Tag Archives: TRAVIS ZAJAC

Buzz: Should Devils Chase Bobby Ryan?

The Anaheim Ducks were eliminated from the postseason, which means we can all start speculating about whether winger Bobby Ryan will be traded this summer. The Ducks have devoted a lot of cap space to Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and there might not be enough left to keep Ryan, who is due to count $5.1 million against the cap for each of the next two seasons (per Cap Geek).

If a 30-goal scorer is on the trade market, you would think Lou Lamoriello and the Devils would be interested. Todd Cordell of Hockey Buzz posed the question, speculated about Anaheim’s asking price and then answered it rather definitively.

Via Hockey Buzz:

His points per game average was down a bit from his standards this season but he still had more even strength goals and points than every player on the Devils, so clearly he’d be a welcome addition.

Now about the cost. What would it be? I’m guessing the Devils would have to include one of Eric Gelinas / Alex Urbom / Jon Merrill as well as another forward prospect (likely Stefan Matteau or Reid Boucher), an NHL center off of their roster and potentially the 9th overall pick (depending on the prospects/center they offer).

A steep price, indeed, but you don’t get young perennial 30 goal scorers without giving up a lot. You have to give to get, they say.

Whether Ryan ends up a Devil or not, Devils GM, Lou Lamoriello, must make some calls and try to get his hands on Ryan. Lamoriello has said you look at every opportunity to improve your roster. Well, an opportunity is sitting right in front of you.

Corey Griffin

Cordell’s argument is a fair one. The Devils don’t have a lot of players with the offensive game that Ryan possesses and 30-goal scorers are increasingly rare commodities. I don’t disagree that Lamoriello should (and probably will) make a call to Ducks GM Bob Murray if indeed Ryan is available. Even if the Devils retain David Clarkson and Patrik Elias, we saw this season that’s not enough. If Clarkson leaves, Ryan would be a much better offensive replacement and likely at a similar cost value given what Clarkson could get on the open market. Ryan would give the Devils an instant 1-2 punch on the right side with Ilya Kovalchuk and could prove to be an incredibly dangerous winger playing alongside Adam Henrique or perhaps even be a new bestie for the sullen Travis Zajac. The idea, in theory, sounds like a no-brainer.

But you lose me at the cost. As we saw this season, the Devils have minimal depth both at the NHL level and throughout the organization. Sacrificing one of your top defensive prospects along with your top offensive prospect, a current NHL center and potentially the No. 9 overall pick in a talent-rich draft is way too much for a franchise like the Devils to give up. Lamoriello needs to keep adding to the prospects and the talent base, not subtract from it. I understand the idea of adding a talent like a Ryan (a N.J. kid, no less) is absolutely tantalizing. Some of you might say that trading unproven talent for proven skill is always worth it — and a lot of times I would agree with you. But I worry about this team beyond next season or the year after that. There has to be a talent pipeline once more and a trade for Ryan might very well gut it of most of the top-level players.

While I appreciate the idea and think Ryan could be a very helpful addition, I just think it’s a short-sighted move meant to capitalize on what’s left of Martin Brodeur’s career. The Devils need to build for next year and what happens after Marty retired, not one or the other. What do you think?

Leftovers From Thursday Night

I got a lot of postgame info last night. Most of it I used in Postgame Thoughts, yet some spilled over into today.

Here are some leftovers from the Devils’ 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

For whatever reason, the arena seemed exceedingly quiet until Travis Zajac’s second-period goal.

Maybe the Pens were playing a perfect road game. Maybe the 16,122 were tense and sad about the Devils’ final home game. But whatever the reason, the crowd was very quiet.

Even as the Devils mounted their comeback it seemed quiet. I guess that’s what happens when you’re unaccustomed to missing the postseason.

Still, Devils coach Peter DeBoer credited the team’s supporters.

“Fans have been amazing,” DeBoer said. “I can’t thank them enough. I really feel badly that we’re not giving them playoff hockey this year.”

Pittsburgh’s much-heralded trade-deadline additions have been outstanding.

Jarome Iginla has nine points in 12 games. Jussi Jokinen scored on Thursday– his fifth goal in nine games as a Penguin– and Brenden Morrow’s assist last night gave him 12 points in 14 games.

