If the season where to end today the Devils would finish 6th in the East. This is a huge improvement for the Devils after failing to make the postseason last year. Many critics doubted the Devils and Pete DeBoer making the postseason but the Devils have quieted those critics. Yes the Devils have had their ups and downs but to finish 6th would be a great spot for the Devils to possibly advance deep into the postseason.
If the postseason where to start today, the Devils would play the Florida Panthers who are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999-2000 season. If you recall the Devils won the Cup that season. Now I am not saying that will happen again but I think the Panthers are the team the Devils can possibly get over to make it up to the 2nd round. Florida will force the Devils to play their best otherwise it would be another disappointing postseason for the Devils. Believe it or not this is one of the most important postseasons in franchise history due to the fact that if the Devils don’t make a good run they might not be able to convince Zach Parise, who wants to win more than anything, to stay with the Devils after this season. An early playoff disappointment may spell the end of Parise’s career in New Jersey.
So if I were the Devils I would be happy right where they are in the standings because they silenced the critics who said they couldn’t make the postseason. Also playing Florida would be a great opponent to get the Devils in playoff form to make a strong run and keep the face of the franchise.
Let know what you think. Do you think the Devils should be higher or lower in the standings? Is a Florida a team you’d want to play in the postseason?
The Bleacher Report has posted an article on 4 moves the Devils should make. Definitely give this a read. But here is my opinion of each move.
1. Keep Zach Parise- Well yes this is a 100% must for the Devils. If the Devils want to remain a competitive team in the future they are going to need Zach Parise. I believe at this point its a 50/50 shot for Parise. The only thing that bothers me is that the Devils have not started contract talks with Parise but maybe they are waiting until the end of the season to avoid distraction. But Parise makes everyone around him play better and he is a great leader. He should get paid what he wants and I think in a short time he will get a chance for his ring.
2. Cut Ties With Martin Brodeur- I think that cutting ties with Martin Brodeur will not really benefit the team in any way. His contract expires at the end of this season and has a cap hit of $5.2 million. I think that if the Devils can resign him to a $2-$2.5 million a year contract he will be a great asset to helping a younger goaltender come up from Albany along with getting some playing time. Brodeur won’t get that much more money if he tries to go anywhere else. I’d be shocked if he got a big contract someplace else.
3. Make A Push For Tuuka Rask- Yeah it would nice to see Tuuka Rask in net for the Devils but we aren’t playing NHL 12 here. Lets look at it from Boston’s perspective for a second and then we’ll see how feasible this is. Right now Boston has Tim Thomas who is 37 years old, whose contract expires at the end of next season. Thomas doesn’t have much more time, much like Brodeur. Also Tuuka Rask is one of the best goaltenders in the league, if you were Peter Chiarelli would you really trade your future goaltender? I think not.
4.Make An Offer For Alexander Semin- Now they say if Parise walks away, the Devils should make an offer to Semin but I don’t think Semin is anywhere near the player Parise is. Parise is very tough player to replace. Even though Semin has phenomenal skills and the stats to prove it, he is not the complete player Parise is. Semin is a good role guy but he isn’t THE guy.
The latest bit on the Zach Parise ordeal is that although money is going to be a factor in where he plays next season he really wants to play for a team that has a shot of winning a Stanley Cup.
If you were to ask me in the beginning of the season if the Devils were a Stanley Cup team I would have said ‘absolutely not’ but as the season as gone on the Devils have had their fair share of ups and downs. Now if they continue to play how they have played in the last 18 games, during which they have gone 12-5-1, they could be a huge threat in the playoffs. If the Devils can make it to the 2nd round of the playoffs that maybe all the convincing Parise needs to stay with the club. That will ensure that the Devils can be contenders for years to come with emerging players like Adam Henrique and Adam Larsson.
Now Parise is not going to be the only one helping the team make run in the playoffs but he has a good mix of youth (Adam Henrique and Adam Larsson) and experience (Patrik Elias and Anton Volchenkov) in the lineup. This team has the opportunity to help Parise lead this team because lets face it this is Parise’s team. He is the captain, the face. Unless he goes somewhere else this will be his team.
But as the years go on the older players like Elias and Brodeur will not long be able to play. A sad day that will be but it is going to happen. With the way Lou Lamoriello has built this team in the past was through the farm system and I think he has made a lot of smart moves to where the younger guys in the minors will someday be able to come in a fill the void. IE Kinkaid for Brodeur.
Now with a current Devils’ squad that is qualified to make a run in the playoffs this year and years to come thanks to the great farm system that Lou has built. Winning in New Jersey is a very possible goal should Parise stay and lead this team. The only issue remaining is money. If Zach gives the Devils a little home town discount I’m pretty sure its safe to say he would sign in the $7 million range just because he has established himself with this team and he is the go to guy. He may not get that anywhere else that also has a shot of winning a Cup. I think the Devils can find another million to add on to Parise current 1 year $6 million deal.
I maybe complete wrong but I think Parise has all the right reasons to stay in New Jersey. He could get the money he deserves along with ability to win now and in the future. I don’t think he is going to go any where else. He is here to stay in New Jersey.
