With the dismal performance of the Devils’ blue-line down the stretch and throughout their brief stay in the playoffs, it is no secret that upgrades, if not a complete overhaul, is needed on defense.
Players Under Contract:
Colin White - $3 million/2 yrs remaining – 81 GP, 2 G, 10 A, +8
The story of Colin White this season was eerily similar to that of Jekyll and Hyde. One night, he would show flashes of brilliance similar to that when he had two fully functional eyes and played his position above and beyond his current ability. Other times, however, he looked lost and was embarrassed on several occasions by opposing forwards. In White’s defense, he had little to no support from his staple partner Mike Mottau, who on most occasions rather than compensate for White’s aggressiveness, would play himself out of position, creating chances for the opposition. If the Devils will mercifully give him a new defensive partner, White could build on a good 2009-10 campaign, but that is a big if.
Bryce Salvador - $2.9 million/2 yrs remaining – 79 GP, 4 G, 10 A, +8
Salvador performed above and beyond expectations this season. When Paul Martin went down with a broken arm, Salvador stepped up his game tremendously and even contributed on the offensive side of play. His plus-8 was second on the team behind only Andy Greene and tied with Colin White. For a player who’s primarily defensive minded, this is quite an accomplishment as are his 4 goals. Salvador continues to bring to the team his physical edge and mean streak which is in desperately short supply, especially with White’s eye taking away from his willingness to drop the gloves [no slight to Colin]. The question mark will be whether the Devils re-sign frequent partner Paul Martin as he hits free agency July 1st, but the versatile Salvador showed ability to work well with whomever he was paired with.
Andy Greene - $750k/1 yr remaining – 78 GP, 6 G, 31 A, +9
Greene showed dramatic improvements in his all around game throughout the season. Taking on an everyday role helped allow Greene to showcase his offensive prowess by nearly quadrupling his point total from the previous season. Having 29 more games to play in, Greene regained the scoring touch he gave fans a glimpse of during the 2007 postseason against Tampa Bay. His awareness continues to be a valuable asset to the defensive corps and will only increase his contract value if he should hit the free agent market in 2011. One would hope the Devils make a serious pitch to retain his services beyond the end of his current deal.
Anssi Salmela - $625k/1 yr remaining – 9 GP, 1 G, 2 A, -5
His return to New Jersey as part of the Ilya Kovalchuk trade started off promising as he amassed his points in the first 5 games. However, as the team maintained its mediocre play, Salmela’s play dropped off, and he found himself a healthy scratch for most of the remainder of the season, and the entirety of the playoffs. With the retirement of Jacques Lemaire, Salmela may have a better shot to regain a playing positon but his competition will be stiff as Tyler Eckford and Matt Corrente seek to gain a spot with the big club and Mark Fraser seeks to become a regular.
Matt Corrente - $600k/ 1 yr remaining – 12 GP, 0 pts, E [2 GP, 0 pts, E in playoffs]
With the injury to Paul Martin, the Devils needed to find help for the blue-line throughout the organization. Corrente got the first shot, but the most amount of time filing in as the 6th defenseman went to Mark Fraser. Corrente played in 7 straight games before sitting. Corrente was looked upon to add some size and youth during the playoffs and he played well for as bad as the team played as a whole. Look for the 2006 1st round draft pick to be in strong competition to gain one of the 6 starting defense spots. Alexander Urbom, who almost made the team out of his first NHL training camp, could provide to be a formidable competitor.
Rob Davidson - $500k/1 yr remaining – 1 GP, 0 pts, E
Injuries were the only reason that Davidson made it to the Devils this season. It is highly unlikely that the former Sharks draft pick will be in consideration to make the team out of camp next season and will need to rely on injuries or inconsistency to allow him to crack the roster.
Restricted Free Agents
Mark Fraser – 2009-10 salary: $500k, 61 GP, 3 G, 3 A, +3
A pleasant surprise to the defensive corps with so many disappointments, Fraser logged the 5th most games by Devils’ defenseman this season. His size and aggressiveness gave the Devils an edge which they had lost when David Clarkson went down with an injury. With an increased role, and the status of Paul Martin as a Devil being uncertain, expect the Devils to at least offer Fraser a new contract this offseason. He has the talent and ability to make it in the NHL as a regular and will help the team greatly.