I nearly tweeted during the second period Thursday that if the Penguins were going to play defense like they had been, and Sidney Crosby and James Neal return, no one would beat them.

Then Pittsburgh gagged a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2.

Pittsburgh has an embarrassment of riches offensively, and the Pens are pretty strong on ‘D’ as well. Marc-Andre Fleury is a Stanley Cup champion. Still, there’s something lingering I don’t like about this team.

Patrik Elias told reporters last night “They’re good at making plays, and they turn the puck over quite a bit to. You can get some opportunities. “

Teams like that don’t typically win the Stanley Cup these days.

After falling behind 2-0, against the east’s best team, the Devils could’ve packed up the tent but didn’t.

“We played well against them all year,” Devils goalie Johan Hedberg said. “I can’t say that we’ve had very many off-nights the whole season.”

The first two periods seemed like a microcosm of the Devils’ season: outplay and outshoot the competition but trail.

“We’ve outplayed teams, we’ve outshot teams, we’ve done everything right,” Devils forward David Clarkson said, “and we’ve had bounces go against us.”

Still, the Devils caught some breaks. The puck appeared to hop on Evgeni Malkin as he was all alone in front of Hedberg. That brief miscue allowed Ryan Carter to backcheck and deflect Malkin’s shot into the protective netting over the glass.

On Ilya Kovalchuk’s third-period game-winning goal, the Devils’ winger attempted a pass to Andrei Loktionov, which found Brandon’s Sutter’s stick instead. Pittsburgh’s forward redirected the pass into an open net, putting the Devils ahead.

This Date in Devils History

Even though the Devils’ playoff chances are finished for 2013, we can still look back at some great moments in New Jersey’s playoff history.

On April 24…

2003- Martin Brodeur records a playoff shutout, and Jamie Langenbrunner registers a goal and an assist in New Jersey’s win over the Tampa Bay Lighting in game one of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

New Jersey went on to beat Tampa Bay in six games en route to its third Stanley Cup.

2006- John Madden records a hat trick in game two of the Devils’ Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the New York Rangers– a game the Devils won 4-1.

That game also offered this incredible two-minute stretch that those in attendance won’t soon forget.

The Devils went on to sweep the Rangers but fall to the eventual-Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.

2012- Travis Zajac’s goal 5:39 into the first-overtime period lifts the Devils to a season-saving 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers in game six of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

New Jersey went on to win game seven in double overtime and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling to the Los Angeles Kings.

Postgame Thoughts: Devils 3, Canadiens 2 (4/23/13)

Corey Griffin

Links: Pregame thread | Twitter | NHL.com recap

As I said on Twitter postgame, this was an impressive win for a lot of reasons. Yes, the Devils probably should’ve played like this at some point during their 10-game slide. No, two more wins like this won’t drastically change how we look at the season. However, there were bright spots in this game that lend themselves toward a positive look for next season and it’s possible missing the playoffs flipped a switch in the psyche of a lot of these players, which is another topic for another day. As for  tonight’s game, some thoughts…

Fortitude: At least for me, the most impressive part of tonight’s win came after the Canadiens scored two unanswered, the second of which came including one in the final minute of the second period. We’ve seen the Devils melt down multiple times in that scenario, giving up an early goal in the third and going on to lose in regulation or in extra play. It’s been one of my biggest criticisms of this Devils team, particularly during their recent slide. This team lacked a strong enough mental edge to their game to rebound from “woe is us” moments. Tonight, though, they didn’t need a timeout to correct them and while they struggled to get shots on net in the third, they still kept the Canadiens at bay for long stretches. Also, the Habs came out in the third and tried to bully the Devils, who fought right back. Ilya Kovalchuk, for one, went right at the Canadiens after he got hit from behind. Kovy’s response, along with the the energy he’s played with and the way he drives the train (so to speak), has me wondering if it should be Kovalchuk with the captain’s “C” next season. I know Salvador is respected in the room and a lot of guys like him, but would it kill them to give it to Kovy and have Salvador take an “A?” I think it would be a wise move that would help shape the team’s mindset going into next season. Food for thought.

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Lineup Changes: Adam Henrique A Healthy Scratch

It’s no secret that Adam Henrique has had a bit of a rough ride this season. After nearly winning the Calder Trophy as a rookie last year, Henrique has struggled to find his groove in his sophomore campaign. Pete DeBoer noticed and decided to give Henrique a night off with the Devils freshly eliminated from the playoff race.

