Yeah but to add Briere??? The guy blows their is nothing else to say about him. He was never even that good and he's really done now. I want some room too and a move but i don't want to add a player that will not help at all and will only hurt us. Briere is a liability just as much as Sal if not more so. He was never a good two way player but yet now he is fine for 3rd line? I don't think so rather watch Sal and Anton and Teddy up front again next year than this bumhole. That is how bad I think Briere is. He's done.

And your right it is a coaching decision who plays and who doesn't. We need PDB to step up and bench Sal or Volch when they play like garbage. He's finally learning with starting Cory over Marty so there is some hope he might change. But than again 7d are playing tonight....
- NickA

The fact of the matter is for us to get rid of Volchenkov or Sal (besides a buyout) we need to take someone with a crappy contract we don't really want back. We're not trading Volchenkov for Stastny.

if you guys are consider briere we might as well bring rolston back. same player and don't even need to trade anything else to get him. it's not like he'll show up to any games anyway

Yeah but to add Briere??? The guy blows their is nothing else to say about him. He was never even that good and he's really done now. I want some room too and a move but i don't want to add a player that will not help at all and will only hurt us. Briere is a liability just as much as Sal if not more so. He was never a good two way player but yet now he is fine for 3rd line? I don't think so rather watch Sal and Anton and Teddy up front again next year than this bumhole. That is how bad I think Briere is. He's done.

And your right it is a coaching decision who plays and who doesn't. We need PDB to step up and bench Sal or Volch when they play like garbage. He's finally learning with starting Cory over Marty so there is some hope he might change. But than again 7d are playing tonight....
- NickA

In 880 career NHL games Briere is minus 20. He's not a liability defensively. He's certainly not a stud any more we all accept that but on this team he helps.

Hey I would like all those other guys you talk about as well but were not getting them for a used bag of pucks in A train.

They would cost us more than we can afford to pay. This team has very little in players to trade, prospects or picks. We have to go to the well every summer in the UFA market to fill out a roster. We've spent the last 3 years watching players play that shouldn't even be in the NHL because ownership tied up so much money & resources in Kovalchuk. Thank god the cap is going back up next year or we were doomed moving forward with the way the salary is allotted on this team.

Anyway I'm done debating it. We don't agree. All good moving on. Apparently you prefer to see Bernier playing that role to Briere & Volchenkov dressing over Gelinas, Merrill or Larsson. I don't. Dump that that contract & replace him with anyone that has a pulse & can score. 7 goals in 33 games playing 12:46 minutes a game with little to know power play time translates into 20+ goals & close to 40 points. With the ice time & linemates he would get in NJ those #'s would have to go up.

NJ has 1 compliance buyout remaining. They used 1 on Hedberg.

using +/- to gauge defensive ability in 2014

lol okay

using +/- to gauge defensive ability in 2014

lol okay
- MrToast

What would you use? It's not a perfect guage but over the course of a season it helps to provide some perspective of 1's ability 5 on 5. Although like everything there are exceptions to the rule. Ron francis would be the best example. Had to play against the other teams best players night in night out but -20 over 880 NHL games is pretty impressive any way you slice it.

I watch every team in the NHL play at least once every 10 days & my favorite teams many more. Tonights games of choice aren't great from a time perspective as the latest start time tonight, eastern time, is 8:30 but I'll watch TB@NYR in it's entirety then flip to the Edm@Dal game in progress. PVRing the Col@Chi game to watch later with my son as Chicago is his favorite team.

Making my living off hockey allows me to watch games, all replays, highlights, read box scores & scour the net for data, opinions what have you. When not sitting at my computer I listen to XM 211 in my car on our my wifi non stop.

NJ has 1 compliance buyout remaining. They used 1 on Hedberg.
- striker777

That was so stupid when they used it on Moose. It was a 1 year, $1mil contract and I'm sure he would have just retired after we traded for Schneider if Lou asked.

The fact of the matter is for us to get rid of Volchenkov or Sal (besides a buyout) we need to take someone with a crappy contract we don't really want back. We're not trading Volchenkov for Stastny.
- MannySilvers

So we should at least look for a player who fits what we are looking for. I don't think a small punk with limited ability is needed on this team.

That was so stupid when they used it on Moose. It was a 1 year, $1mil contract and I'm sure he would have just retired after we traded for Schneider if Lou asked.
- MannySilvers

Agreed

The fact of the matter is for us to get rid of Volchenkov or Sal (besides a buyout) we need to take someone with a crappy contract we don't really want back. We're not trading Volchenkov for Stastny.
- MannySilvers

No one said we were

NJ needs to start keeping there draft picks & start developing players. They are in no position currently to go out & buy what they need.

They need to plug as able taking other teams misfits & trying to convince players to come here as UFA's. No easy feat unless you simply back up the armored car & over pay.