Tyler Eckford – 2009-10 salary: $685k, 3 GP, 0 G, 1 A, E
Eckford earned himself playing time at the NHL level in only his second season as a professional. He spent three years playing for University of Alaska-Fairbanks amassing 16 goals and 71 points, while his first season in Lowell, he tallied 2 goals and 27 points. Expect the 7th round pick to be given an offer from the Devils to remain part of the organization. While he should compete for a roster spot during camp, expect his contract to have a 2-way clause so that the soon to be 25 year old will have a chance to further hone his skills.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Paul Martin – 2009-10 salary: $4.5 million – 22 GP, 2 G, 9 A, 11 pts, +10
The decision on whether or not to retain Paul Martin will probably be the second most challenging one facing the Devils this offseason, right behind trying to keep explosive winger Ilya Kovalchuk. Martin has become one of the best American-born defensemen in the game and will probably be paid as such should he hit the free agent market. He could easily command over $5 million per season, and with how many needs the Devils need to address, retaining the 2nd round pick from 2000 could prove to be too difficult. His play since returning from injury was subpar and he never seemed to fully reach his pre-injury form. Expect the Devils to make an offer, but don’t be surprised if he tests the waters and earns a bigger paycheck from another club.
Mike Mottau – 2009-10 salary: $775k – 79 GP, 2 G, 16 A, +4
One of the biggest disappointments in the eyes of the fans, Mottau struggled to play consistent all season long and throughout the playoffs. His liability on defense and absentmindedness failed to compensate and cover his partners mistakes or aggressiveness. Failure to make reads, failure to play the body and not chase the puck around like a pee-wee player explained why he was a career minor leaguer until arriving on the Devils in 2007. How he continued to log not only top minutes, but play over 200 games during the past 3 seasons is a miracle in its own right, that or pure stupidity and lack of better options by an organization struggling to build a solid defensive core. Unfortunately, I see the Devils continuing to compound their mistake and give Mottau not only a contract, but a multi-year deal worth well above his value. I see a 3 year, $1.5 million for a massive liability, and why not throw a no trade clause to boot for this 32 year old.
Matrin Skoula – 2009-10 salary: $575k [acquired from TOR via PIT] – 19 GP, 0 G, 3 A, +7
Skoula didn’t put up jawdropping numbers, but for the first time in a few years, the Devils deadline deal for a defenseman did not leave the fans palm-slapping their faces and begging for a do-over. He sure was no Nick Havelid. Could Skoula remain a Devil? Yes it is a possibility, but look for the Devils to try and go with a younger look and for defenders who can fill a leadership role on a team dieing for some identity, backbone and heart.
Where to go from here?
The Devils could make a run at retaining Martin should they fail to sign Kovalchuk. Even with re-signing Martin, they would need to add at least one more veteran defender.
Mottau and Skoula should be allowed to walk, Mottau especially should be escorted out so that he may not plague our backline ever again.
Fraser and Eckford should be tendered offers to ensure youth is maintained.
Who’s out there that could fit?
Wishing on a shooting star:
Scott Neidermayer – 09/10 salary: $6.75 million, 80 GP, 10 G, 38 A, -9
With 48 points, Neids would have outscored almost the entire Devils roster, save from Elias, Langenbrunner, Zajac, and Parise. The bad news is he will turn 37 this summer so one has to wonder, should he not retire, how much will he have left in the tank. The really bad news is how large of a price tag he will garnish should he choose to leave Anaheim. The Devils should highly consider making him an offer if not just for his offensive prowess which the defensive unit is sorely missing, but for his leadership which the Devils are in desperately short supply. The Devils need a new leader, Neidermayer knows the system and could teach the inexperienced defense a thing or two about winning and being a team.
Who we should get:
Dan Hamhuis, NSH – 09/10 salary: $2.5 million, 78 GP, 5G, 19A, +4
At 27, Hamhuis looks to be entering his first free agency of his career. The Predators blue-liner has played in nearly every regular season game since 2003-04, missing a grand total of 9 games. He finished 3rd on the Predators defense in scoring but only registered one assist on the power play so his contributions in that category could be lacking. What he can bring to the team is an immense amount of experience from international competitions, so he knows how to adapt to various styles of playing. Hamhuis is also very disciplined when it comes to penalties, as he only amassed 49 minutes on the year, including one fighting major.