At the end of this season the two current Devils goaltenders’ contracts expire. For arguments sake lets say that Martin Brodeur retires and the Devils decide not to bring back Johan Hedberg. I think that the Devils should NOT go after a current NHL goaltender(s). I think the most effective way for the Devils to succeed in goal is from within their system.
Jeff Frazee and Keith Kinkaid should be the guys to fill the spots on the roster. I think that the Devils should highly consider doing what is popular in the league right now and not have a true number one goaltender but go with who is hot. Now both of these goaltenders have pretty promising stats from their play in the AHL.
Here are Kinkaid’s stats:
Not bad numbers for a rookie goaltender. I think that with some more time in the AHL this season he could be a great part of a tandem for the Devils next season. Now there maybe some growing pains but that is going to happens with any young goaltender. But if the Devils can upgrade their defense over the course of this season and off season there is no reason why Kinkaid can’t be affective in net.
Here are Frazee’s stats:
Now Frazee might have a a losing record so far this season in the AHL but look at the prior season’s stats. They are all in the same range in terms of GAA and SV%. His consistency is very good. Think that if he gets on a roll in the NHL he can be a great goaltender but if he goes on a cold streak it could be ugly for him. Again consider the growing pains but as a tandem he could be a great young goaltender for the Devils to have on their roster.
Now I know the Devils will be thinking about how they are going to be replacing the future Hall of Famer but I think their best bets are from within. They shouldn’t have to worry about spending money on one true starting goaltender. One goaltender is not the way teams are winning. Most teams are doing a tandem much like how the Devils are doing now with Brodeur and Hedberg. Instead the Devils should focus on upgrading the defense and let the kids grow in net much like Brodeur did when his career started.
The big news coming from yesterday was that the league had finally agreed upon a new realignment for the league next season. Currently the NHL is broken up into two conferences containing 16 teams. With the new realignment it will be broken up into 4 “conferences” The 4 “conference” go as follows:
The way the playoffs would go is the top 4 teams of each “conference” are in the playoffs. 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3. The winners of those series play each other for the ”conference” championship. Once the ”conference” champions are determined, they are reseeded based on regular season points. 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3. The winners play for the Stanley Cup. In theory we can have an all west or all east Stanley Cup finals.
So for the Devils it is essentially the Atlantic division with the inclusion of the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals. This fits well for the Devils because instead of worrying about 15 other teams making the playoffs they have to worry about 6 other teams.
Based on their conference I think the Devils are still a bubble playoff team. Next season (based on this season’s rosters) I could see the “conference” standings going like this.
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
NY Rangers
Washington
Devils
Carolina
NY Islanders
To be honest I could see the bottom 4 teams being interchangeable unless Washington starts to pick it up. I personally really like the format. I think it will promote great rivalries. And if the Devils are playing the Capitals, Penguins, Flyers, Rangers more the Devils could see more air time on NBC which bring on some new fans. I think overall its a win win for the Devils.
Whether or not you want to argue that Ilya Kovalchuk is the face of the Devils franchise, he is and management made that decision when they signed Kovalchuk to that ludicrous 15 year deal. At this current position in the season Kovalchuk has played 18 games and has 14 points (5 goals and 9 assists).
Now it is nice to see that he is spreading the wealth but keep the following stat in mind. David Clarkson, Dainius Zubrus have more goals than Ilya Kovalchuk. Petr Sykora and rookie Adam Henrique have the same amount of goals. That should not be happening. Kovalchuk should be leading the league in goals and right now he is ranked 124th.
With great amounts of money comes great responsibility, or something like that, he needs to be living up to his contract. I’m pretty sure its safe to say that he is not living up to it right now. Now you maybe thinking “Oh well he has 13 more years to live up to his contract.” And my counter statement would simply be, “He is in his prime now but what happens when he gets older?” The time is now for Kovalchuk to get going.
Now Kovalchuk is a franchise player. You build teams around players of his caliber. What do you think the Devils need to do to get the face of the franchise going?
With the Ducks being one of the worst teams in the NHL, it seems like changes are going to be coming to the Ducks. Rumors have been swirling that Bobby Ryan could be on the move. The New Jersey native still have 5 years left on his deal at $5.1 million a year. The Devils have $3.1 million left in cap space so if they were to make a move they would need to move at least $2 million.
Now keep in mind this is NOT fact in any way. Its merely just my opinion.
Right now the Devils are one of the bubble teams to make the playoffs. Ryan’s offensive skill would definitely help the Devils’ struggling offense. I think the player that could go to Anaheim would be David Clarkson. Clarkson would be a great player that could impact the Ducks in other ways than scoring goals.
So lets say this deal happens and Clarkson goes (along with probably some draft picks and prospects) and Zajac comes back here are some good line combinations.
Parise-Zajac-Ryan
Elias-Henrique-Kovalchuk
Sykora-Carter-Zubrus
Tedenby-Mills/Pelley-Janssen
If you ask me that gives the Devils 4 solid lines that can provide something offensively. This gives the Devils a true right wing on the top line. Ryan is that kind of player that can push the Devils into the playoffs and possibly beyond. So in my opinion I think the Devils should go after him.
