, and their contract is hamstringing their team. A few years ago, would the Devils fans have been happy to keep Rolston at half his cap hit? Maybe so. Ill start with the one most relevant to the Devils.

Anton Volchenkov: At 4.5 million per, and his declining play, I would argue hes the most obvious choice. I think most fans would support this. I feel he could be replaced internally by one of our better D prospects. If not, someone cheaper on the UFA market could do the same thing, say, Douglas Murray.

...

Next I would like to mention some guys who I think are at risk of being bought out on other teams. Admittedly, I am not an expert on these teams. I know a little more than the casual fan about other teams, but I don't exactly frequent their SBNation pages to know every little dynamic, their prospects, etc. That said, from the outside these guys might be in the cross-hairs.

...

Dany Heatley: His actual salary isn't bad at 5 million, but his cap hit is 7.5 for the remaining season he has is questionable. His play has declined for the last few years. With Voldemort and his sleepover buddy hogging up a nice chunk of cap space in the land of 10,000 lakes, the Wild are up against it. They have just over 9 million of cap space next year to sign, by my count, 2 forwards, 2 D, and Backstrom. Even if Backstrom takes a pay cut (lets say 5 per, as opposed to the 6 he makes now) that leaves them 4 million for 4 players.. Adding 7.5 million in cap space, for 5 million in actual cash loss is a decent option. For the right price, this is someone I wouldn't mind having on the Devils to see if he could get it back together. He and Kovy were said to be close friends, and were often line mates in Atlanta. That was ages and some off-ice trouble ago, but at 32, I think a change of scenery could be what he needs. Hes got some left.

Ilya Bryzgalov: All tiger blood and bear jokes aside, the guy hasn't earned a penny of his contract. By many accounts, hes a locker room distraction with his antics. The Flyers have maybe 2.5 million of cap space this coming year if you figure Pronger is gonna be LTIR again. While it would appear they have plenty of guys under contract, one would think that after a finish like this year they might want to make some changes. If not this year, than the following year they have some interesting RFAs in Giroux, Schenn, Couturier, and Mason. Matt Read is a UFA then too. All would be due raises I think. Admittedly they would have a lot of salary off the books in 2014 with the departure of Meszaros and Timmonen, but those guys would need replaced as well. Bryz is just plain a bad contract. Marty retiring or not, I don't know that I would want this guy on my team but someone might.

Brad Richards: This guy is under fire in the media as of late. Its a lot of speculation, but some people think hes on his way out. Like Bryz, hes signed to eternity with a contract not unlike Kovalchuks. Only Kovalchuk kinda produces, Richards hasn't. When's the last time most teams sat or 4th lined someone who makes almost 6.7 million AAV in the playoffs? Thankfully, they can no longer Wade Redden him. It would be costly, but the Rags have some RFAs coming up that actually play in Hagelin, Stepan and McDonagh. The following season, they have some very significant RFAs and UFAs in both of their goalies, Dan Girardi, Del Zotto, Krieder, and Brassard, This one admittedly, I think is the least likely for now, but still in the realm of possibility.

Marc-Andre Fleury: This guy might be trade bait more than buyout bait at his age and contract, but I will throw him in here. I think the Penguins have to seriously consider unloading him. Hes the younger version of Luongo. Regular season victories don't mean much if you can't hold it together in the playoffs. I would even argue much of his success is due to a strong Pens team. The cap is about to dismantle the Penguin's team if you don't realize it. I think that partially explains Shero's "all in." They likely aren't getting better. This coming year they need to sign 3 forwards, and a D to have a full roster for 7 million. Two significant FA forwards are Tyler Kennedy with his minimum QO of 2 million, and Pascal Dupuis who is due a raise from his 1.5 million. The following year all hell will break loose, with Malkin, Letang, Orpik Kunitz, Sutter, Niskanen, and prospect Simon Despres needing signed. Would I want him? I don't know. Probably not, and probably unlikely to happen anyhow. Maybe if we let him platoon with his idol Brodeur, well see.