Who we probably will get:
Willie Mitchell, VAN – 09/10 salary: $3.5 million, 48 GP, 4 G, 8 A, +13
This former Devils’ season came to an abrupt halt thanks to a concussion suffered on January 16th against the Penguins. He has played in at least 60 games in every season since leaving the Devils except for the past one, and he has been a plus player his entire career except for a minus-12 in 2001-2002 while playing for Minnesota. Should Vancouver decide not to re-up their 4 year veteran, I could easily see Lou Lamoriello extending an offer to bring back Mitchell after a 9 year absence from the organization. He would bring consistency as well as leadership should the effects of his concussion not linger.
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Season Recap - The Year of "Really?"
Four days later, the loss still stings.
Not because it was against Philadelphia, and the fact their fan base is having a field day poking fun at the absolutely abysmal performance that their opponents put forth, but because there was so much more potential in this team that was never realized.
Off to an incredible start, the Devils looked primed to make a solid run at the Stanley Cup, something which had eluded them since 2003.
However, when the calendar turned from 2009 to 2010, the edge was gone.
Crisp passing, accurate shooting, and the hop in their step seemed to vanish and gave way to mediocre performances.
Then in February, the Devils made a very un-Devils-like move by trading for winger Ilya Kovalchuk. Giving up a top 2 defenseman in Johnny Oduya, third line winger Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first round pick, the Devils seemed to send their fans, as well as the rest of the league, that they were ready to make a serious run at Lord Stanley.
While he managed to average a point per game with his new squad, the team as a whole still struggled to come close to their level of success during the first half of the season, as their record from the February 4th trade until the end of the regular season was a disappointing 12-9-5.
It seemed as though the Devils were content with simply playing to the level of their competition rather than creating their own identity of taking over games, especially against teams not in contention for the playoffs.
This created an air of doubt in many fans heads as the playoff picture began to unfold, especially when it became clear that the Flyers would be a potential first round matchup if a perfect storm of scenarios played out.
Going into the final day, the bottom 2 playoff spots were still up for grabs between 3 teams, as were the seeding for second and third in the conference.
The Flyers, Rangers and Canadiens all vied for the final spots, with the Habs having only positioning to worry about, the Rangers and Flyers would square off in the deciding game. It was simple for both teams, win and you’re in while the loser is left to wonder.
The Devils and the Buffalo Sabres both had a stake in interest for this game as well, since the loser would play the 6th seeded Bruins while the winner could face the Flyers or Canadiens.
While sitting in a bar in Buffalo with three Sabres fans and one fellow Swamp Rat, the topic of who would you rather face was a frequent topic of conversation. Then different scenarios began to play out.
“Well if the Flyers win, I hope the Sabres win so that they get Philly and we get Boston. But if the Rangers win, I hope we win so we can get the Canadiens.” Was just one of the many comments made through the duration of the contest.
As soon as Olli Jokinen’s shootout attempt was turned aside by Brian Boucher, the reality had begun to set in, it was almost fate sealing the kiss of death with Travis Zajac’s 25th goal of the season to tie the score in the 2nd period.
Buffalo would need to net another goal behind goaltender Martin Brodeur during the 3rd period for the Devils to avoid a team which they had gone 1-4-1 against during the regular season.
The Sabres would try to pull out all the stops to clinch the 2nd spot in the east, but with under 2 minutes to go, fate reared its ugly head again as the Sabres took 2 penalties in succession leaving them two men down. Coach Lindy Ruff in a last ditch effort to steal a win, pulled his goaltender Patrick Lalieme following the Mike Grier which I know I wished the Devils could have declined.
When Jamie Langenbrunner had his open look from the offensive blue line, he ripped a shot to prevent an unnecessary overtime, but put a seed of dread into the pit of my stomach.
Two weeks later, the seeds of dread had sprouted and become full flowers of disappointment.
After a hard fought loss in game one, and a very spirited victory in game 2, the Devils had seemed to find themselves.
The motivation and high of exuberation lasted until the overtime of game 3 when “noted sniper” Dan Carcillo took a nifty pass across the crease from Mike Richards and deposited it into the gaping 4x6 behind Brodeur who was protecting the post against a wraparound.
While not a soul stepped up in this game other than Brian Rolston and Martin Brodeur, Mike Mottau forgetting to pass off his man, Travis Zajac forgetting that Mottau tried hard all series to do everything he could to kill the Devils chances, and Colin White not being able do a simple chip over Richards’ stick all contributed to the horrendous goal.