Via Tom Gulitti of Fire & Ice:

“I think he needs to take a step back for a night and just watch,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. “His confidence isn’t where it needs to be. So, that’s the solution I’ve come up with.”

…

Henrique admitted he has been struggling with his confidence.

“I guess a little bit,” he said. “Any time you go through a tough stretch, eventually it weighs on you. You start thinking about it more. You start maybe gripping the stick a little bit more in certain areas. I still feel like I was getting opportunities at times. I just wasn’t putting them in, obviously.”

Corey Griffin

After Zach Parise left in free agency, the Devils were counting on strong offensive seasons from guys like Henrique and Travis Zajac. In hindsight, that seems fairly foolish. Red-hot rookies normally struggle in their sophomore seasons when teams have a full year of tape on them and a player like Henrique has to find another level in just his second year in the league. The night off is a good idea, I think, although I wouldn’t bench him for the rest of the season. I think it’s important for him to go into the offseason with some legitimate game experience because, like it or not, he’s going to be a huge part of the Devils’ growth next year, as will Zajac. I don’t think this season says much about Henrique’s development other than he took a typical step back and I think Zajac will be better after having a full season and offseason to adjust to not having his buddy around. The good news for New Jersey is that Henrique’s sub-par season will help the Devils in contract talks this summer when the center will be a restricted free agent. The Devils have a lot of key FAs this summer (Elias, Clarkson, Zubrus, Loktionov) Can you imagine what Henrique would’ve cost if he had duplicated his rookie year in a shortened season? Yeesh. So there is a brightside — kinda. Almost. OK, not really, but it’s something to grab onto.

Postgame Thoughts: Senators 2, Devils 0 (4/12/13)

Corey Griffin

Links: Pregame thread | Twitter | NHL.com recap

There’s going to be a multitude of reactions to tonight’s loss. Many will cite “puck luck” or the lack thereof. Others will claim a screwjob from the refs in the third period. Some will say Pete DeBoer isn’t doing his job and needs to go, if only to shake up the team. I’ll give you the first one. I may even listen to you on the second one, too. But this loss, like most of the last nine have not been the fault of one, Pete DeBoer. This loss, like this skid, is a combination of factors, but the blame resides largely on the ice. Some thoughts…

Car, meet wall: We talked about it in our pregame thread, the idea of a team struggling to score running into a very good goalie in Craig Anderson. We were concerned that if Anderson was on his game, it might not matter what the Devils did — and after 60 minutes it was pretty clear that Anderson was going to win tonight no matter what the Devils did. Although he got a little help from the iron maidens, he did plenty of work on his own. At times, Anderson used excellent positioning to give the Devils almost nowhere to shoot. The rest of the time he flung his legs or his glove or his blocker (or the butt end of his stick) into the Devils’ way (and faces). Flat out — Anderson was a damn beast tonight. He might have missed too much time with a sprained ankle to still be considered for the Vezina, but he put on the type of late-season performance tonight that usually rockets a goalie’s name to the top of the list. You know what tonight was? It was the Coyote vs. the Roadrunner. The Coyote painted the train tunnel on the rock, thinking it would fool the Roadrunner, who of course (through the miracle of dated animation) ran right through that tunnel. When the Coyote tried to follow, he either found himself flattened by a train or up against the rock. Craig Anderson was both the train and the rock tonight, sitting back and attacking and basically steamrolling a Devils team that basically gave everything it had and came up with nothing.

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Point-Counterpoint: Will The Devils Make The Playoffs?

Ilya Kovalchuk hurt

The last time the Devils were in the midst of a lengthy losing streak, Pat Pickens and I got together and debated whether the Devils were in real trouble. Pat was a little more optimistic than me, although we both saw a chance for redemption. Then Ilya Kovalchuk got hurt and the Devils went off the rails. With eight games left, Pat and I faced a simple questions: Will the Devils make the playoffs? What follows is a quick answer to that question followed by a debate over why it happened, how to fix it and whether Pete DeBoer should be part of the solution or on the chopping block.

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Postgame Thoughts: Sabres 3, Devils 2 S/O (4/7/13)

Pat Pickens

The forecheck was as strong as it had been all year.