All this is speculation, like much of what we all like to do on ILTW. These players would all need to be replaced somewhat by their respective teams so that alone may kill some of these ideas. Who does everyone thing will end up bought out around the league? Would anyone think taking a chance on someone bought out is worth it? Thanks for reading.

...

2013 Off-Season: RFA Speculation

2013-05-09T17:59:39Z

According to Capgeek.com, the Devils have 11 RFA's coming up this off-season, six of whom are roster players (the other five are on the Albany roster). A few rules from the CBA are very important for speculating on what is going to happen with our RFA players. They involve the point at which a player can become a UFA and the ability of a team to re-sign its own players for up to eight years. On top of all this, the reduction in the NHL Salary Cap from $70.2M to $64.3M next season will have an impact.

Chiefly among these concerns is going to be UFA eligibility. One of the primary responsibilities of a player agent is to maximize a player's income and player's make more money as UFAs than they do by continuing to play for the team that drafted them. The current CBA specifies that a player becomes eligible for UFA status once they reach the age of 27 or they have played seven seasons in the NHL. Most player's are going to want to setup their situation so that their current contracts end at the same time they become UFA eligible, to maximize their UFA eligibility.

Given this information, let's take a look, in alphabetical order, at our RFAs:

Jean-Sebastien Berube, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $540,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $594,000
Berube is a late-round pick who is a trying to be a physical presence on the ice. He only played in 23 games this season, splitting his time between the AHL and the ECHL. Berube is 22 so he still has some time to develop into a fourth-liner, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Devils give him two or three more years since we love our tough guys. He won't get more than his Qualifying Offer dictates though.
Speculation: 2 Years @ $594,000

Matt D'Agostini, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $1.8M
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $1.8M
D'Agostini was a 20-goal scorer back in 2010-11 with the St. Louis Blues, but has struggled greatly to reproduce that success. Perhaps the burden of his extension was the source of his difficulty, but it's hard to say. Whatever the cause, the expectations were not met, and there seems little chance that D'Agostini will be qualified at his current salary. That said, it may not be a bad idea to re-sign him as a UFA, instead of making a qualifying offer. Lou clearly sees some promise in him, and other players thrown to the wayside, such as Steve Bernier, have been able to rebound somewhat with the Devils.
Speculation: 1 Year @ $900,000 as a UFA, no Qualifying Offer

Adam Henrique, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $525,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $577,500
The former Calder Trophy candidate had a serious sophomore slump. Still, Henrique is due for a modest pay day based on his performance. He was benched late in the season, and deservedly so, but on a team with a coach who likes to make his young players watch from the press box, Henrique has been consistently in the lineup. At the age of 23, and having appeared in the NHL in three seasons, Adam will be looking for a four-year deal to take him right up to UFA eligibility. Lou will likely have to give it to him, just as he did with Travis Zajac. Zajac's four-year deal was for $3.9M, but he was more consistent than Henrique.
Speculation: 4 Years @ $3.0M

Mike Hoeffel, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $687,500
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $721,875
Hoeffel was a decent forward in college and the Devils signed him as an undrafted free agent. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued him in two seasons in Albany in which he has 19 points in 102 games. This is definitely not the production the Devils were hoping for, but not cause to let him walk away. I expect the Devils to give the 24-year-old another look at a cheap enough cost to see if he has a future as a bottom-six forward at any level.
Speculation: 2 Years @ $725,000

Jacob Josefson, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $900,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $945,000
Josefson has had a lot of ups and downs in three seasons with the Devils, but the potential for a solid two-way third-line center is evident. Josefson plays well on the penalty kill, but his consistency has been questionable. JJ is only 22 but he's played three seasons, which means he'll also be looking for a four-year deal, like Adam Henrique. Injuries and inconsistency have been the bane of Josefson's career so far, but he certainly deserves an opportunity to play a full season with wingers more talented than Krys Barch and Tom Kostopolous.
Speculation: 4 Years @ $1.5M