Game 4 started off promising as Kovalchuk would net his first goal of the postseason when a goaltender was in his crease. However, the 2nd period proved to be an almost Twilight Zone as the Devils would not only surrender the lead but fall behind.
20 minutes away from having to perform a miraculous comeback in the exact same fashion as they had done ten years previous, one would have thought that the Devils would come out flying [no pun intended] in the 3rd period.
What happened next, I believe, was the personification of the past 3 months, the Devils did not show up. Coming out flatter than road kill on the Jersey Turnpike, the Flyers sniper Dan Carcillo struck again just 4 minutes and 10 seconds into the period.
The Devils were dead to rights, and when Jeff Carter scored on a power play just over 5 minutes later, the heart left the team as well.
There was no fire in the team, no desire to comeback and give the fans who were planning to support them in Game 5 at the Prudential Center a glimmer of home.
Even with a sellout crowd trying desperately to will them on, the Devils game out in game 5 just as sloppy as they had left game 4. The Flyers capitalized on their early powerplay opportunity, something the Devils failed to do consistently throughout the series, with a Daniel Briere goal just 3:16 into the competition.
It came as no surprise that the Devils would again have a horrific second period, and in a game they needed to have, they would not be able to muster a single goal past a goaltender whose last playoff experience game five years prior in mop up duty for the San Jose Sharks.
What followed in the next day and a half was almost more horrific than the embarrassing performance put on by the team during the series. There was almost no one holding themselves accountable for the losses.
Constant quotes of “we didn’t execute, we tried, we just didn’t have it” became staples from the players all the way to their General Manager. Even the head coach did not address the team following the game 5 loss.
The only real fire game following game 4 when General Manager Lou Lamoriello allegedly threw a jar of jelly across the locker room in a tirade.
Sure, many said they were disappointed, but with this being the third straight year they have not only were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but losing on home ice, no player truly seemed upset over having to trade their hockey equipment in for golf clubs.
As fans, we seem to hold our team to a higher standard than they are being held to by the front office, Owner Jeff Vanderbeek aside. The air of content with winning the Atlantic Division and being KO-ed by the 7th seed is not only nauseating but beyond frustrating.
Having given up a significant amount of talent for 30 games from Ilya Kovalchuk and not getting out of the first round is embarrassing.
There’s no guarantees he will even consider an offer from the Devils before July 1st, and going off past history of hard-nosed negotiating tactics, an offer from this organization might not even be in his ballpark, leaving many to feel at this point the deal may have been a waste by not coming home with our 4th Cup in 15 years.
Knowing that Jacques Lemaire will be returning as head coach signals another season of constant line juggling and a more defensive slant than offensive.
Watching the playoffs outside of the NJ-PHI series, one thing that was constant is the lines remaining the same. At no point do you hear commentators saying “here are the lines, but as we know it can and more than likely will change.”
Players cannot be treated as interchangeable parts, it is not the industrial revolution out there, there needs to be chemistry. Players need to be able to anticipate what their line mates will do in a given situation and without that, there will be an uphill battle to find success.
The Devils have a laundry list of needs to address this offseason, starting with the critical need for NHL level talent on the blueline.
Over the next few weeks, I will be brining to you, the reader, my offseason analysis, where I feel the Devils need to improve, what they can do, what I wish they will do, what is realistic that they will do and the deals which will probably be done because of past history which most likely leave many scratching their heads, if not palm slapping themselves in the face, as the organization makes the same mistakes they have been since the lockout, refusing to adapt to the new NHL.
Do not get me wrong, I love this team, but when an organization seems so set on recreating their success from the 90s when it is clearly a different game, I cannot help but be pessimistic that we will suddenly learn from previous mistakes.
When the GM blows up at the coaches during a series, but then says all of their jobs are safe, that is not a good sign, especially going from absolute disappointment to feeling content. The almost robotic and automated responses in his press conference also do not paint an optimistic picture for the fan base.
When it is no secret that there was open tension between the captain and the head coach, and a temper tantrum playing out through reporters by said captain, and yet there is a feeling of no need for a change anywhere in leadership, there is something critically wrong with your organization. Allowing insubordination, especially from someone in as high of a leadership position as Captain, proves there is no accountability for other players in the team, thus allowing for room to slack off and for heartless performances.