Marek Zidlicky played his best game this season. The Devils outshot the Buffalo Sabres 39-22 and even scored a power-play goal.

Yet, all that still couldn’t translate into a win.

Such are the breaks for New Jersey these days. The Devils got a key point– No. 40– but fell to 0-6 in road shootouts in their 3-2 shootout loss to the Sabres at First Niagara Center.

Steve Sullivan and Mark Fayne each scored goals for New Jersey, which fell to 0-3-4 in its last seven games. Sullivan’s was his first as a Devil since Feb. 15, 1997. Fayne’s was his first of this season and his first since Feb. 21 of last year.

Still it wasn’t enough as Ryan Miller made 37 saves to lift the Sabres within four points of the East’s final-playoff spot. Miller stopped all three shootout chances– including a stellar pad save on Patrik Elias’ attempt– to drop New Jersey to 0-6 in road shootouts this year.

The Devils will probably say the same things they said after Thursday and Saturday’s losses. They played well enough to win but didn’t catch the breaks. I can’t disagree, but that and 12 cents doesn’t buy you much this time of the year.

Zidlicky was outstanding all night.

He finished with five shots– which was tied with David Clarkson for the team high. He pinched at the right time most of the night, helping the Devils forecheck and dominate possession in Buffalo’s end for large pockets of time.

Zidlicky finished as a minus-1, he was stuck covering for Anton Volchenkov on Steve Ott’s second-period marker.

Jacob Josefson, playing in his first game in more than a month, was very good too. He showed great legs and energy and won a team-high 64 percent (9 of 14) of his faceoffs.

Like the rest of the team, Josefson unluckily finished as a minus player. He was on the ice for Patrick Kaleta’s first-period goal, which dropped him to a team-worst minus-11.

On Kaleta’s goal, Andy Greene had a dreadful shift. First, his blind pass turned the puck over to Jochen Hecht at the top of the circles. Then, Greene was beaten to the net mouth by Kaleta, as he redirected Hecht’s shot past Brodeur, giving Buffalo the 1-0 lead just 4:22 in.

The Devils appeared listless until that goal but pushed back after it, dominating the rest of the first. The Devils’ forecheck drew a boarding minor on Kevin Porter, then Sullivan struck– on a neat feed from Steve Bernier– tying the game at 1 at 18:20.

Sullivan’s power-play goal was New Jersey’s first in six games. The Devils finished 1-for-5 with the man advantage.

With New Jersey’s playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Dainius Zubrus came up big.

The Devils were trailing 2-1 and were shorthanded with less than 15 minutes left. Zubrus took the puck, weaved through four Sabres, and found Fayne at the top of the circles with a stellar pass. Fayne beat Miller stick side to tie the game.

Fayne’s mark also allowed New Jersey to score more than one goal for the first time in three games. The Devils had scored two goals in their previous three contests.

Though he stopped 13 fewer shots than his counterpart, Martin Brodeur was good in some key spots.

Brodeur stoned Drew Stafford’s chance on a two-on-one break in overtime, and he also thwarted Christian Ehrhoff’s point shot earlier in the extra session.

Brodeur nearly stopped Ott’s second-period goal, sliding and kicking his pads in the air. The puck appeared to hit Brodeur’s pad and trickle across the goal line.

Miller was great too though. The American-born netminder made key save after key save– his best coming on Bernier midway through the second, when he stoned Bernier’s low shot with his blocker.

He also gloved Travis Zajac’s final attempt in the shootout, sealing Buffalo’s win.

The Devils are now two points behind the Rangers and Islanders for the East’s No. 8 spot.

New Jersey will now sit back and hope for some help this week as it awaits its next game, Wednesday at home against Boston.

The Rangers are in Toronto Monday. The Isles will host Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Postgame Thoughts: Bruins 1, Devils 0 (4/4/13)

Corey Griffin

Links: Pregame thread | Twitter | NHL.com recap

If you can play better in a loss, I’d like to see it. OK, maybe if you scored some goals, but I’m not sure how much more the Devils could’ve done tonight. They dominated puck possession, neutralized the Bruins’ offense and put tons of pucks on net — all to come up with nothing. Even worse, with the way things are unfolding around the East, they’ve fallen out of the playoff picture for now. Not a good night, to say the least. Some thoughts…