Dan Kelly, Defenceman
2012-13 Salary: $590,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $649,000
The Devils have a ton of defencemen in the system and Kelly is a defensive blue-liner. With Salvador, Volchenkov, Fayne and Tallinder in the NHL it's unlikely Kelly would be needed even as a depth defender at any point. However, it's important to keep players in Albany so the team can be competitive, and with Jay Leach and Matt Corrente both likely being let walk as UFAs, that's where I expect Kelly to play out the next few years.
Speculation: 3 Years @ $700,000

Keith Kinkaid, Goaltender
2012-13 Salary: $665,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $698,250
This is a big off-season for Kinkaid, but that's mostly because Jeff Frazee is a UFA. The Devils have some important decisions to make. Kinkaid and Frazee along with Maxime Clermont and Scott Wedgewood are all battling for the chance to ascend to Martin Brodeur's throne one day. Kinkaid was made the starter in Albany this season, which makes it seem likely that Frazee's time with the organization has come to an end. I expect to see Kinkaid/Wedgewood in Albany this season, and Frazee's next contract should reflect that.
Speculation: 4 Years @ $1.0M

Andrei Loktionov, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $575,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $632,500
Loktionov had a break-out season in a contract year which is the best time to have a break-out season. Though he's only 22 now, he made his NHL debut at the age of 18 (like Ilya Kovalchuk) and could be a UFA as soon as three years from now. His production was on par with Adam Henrique's this season, though his consistency was not as good. Regardless, he appears to be the pivot that brings life to Ilya Kovalchuk and that's worth a decent pay raise.
Speculation: 3 Years @ $2.5M

Harri Pesonen, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $595,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $654,500
Pesonen was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Finland and put up 30 points in 64 games in Albany earning him a late-season call-up from the Devils. His scoring potential is going to be enough to keep him around an organization that severely lacks in goal-scoring. He's 24 now, so a three-year deal brings him to UFA eligibility.
Speculation: 3 Years @ $900,000

Mike Sislo, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $595,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $654,500
Sislo is basically in the same boat as Pesonen, but is a year older and played college hockey for the University of New Hampshire. He has 53 points in 120 games over two seasons with Albany. Keeping him around, along with Pesonen and the incoming Matteau and Boucher should help develop some scoring talent in the AHL over the next couple of seasons. Sislo is 25 so his clock is ticking. He was called up at the end of the season, but DeBoer did not dress him for any games.
Speculation: 2 Years @ $900,000

Mattias Tedenby, Forward
2012-13 Salary: $875,000
Minimum Qualifying Offer: $918,750
At this point I don't know what to make of Tedenby. I wouldn't be surprised if the Devils don't qualify him. I wouldn't be surprised if they do. His expected raise up to almost $1M seems negligible since the likelihood of him getting another crack at the NHL is unlikely. I expect Lou to give him one last shot at training camp, though I also wouldn't be surprised if Tedenby went back to Sweden at this point either.
Speculation: 1 Year @ $920,000

That's my take on the Devils' RFA situation. What do you guys think?

Given this information, let's take a look, in alphabetical order, at our RFAs:

That's my take on the Devils' RFA situation. What do you guys think?

Just wondering

2013-05-09T01:32:00Z

Just wanted to get some thoughts from everyone on Mason Ramond from Vancouver. Ufa with a left handed shot. Might be a nice fit in the top six? So what do you think. He has some good skill and seems to be fairly tough. Looks like Vancouver is going to be making changes. Anyway thats all but I have to keep writing cause I need 75 words to publish this post. I think thats kinda stupid if you ask me. But whatever.

Discuss the 2013 Playoffs Here - Open Post

2013-05-02T21:48:23Z

I realize I should have put this up two days ago, but better late the never. Anyway, while the New Jersey Devils aren't in it this year no thanks to rotten luck, poorer special teams, and dropping a third of the season in winless streaks, the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs are still worth your viewing attention. The games are all exciting, the mistakes and triumphs can set careers for better or worse, and, most of all, it's hockey, which is a sport you enjoy watching. So if you want to share your thoughts, hope for a certain rival in the East to lose, or laugh at a miscue like this Hedbergian move by Jon Quick, this is the place to do it. Therefore, please leave all your playoff-related discussion in the comments here.