Free Agency opens July 1st, but the Devils could start to retain players now, especially certain ones whose contracts expire a year from now (I’m looking directly at the guy wearing number 9).
For now, we’re left hoping maybe a lightning bolt of New NHL Knowledge will fall from the heavens and strike at least two people in our organization right in the melon.
Enjoy the remainder of the playoffs, since any series out there will be better than ours was.
Not because it was against Philadelphia, and the fact their fan base is having a field day poking fun at the absolutely abysmal performance that their opponents put forth, but because there was so much more potential in this team that was never realized.
Off to an incredible start, the Devils looked primed to make a solid run at the Stanley Cup, something which had eluded them since 2003.
However, when the calendar turned from 2009 to 2010, the edge was gone.
Crisp passing, accurate shooting, and the hop in their step seemed to vanish and gave way to mediocre performances.
Then in February, the Devils made a very un-Devils-like move by trading for winger Ilya Kovalchuk. Giving up a top 2 defenseman in Johnny Oduya, third line winger Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first round pick, the Devils seemed to send their fans, as well as the rest of the league, that they were ready to make a serious run at Lord Stanley.
While he managed to average a point per game with his new squad, the team as a whole still struggled to come close to their level of success during the first half of the season, as their record from the February 4th trade until the end of the regular season was a disappointing 12-9-5.
It seemed as though the Devils were content with simply playing to the level of their competition rather than creating their own identity of taking over games, especially against teams not in contention for the playoffs.
This created an air of doubt in many fans heads as the playoff picture began to unfold, especially when it became clear that the Flyers would be a potential first round matchup if a perfect storm of scenarios played out.
Going into the final day, the bottom 2 playoff spots were still up for grabs between 3 teams, as were the seeding for second and third in the conference.
The Flyers, Rangers and Canadiens all vied for the final spots, with the Habs having only positioning to worry about, the Rangers and Flyers would square off in the deciding game. It was simple for both teams, win and you’re in while the loser is left to wonder.
The Devils and the Buffalo Sabres both had a stake in interest for this game as well, since the loser would play the 6th seeded Bruins while the winner could face the Flyers or Canadiens.
While sitting in a bar in Buffalo with three Sabres fans and one fellow Swamp Rat, the topic of who would you rather face was a frequent topic of conversation. Then different scenarios began to play out.
“Well if the Flyers win, I hope the Sabres win so that they get Philly and we get Boston. But if the Rangers win, I hope we win so we can get the Canadiens.” Was just one of the many comments made through the duration of the contest.
As soon as Olli Jokinen’s shootout attempt was turned aside by Brian Boucher, the reality had begun to set in, it was almost fate sealing the kiss of death with Travis Zajac’s 25th goal of the season to tie the score in the 2nd period.
Buffalo would need to net another goal behind goaltender Martin Brodeur during the 3rd period for the Devils to avoid a team which they had gone 1-4-1 against during the regular season.
The Sabres would try to pull out all the stops to clinch the 2nd spot in the east, but with under 2 minutes to go, fate reared its ugly head again as the Sabres took 2 penalties in succession leaving them two men down. Coach Lindy Ruff in a last ditch effort to steal a win, pulled his goaltender Patrick Lalieme following the Mike Grier which I know I wished the Devils could have declined.
When Jamie Langenbrunner had his open look from the offensive blue line, he ripped a shot to prevent an unnecessary overtime, but put a seed of dread into the pit of my stomach.
Two weeks later, the seeds of dread had sprouted and become full flowers of disappointment.
After a hard fought loss in game one, and a very spirited victory in game 2, the Devils had seemed to find themselves.
The motivation and high of exuberation lasted until the overtime of game 3 when “noted sniper” Dan Carcillo took a nifty pass across the crease from Mike Richards and deposited it into the gaping 4x6 behind Brodeur who was protecting the post against a wraparound.
While not a soul stepped up in this game other than Brian Rolston and Martin Brodeur, Mike Mottau forgetting to pass off his man, Travis Zajac forgetting that Mottau tried hard all series to do everything he could to kill the Devils chances, and Colin White not being able do a simple chip over Richards’ stick all contributed to the horrendous goal.
Game 4 started off promising as Kovalchuk would net his first goal of the postseason when a goaltender was in his crease. However, the 2nd period proved to be an almost Twilight Zone as the Devils would not only surrender the lead but fall behind.