My final point I think Ryan is the kind of player that can keep the team competitive enough for Parise to want to resign even if it means taking a pay cut. Parise wants to win so if Ryan can help the Devils win he’ll stay even if its for $6 million a year.
So going around the rumor mill is that Zach Parise could be headed to Los Angeles in exchange for Jonathan Bernier and a top player like Dustin Brown or Jack Johnson. Now you maybe thinking to yourself ‘Why would Lou Lamoriello trade the captain?’ There is one huge reason why. 1 year contract.
Over the summer, Parise signed a 1 year contract after being a restricted free agent. The second he signed that deal, everyone and their mothers’ started to speculate that Parise was going to leave New Jersey come this summer. Now we all knew going into the season that there was going to be a slew of rumors but something about this rumor makes a lot of sense for both teams that could lead to an actual deal.
Now lets go over what the Devils could be getting in exchange:
Jonathan Bernier is a 23 year old goaltender who is splitting time with Jonathan Quick. Its seems that at the moment Quick is going to be their main guy in net which leaves Bernier as valuable trade bait for the Kings. Last season Bernier had a record of 25-11 with a GAA of 2.48 and a .913 save percentage. Pretty good numbers if you ask me. He would bring the Devils youth in net and will be the heir to the net once Martin Brodeur retires. I’d like to see this.
Dustin Brown is currently the captain of the Kings so we know Brown could be a leader in the locker room. Last season Brown scored 28 goals and 29 assists with a +17 +/- rating. I could imagine Brown playing right wing on the first line with Kovalchuk. With that combination Brown’s assists would fly through the roof and more importantly helping Kovalchuk put more pucks in the back of the net. That is something all Devils fans want to see. That is a win in my book.
Jack Johnson is a great offensive defenseman that would be a huge help on the powerplay giving the Devils a threat on the point. If there is one thing the Devils are lacking right now is offensive defenseman. The best offensive defenseman on the Devils at the moment is Andy Greene and he has not been cutting it. Last season Johnson had 5 goals and 37 assists. Again a huge get for the Devils.
Now the Devils would have to give something back in return with Parise. My guess since there is a goaltender coming to the Devils, a goaltender is going to have to go and its not going to be Brodeur. My guess is Hedberg will be the one joining Parise on a flight to LA. Hedberg has been playing really well this season and comes with a rather cheap deal. The only thing keeping him is if he doesn’t decide to waive his no trade clause.
Only time will tell. Feel free to give your opinions on this rumor.
Hockey Buzz has a series of questions that surround the New Jersey Devils. They are great questions that really make you think about the Devils and the current state they are in. I will answer those questions…
“1. Will the Devils finish in the top-six of the Eastern Conference, and why or why not?”
I personally do not believe they Devils will finish top 6 in the East. If you look at the standings right now and look at who is currently below the 6th seed, you will understand why I say no. (Also, I know the season just started.) The currently Stanley Cup champions are in 11th place. You have to figure that they will not be down there much longer. Its WAY too early to not consider them to be in the top 6 let alone top 3. Tampa Bay is sitting at 12th. There is too much fire power in that offense to not make the playoff or at most top 6 in the conference. They still have the pieces that brought them to the Eastern Conference finals last season. A lot of the middle of the pack teams like Carolina, Florida, Toronto, Montreal and quite possibly the Islanders can make a run that can push the Devils out of the top 6 or out of the playoffs all together. So I say nay to top 6.
“2. If Martin Brodeur struggles with injuries throughout the year and misses a fair amount of games, can Johan Hedberg hold up?”
Johan has quite a bit of NHL experience at being the number one guy. But I think given his age he may not last. I think it would safer to say that towards the end of the season we see more of Keith Kinkaid of Jeff Frazee. It has become a trend in the NHL to not have a steady number one goaltender but a goaltending tandem. I think Johan may last for a while on his own but he will need to be relieved more often than Brodeur has in recent years when he was healthy. I think a tandem is the smart thing to do especially if the Devils are on the verge of making the playoffs and need Johan for the playoffs.
“3. Ilya Kovalchuk is currently ahead of Zach Parise in the point category. Will it be like that at the end of the year?”
Yes, Kovalchuk will have more points than Parise but the bigger stat here will be +/-. Parise will blow Kovalchuk out of the water in that category. Don’t get me wrong Parise will be up there in points but Kovalchuk will have more on the simple fact that Parise is a better two player. Parise may sacrifice points to be a better defensive player.
“4. Will any of/or both of Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise finish in the top 15 in points this season?”
Nope. If the the first few games showed the exact reason why. So far the Devils have never scored more than 3 goals in a game. (The Los Angeles game the 4th goal was an empty netter, doesn’t really count) If that trend continues and the Devils are winning games via the shootout, I can’t see them being in the top 15. If anyone on the Devils is going to, it’ll be Kovalchuk.
“5. Will Adam Larsson be one of three finalists for the Calder Award, and will he win it? If not, who will?”
Finalist, yes. Winner, yes given that his play is one of the reasons why the Devils give up less goals and proves that he is positively effecting the powerplay. He is no doubt the anchor the defense in the future and if he can really show that in his first year, he will win the Calder.