NHL.com makes it easy to track who's doing what and what times the games are so go there to know what's on and where.

Corsi as 5v5 Goal Differential Predictor

2013-04-24T07:48:01Z

The Devils lost basically every game since February 23rd. (Fine, that’s an exaggeration. But not one big enough to merit correction).

I’ve been trying to figure out why. One debate (this came up towards the end of Talking Red 108: Short and Sweet) is whether or not shots are a good measure of offense for the Devils.

So I took a quick look at how strong of a predictor Corsi was for 5v5 goal differential for the Devils this season.

These stats span from the euphoric beginning of the season through the inconsequential win over the Canadiens on the 23rd. I grabbed them from NHL.com.

Shot differential is plotted on the horizontal axis, and 5v5 goal differential on the vertical. The Devils are our frame of reference, of course, so the positive in each case represents them outshooting and outscoring their opponents.

The Devils outshot their opponents 30 times, but this only led to a positive 5v5 goal differential in 8 games. In the 14 games the Devs were outshot, they lost 5v5 play 9 times. (2 games had 0 team Corsi. Devils won them both. Shot for shot is the new strategy?)

For those of you looking for wonkier stats, I did run a regression. The correlation between the two was .204. So a higher Corsi does weakly correspond to a bigger positive goal differential. But, once again, the relationship is weak. Furthermore it’s more strongly influenced by the negative side (Devils being outshot leads to larger 5v5 goal deficit) than the positive.

This is a small sample. But it’s all we have to autopsy. So here’s my take:

We need a new forward.

The Devils lost basically every game since February 23rd. (Fine, that’s an exaggeration. But not one big enough to merit correction).

I’ve been trying to figure out why. One debate (this came up towards the end of Talking Red 108: Short and Sweet) is whether or not shots are a good measure of offense for the Devils.

So I took a quick look at how strong of a predictor Corsi was for 5v5 goal differential for the Devils this season.

These stats span from the euphoric beginning of the season through the inconsequential win over the Canadiens on the 23rd. I grabbed them from NHL.com.

This is a small sample. But it’s all we have to autopsy. So here’s my take:

We need a new forward.

The Devils Over the Weekend: A Capsule of What’s Right and Wrong with this Team

2013-04-22T23:14:40Z

Saturday versus the Panthers
The game at The Rock on Saturday afternoon against the Panthers contained many of the elements that the Devils lacked during their horrible losing streak. The Devils scored goals, moved the puck well, controlled the neutral zone, crashed the net, and created plays out of the forecheck.

The team got off to a slow start, as it has done frequently this season, but obviously they gained momentum as the game went on. They were aggressive on the ice which I thought was lacking during long stretches of this abbreviated season. I think they need that edge in order to win close games against good teams, and I was hoping they would carry that aggressive edge to MSG to play the Rangers.

The concerns I had coming out of the Florida game were the fact that the Panthers had abundant open ice space in the 1st period which lead to a number of scoring opportunities. At that time, I thought if the Devils repeat that against the Rangers, they would be in trouble (we see how that played out). The other issue I had with the game on Saturday was the way the Devils handled the puck in their own end of the ice. More than a few times, they were sloppy with the puck in those areas, which as we fellow hockey fans know, leads to turnovers in our own end and a scoring chance for the opponent.
Overall, I was happy they got the win at home and seemed to break out of the scoring drought.