20 minutes away from having to perform a miraculous comeback in the exact same fashion as they had done ten years previous, one would have thought that the Devils would come out flying [no pun intended] in the 3rd period.
What happened next, I believe, was the personification of the past 3 months, the Devils did not show up. Coming out flatter than road kill on the Jersey Turnpike, the Flyers sniper Dan Carcillo struck again just 4 minutes and 10 seconds into the period.
The Devils were dead to rights, and when Jeff Carter scored on a power play just over 5 minutes later, the heart left the team as well.
There was no fire in the team, no desire to comeback and give the fans who were planning to support them in Game 5 at the Prudential Center a glimmer of home.
Even with a sellout crowd trying desperately to will them on, the Devils game out in game 5 just as sloppy as they had left game 4. The Flyers capitalized on their early powerplay opportunity, something the Devils failed to do consistently throughout the series, with a Daniel Briere goal just 3:16 into the competition.
It came as no surprise that the Devils would again have a horrific second period, and in a game they needed to have, they would not be able to muster a single goal past a goaltender whose last playoff experience game five years prior in mop up duty for the San Jose Sharks.
What followed in the next day and a half was almost more horrific than the embarrassing performance put on by the team during the series. There was almost no one holding themselves accountable for the losses.
Constant quotes of “we didn’t execute, we tried, we just didn’t have it” became staples from the players all the way to their General Manager. Even the head coach did not address the team following the game 5 loss.
The only real fire game following game 4 when General Manager Lou Lamoriello allegedly threw a jar of jelly across the locker room in a tirade.
Sure, many said they were disappointed, but with this being the third straight year they have not only were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but losing on home ice, no player truly seemed upset over having to trade their hockey equipment in for golf clubs.
As fans, we seem to hold our team to a higher standard than they are being held to by the front office, Owner Jeff Vanderbeek aside. The air of content with winning the Atlantic Division and being KO-ed by the 7th seed is not only nauseating but beyond frustrating.
Having given up a significant amount of talent for 30 games from Ilya Kovalchuk and not getting out of the first round is embarrassing.
There’s no guarantees he will even consider an offer from the Devils before July 1st, and going off past history of hard-nosed negotiating tactics, an offer from this organization might not even be in his ballpark, leaving many to feel at this point the deal may have been a waste by not coming home with our 4th Cup in 15 years.
Knowing that Jacques Lemaire will be returning as head coach signals another season of constant line juggling and a more defensive slant than offensive.
Watching the playoffs outside of the NJ-PHI series, one thing that was constant is the lines remaining the same. At no point do you hear commentators saying “here are the lines, but as we know it can and more than likely will change.”
Players cannot be treated as interchangeable parts, it is not the industrial revolution out there, there needs to be chemistry. Players need to be able to anticipate what their line mates will do in a given situation and without that, there will be an uphill battle to find success.
The Devils have a laundry list of needs to address this offseason, starting with the critical need for NHL level talent on the blueline.
Over the next few weeks, I will be brining to you, the reader, my offseason analysis, where I feel the Devils need to improve, what they can do, what I wish they will do, what is realistic that they will do and the deals which will probably be done because of past history which most likely leave many scratching their heads, if not palm slapping themselves in the face, as the organization makes the same mistakes they have been since the lockout, refusing to adapt to the new NHL.
Do not get me wrong, I love this team, but when an organization seems so set on recreating their success from the 90s when it is clearly a different game, I cannot help but be pessimistic that we will suddenly learn from previous mistakes.
When the GM blows up at the coaches during a series, but then says all of their jobs are safe, that is not a good sign, especially going from absolute disappointment to feeling content. The almost robotic and automated responses in his press conference also do not paint an optimistic picture for the fan base.
When it is no secret that there was open tension between the captain and the head coach, and a temper tantrum playing out through reporters by said captain, and yet there is a feeling of no need for a change anywhere in leadership, there is something critically wrong with your organization. Allowing insubordination, especially from someone in as high of a leadership position as Captain, proves there is no accountability for other players in the team, thus allowing for room to slack off and for heartless performances.
Free Agency opens July 1st, but the Devils could start to retain players now, especially certain ones whose contracts expire a year from now (I’m looking directly at the guy wearing number 9).
For now, we’re left hoping maybe a lightning bolt of New NHL Knowledge will fall from the heavens and strike at least two people in our organization right in the melon.
Enjoy the remainder of the playoffs, since any series out there will be better than ours was.
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