Everything but the kitchen sink: The Devils did it all tonight. They threw pucks at the net, they deked the Bruins out of their jocks (Andy Greene says “Hi” Shawn Thornton) and they had Tuukka Rask running all around his crease. Yet, at the end of the day, it was a zero on the scoreboard. While I’ve spent countless posts here lamenting the Devils’ lack of a finisher, never was it more apparent than tonight. Say the Devils didn’t get “puck luck” and I’ll say you’re being naive. Tell me the Devils should’ve scored four times tonight and I’ll respond, “But they didn’t.” None of this is to say the Devils played poorly in the offensive end; it was quite the opposite. The Devils did so many things well tonight, reducing the Bruins (arguably the second-best team in the East) to nothing more than partners in an optional skate. But the one thing they didn’t do outweighs all the positive because this time of the year isn’t about “building.” Just like coffee, April is for closers, which is one thing the Devils have been woefully lacking since January 19. There’s no relying on Ilya Kovalchuk’s return. It’s not coming “anytime soon,” according to Pete DeBoer. That means “future Hall of Famer” Patrick Elias, “budding power forward” David Clarkson and promising young centers Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique need to start putting pucks into the net. Devils fans ask if this team can make a run like last season but tonight was 60 minutes worth of reasons why they might not even get the chance.

Perfect opportunity: The worst part of tonight’s loss was they wasted a wonderful performance by Marty Brodeur. No, he wasn’t tested a lot — the Bruins’ 26 shots felt more like 16 — but he was spectacular when he needed to be and solid when he didn’t. The Devils wasted a performance they’re not likely to get more than once or twice every few weeks. Brodeur’s sliding skate save in the final minutes of the third period somehow kept the puck out of the net, much like the right post did moments later. But that’s the thing about vintage Marty, when he’s on his game, so are the metal pipes surrounding him. The pipes seem to be more friend than foe when Brodeur is playing at a high level, giving Marty three extra appendages like some freakish hockey version of Doc Ock. Unfortunately, the only thing Marty gets for his stellar evening is a boost to his goals against average and save percentage, all while the one stat the Devils didn’t need continue to add up. The losses keep coming, whether Brodeur is on his game or off. That should be a terrifying thought for the Devils and their fans.

Looking up: The Devils are frustrated. You can see it by the repeating image of heads jerking back, eyes agape at yet another blown chance. When the Devils aren’t staring blankly from their bench, they’re pointing their gazes upwards, almost begging some higher power to reward their hard work. Except when you build a team that’s counting on fourth-line wingers to play third-line minutes and asking a second-year player to go from ROTY candidate to All-Star, all while hoping that an out-of-nowhere 30-goal season somehow repeats itself — well, you get the 2013 Devils. They score four goals when everything seems to be clicking, until the Lightning score in the final seconds and it all goes to shit. DeBoer spent the first weeks of the season talking about how overtime losses weren’t ideal but were good enough. They needed all the points they could gather, he said. He was partly right. Can you imagine where the Devils would be right now if not for that roaring start? Injuries are part of the problem, but so is not adding any legitimate secondary scoring either last summer or during the first few weeks of the season. The Devils will continue to hit the post and the crossbar. They’ll continue to flub shots and watch the puck hit the outside of the net. It’s not because they’re not getting scoring chances. It’s because the players on the roster aren’t good enough to finish those chances. This isn’t necessarily an issue with coaching or system, although those have both been issues at separate points this season. This is an issue with the flawed construction of a roster that left the team with too many shortcomings to overcome injuries or regressions from the few players talented enough to help replace Zach Parise’s scoring and offensive presence. So the Devils will likely keep looking up at the ceiling, perhaps even in the locker room on baggie day, which will come a lot earlier than last year’s.