Sunday versus the Rangers
After a disastrous 1st period at MSG, which included the Devils taking too many penalties, and making a number of mistakes against a Rangers team that needed the win, I thought they settled down in the 2nd period.
However, I must mention the terrible job done by the referees in this game, I have friends who are Rangers fans calling me today saying that the referees made some terrible calls in the game! The penalty on D’Agostini for holding the stick was a terrible call, as he is falling in a dazed state after that vicious hit he took on the boards. The officiating of the game was totally lopsided and completely influenced the outcome of this game.
The Devils did not forecheck well, and they over passed or over rotated the puck. They needed to put more shots on goal against Lundquist and they did not do so. Their spacing on the ice was a mess for large stretches of this game. In one sequence though, in the 2nd period, they were spaced out better and created some solid scoring chance, but could not convert them.
Brodeur was screened on 2 goals, and the other goal, the first goal by Callahan went in off the skate of Brodeur and into the net. The Pyatt goal was the result of a bad turnover by the Devils defense, which I was concerned about in the Florida game the day before, the way they were sloppy handling the puck in their end.
One of the bright spots for the Devils came right after that goal in the 2nd period, where Zajac just missed a goal on a great chance. That rush started on a great pass by Zidlicky to create that scoring opportunity.
In the 3rd period, the other Callahan goal was the back breaker. It came again after a series of bad penalties called by the referee, but also was a direct result of very good passing by the Rangers. The Devils also over pursued that play to a large degree, and Brodeur was out of position to prevent that goal.
In the end, the Loktionov goal was nice, but too little too late for New Jersey, and the Devils will miss playoffs after that magical run last season. The Devils just never got the pace in this game, and they could not create odd man rushes which really limited their ability to score on Lundquist.

Looking ahead to next season
Now, the Devils and Lou Lamoriello have to make some important roster decisions in the summer off season. First, the Patrick Elias situation will be the topic we will all blog about, whether or not he gets an offer or tests the market remains to be seen. I can think of nothing worse than Elias in a Rangers or Flyers or Bruins uniform. I think he has played well enough to warrant playing his whole career for the Devils.
Next, we have the Clarkson and Zubrus situations that will be the other sub plots of the summer. All I know is I do not want to see Clarkson playing for Toronto. I hope both he and Zubrus will be back.
Finally, the goaltending situation, I think Brodeur still has something left in the tank. This season showed that he may need more time off to stay fresh. I believe the Devils need to cut ties with Hedburg and either acquire a goalie from outside the organization or look to promote one from within their system. Unfortunately, this is what we fellow Devils fans are writing about today, now that the playoff dreams are over.