Crazy 8 (plus 3): Don’t look now, but the Flyers are two points behind the Devils, who are in ninth with 39 points after tonight’s loss and the Islanders’ (40 points) overtime loss. The team that beat the Isles, the Capitals (yes, the Capitals we all counted out weeks ago) have 38 points and are sitting in third place The Jets, who also have 38 points, are in 10th based on tiebreakers and the Rangers, meanwhile, are in 8th with 39 points and at least one game in hand on most of their playoff competitors. If you’re starting to feel tight around the collar, it’s a feeling you share with the Devils. Things are getting tight in the bottom third of the Eastern Conference playoff chase and the Devils have more in common with teams careening out of the picture than they do with those moving on up. The good news for New Jersey? Of the Devils’ remaining 11 games, two are against teams currently out of the playoff picture (Panthers, Sabres) and three come against teams they’re directly competing with (Rangers 2x, Flyers). The bad news? The Flyers and Rangers might be hitting their stride and the quickest way to fall out of the playoff chase is to lose those oh-so-special “four-point games.” That’s not even mentioning the games remaining against the Bruins, Senators, Maple Leafs, Canadiens and Penguins. The point being the Devils neutralized the team with the second-most points in the East tonight, yet still fell in the standings. What happens when they lay an egg?

Notes: I’m not quite sure how Bryce Salvador got back out on the ice tonight. He could barely tough his leg to the ice after that hip check in the first few minutes, yet was back on the bench before the 10-minute mark for the first and took a shift minutes later. He is way more banged up than the Devils are letting on. … Andrei Loktionov was shot out of a cannon tonight, but that he was (arguably) the Devils’ top center tonight is one of the problems, not the solution. I’m a huge Loktionov fan, but he should be playing third- or (maybe) second-line minutes — not carrying the top line that’s already missing its best player. … The Devils’ response to the Bruins’ goal was one of the better responses they’ve had to going down 1-0 this season, which is saying something because, you know, they’ve given up the first goal a lot this season. … Speaking of which, guys like Jaromir Jagr have all the (puck) luck, right? … The David Krejci line was pretty much the only one that put consistent pressure on the Devils tonight. They had some shifts and I was actually surprised they didn’t score. … Remember that “jerking head motion after a missed goal” thing I talked about? David Clarkson is the poster boy. I’m surprised he hasn’t missed time with whiplash. … How desperate is DeBoer for an answer? He reunited the CBGB line for a key shift late in the third period. The fourth line. I enjoy watching those guys play, but should they be the ones you go to for an answer? … The Devils’ frustration came to a head with about 4 minutes left in the third when the Devils were looking for penalties on three successive shifts. In fact, they showed Steve Bernier on the bench a minute-plus later still complaining to a teammate about the call he didn’t get.

Steve Sullivan Getting Physical In N.J.; Pete DeBoer A Fan

Steve Sullivan won’t be available for the Devils tonight, instead traveling to New Jersey to undergo a routine physical and “get situated.” While coach Pete DeBoer doesn’t know exactly where he’ll use Sullivan at this point, he’s still a longtime admirer of the veteran winger — and he’s not the only one.

Via Tom Gulitti of Fire & Ice:

“I’ve always been a fan of is,” DeBoer said this morning in Boston, where the Devils will take on the Bruins tonight. “He’ll give us some speed, an offensive guy. I’ve got to try and find him some chemistry and with Kovy out I think he’ll be a nice burst of offense, hopefully, for us.”

…

Devils left wing Patik Elias said his first linemates when he joined the Albany River Rats in 1995-96 were Sullivan and Scott Pellerin. When I asked him if they were a good line, Elias replied, “The best line. We dominated.”

…

“Just skilled,” Elias said in describing the kind of player Sullivan is. “You saw the way he was (last season) in Pittsburgh. He’s a skilled player. He makes great plays, skates well. He’s great with the puck.”

Corey Griffin

This is obviously team-friendly spin and I’d expect nothing less from two people as steeped in the Devils’ M.O. as Elias and DeBoer. The question is where “spin” meets reality and how that translate into on-ice production. DeBoer doesn’t know where he’ll use Sullivan, but I’d guess a third-line role, possibly in place of a guy like Matt D’Agostini, who hasn’t really added much other than speed since joining the Devils’ lineup. It’s possible he could move up top to play alongside Andrei Loktionov until Ilya Kovalchuk returns but I don’t know if I buy that as a good idea. I like Elias with Loktionov and a big, physical grinder on the right side — a guy like Steve Bernier or David Clarkson. Perhaps you could put Sullivan on the second line with Travis Zajac, but I think he’d fit really well on the third line with Dainius Zubrus and Adam Henrique. You get a nice balance of skill and size, with some playmaking from both Henrique and Sullivan. When Kovy returns, it gives DeBoer the flexibility to move Clarkson, Bernier and Sullivan around the other three lines.

What do you think? Where would you play Sullivan?