The past two games for the New Jersey Devils over the weekend really encapsulated what was right and wrong with this team. I will begin with the victory over the Panthers on Saturday, continue with the terrible loss yesterday to the arch rival Rangers, and conclude with where the team is headed going into next season. Saturday versus the Panthers The game at The Rock on Saturday afternoon against the Panthers contained many of the elements that the Devils lacked during their horrible losing streak. The Devils scored goals, moved the puck well, controlled the neutral zone, crashed the net, and created plays out of the forecheck. The team got off to a slow start, as it has done frequently this season, but obviously they gained momentum as the game went on. They were aggressive on the ice which I thought was lacking during long stretches of this abbreviated season. I think they need that edge in order to win close games against good teams, and I was hoping they would carry that aggressive edge to MSG to play the Rangers. The concerns I had coming out of the Florida game were the fact that the Panthers had abundant open ice space in the 1st period which lead to a number of scoring opportunities. At that time, I thought if the Devils repeat that against the Rangers, they would be in trouble (we see how that played out). The other issue I had with the game on Saturday was the way the Devils handled the puck in their own end of the ice. More than a few times, they were sloppy with the puck in those areas, which as we fellow hockey fans know, leads to turnovers in our own end and a scoring chance for the opponent. Overall, I was happy they got the win at home and seemed to break out of the scoring drought. Sunday versus the Rangers After a disastrous 1st period at MSG, which included the Devils taking too many penalties, and making a number of mistakes against a Rangers team that needed the win, I thought they settled down in the 2nd period. However, I must mention the terrible job done by the referees in this game, I have friends who are Rangers fans calling me today saying that the referees made some terrible calls in the game! The penalty on D’Agostini for holding the stick was a terrible call, as he is falling in a dazed state after that vicious hit he took on the boards. The officiating of the game was totally lopsided and completely influenced the outcome of this game. The Devils did not forecheck well, and they over passed or over rotated the puck. They needed to put more shots on goal against Lundquist and they did not do so. Their spacing on the ice was a mess for large stretches of this game. In one sequence though, in the 2nd period, they were spaced out better and created some solid scoring chance, but could not convert them. Brodeur was screened on 2 goals, and the other goal, the first goal by Callahan went in off the skate of Brodeur and into the net. The Pyatt goal was the result of a bad turnover by the Devils defense, which I was concerned about in the Florida game the day before, the way they were sloppy handling the puck in their end. One of the bright spots for the Devils came right after that goal in the 2nd period, where Zajac just missed a goal on a great chance. That rush started on a great pass by Zidlicky to create that scoring opportunity. In the 3rd period, the other Callahan goal was the back breaker. It came again after a series of bad penalties called by the referee, but also was a direct result of very good passing by the Rangers. The Devils also over pursued that play to a large degree, and Brodeur was out of position to prevent that goal. In the end, the Loktionov goal was nice, but too little too late for New Jersey, and the Devils will miss playoffs after that magical run last season. The Devils just never got the pace in this game, and they could not create odd man rushes which really limited their ability to score on Lundquist. Looking ahead to next season Now, the Devils and Lou Lamoriello have to make some important roster decisions in the summer off season. First, the Patrick Elias situation will be the topic we will all blog about, whether or not he gets an offer or tests the market remains to be seen. I can think of nothing worse than Elias in a Rangers or Flyers or Bruins uniform. I think he has played well enough to warrant playing his whole career for the Devils. Next, we have the Clarkson and Zubrus situations that will be the other sub plots of the summer. All I know is I do not want to see Clarkson playing for Toronto. I hope both he and Zubrus will be back. Finally, the goaltending situation, I think Brodeur still has something left in the tank. This season showed that he may need more time off to stay fresh. I believe the Devils need to cut ties with Hedburg and either acquire a goalie from outside the organization or look to promote one from within their system. Unfortunately, this is what we fellow Devils fans are writing about today, now that the playoff dreams are over.

Why the Devils Shouldn't Tank the Last 3 Games (1st-round pick forfeit talk)

2013-04-22T05:02:36Z

We all know about the first-round pick forfeit situation, but one reason I heard that was interesting for why they didn't give it up last year when they picked Matteau is because of just how low that pick was. Picking 29th for the first round means you don't pick until 59th in the second, where there might have been a steep drop-off in talent by the time they got to make their first pick.

If they wind up in the standings to pick around 10-15th, then they can draft a mid-2nd round player that might have just fallen out of the first, but still get your highest pick of the year without missing out on too much.

Of course, if you're due to pick within the top 10, you might miss out on a good player, but again that means you get to pick high in the second and it still might make sense to do that if you're trying to be strategic about dealing with this and still getting the best pick possible. But losing a 14th overall wouldn't hurt as much, I would bet. So if they actually get 3 or 4 points out of the next 3 games (and maybe knock the Rangers out of the 8th spot in the last game, we can dream) it would help make the decision on this.

And then there's next year, and who the heck knows what's going to happen with the team before now and then. I've also heard everything about the '14 draft that it's not going to be good at all, to people saying it's actually deeper than this year's. It all depends on how much Lou is willing to bet on the turnover of the team after this year, and whether it'll be good enough to get back in the playoffs so we don't have to forcefully give up a potential top-10 (and hopefully not be in a bad enough position for higher).

The point is, this might just be the prime time and position to give up the pick because we actually have some control over its position right now that we might not next year, to not get hurt badly by the forfeit. You obviously don't tank in the playoffs or quit in the regular season until you're absolutely eliminated from them to worry about a pick. For the position we've wound up in right now, it's a good time to do this so we don't have to take our chances next year.

We could also finally stop discussing it in dumb repetitive posts like this one and worrying about it, and take some pressure off next year about where they'll finish (of course that pressure's more on the fans, not the team), apart from being in a playoff position again.

....unless, of course, we win the draft lottery again with a 0.5% chance. Look, don't take this away from me, I need it right now.