Players don't want to play in this system, nor do they see NJ as close to a cup but this system gives them a chance to win every night & is well suited to playoff hockey. It is essentially playoff hockey every game out.

This season with the cap leaving NJ few options, if they could just find another. 5 goals for a game they will make the playoffs in the east, finishing in the top 3 in the Metro. A playoff spot is there for the taking if they could just find away to generate a little more offense.

A playoff spot is there for the taking if they could just find away to generate a little more offense.
- striker777

Yeah but i don't think dressing seven on D each night is going to do it.
I know we have some defensemen who can score but if we have to rely on them to generate our offense and get goals then we're in trouble.

What would you use? It's not a perfect guage but over the course of a season it helps to provide some perspective of 1's ability 5 on 5. Although like everything there are exceptions to the rule. Ron francis would be the best example. Had to play against the other teams best players night in night out but -20 over 880 NHL games is pretty impressive any way you slice it.
- striker777

+/- has nothing to do with anything.

five on five puck possession, shot attempts for and against. Real stats, not these antiquated garbage stats.

I'm guessing the Canadiens had a ceremony commemorating all of the Zamboni drivers the franchise has had so that's why this game had to start at 7:40

Soft

marty had to have that, weak goal

Bested by a guy named "Patches".... uhg.

female doges about not playing enough

lets in soft goals

okay

We need Cam!

Briere has 1 less goal than Zubrus & the same # as Zajac having played 14 & 12 less games respectively & the same # as Elias in the same # of games & has done so well averaging 12:46 TOI a game when playing & seeing 3rd line PP time in Mtl. Zajac averages 20:37 TOI & gets 1st line PP minutes, Zubrus 18:32 TOI no PP time really.

If he got the same icetime NJ is giving Bernier he would score 25+ goals & 50 + points in a walk. Scoring has more to do with how much you play, total minutes, the quality of said ice time, power play, shifts started in the offensive zone, etc & the ability to still be able to skate in the NHL. Briere still has NHL skating ability. Just not liked by Therrien, so gets limited ice time & opportunity in MTL.

He would help & certainly he couldn't hurt no 1 else can score in NJ after Jagr or Ryder.

If he can be had for a used bag of pucks I say lets give it a go. What have we to lose.

The benefit far out weighs the risk.
- striker777

Your forgetting that Zubrus-Zajac-Jagr always play the best line on a team, wheres Briere doesn't so he probably could score more than Zubrus and Zajac. These were the players that were just on the PP:

Zid, Merrill, Gelinas, Clowe, Henrique, Ryder, Jagr, Zajac, and Zubrus.

As you said Zubrus is barely on it because Pete puts Bernier on their sometimes, so when Elias and Brunner come back their would be no room for him on the PP unless Zajac is at the point and that it completely stupid to put him there, even then there still wouldn't be room unless someone is not on it out of Zajac, Jagr, Clowe, Elias, Henrique, Brunner, and Ryder.

Ugh can't be spotting teams goals when we can't score for poop.

@ striker777

...And for Larrson, Merrill, and Gelinas not playing, they are not going anywhere unless they are traded. We can use our compliance buy-out on Volch, 4.2 off the books, let Zid walk, and Sal would have one more year, so we could eat half his cap, which would be $1.5 million, and trade him, 1.5 for a ufa next year would be easier to move, than a guy with a $3 million cap with an extra year. The only ones I would want for third line center is either Dubinsky and Statsny, not Briere. It might cost a little more, but we have no clue what Col or CBJ would want, most of the stuff that is out their on the internet are rumors, hell I haven't even seen what those teams would want, people are just guessing on what they feel it would take. For those teams it may be for what they think would make them better.

Also, don't forget the Kovy trade, Cormier, Oduya, a 1st, and I think a 3 for a top 10-15 player in the league at that time.

I think our Defense should be next year if we let Zid walk, buy-out Volch, and trade Sal while eating half his cap:

Gelinas-Merrill
Urbom-Larrsson
Greene-Fayne/UFA
Harrold

I like what I saw from Urbom when he was with Larrson in preseason and I know that's preseason, but I think he needs more than one game every other year because of the veterans besides his time in Wash.

So, we have a ton of possessing in their zone and no pressure on Marty so him giving up that soft goal hurts so much more now.

@ striker777

...And for Larrson, Merrill, and Gelinas not playing, they are not going anywhere unless they are traded. We can use our compliance buy-out on Volch, 4.2 off the books, let Zid walk, and Sal would have one more year, so we could eat half his cap, which would be $1.5 million, and trade him, 1.5 for a ufa next year would be easier to move, than a guy with a $3 million cap with an extra year. The only ones I would want for third line center is either Dubinsky and Statsny, not Briere. It might cost a little more, but we have no clue what Col or CBJ would want, most of the stuff that is out their on the internet are rumors, hell I haven't even seen what those teams would want, people are just guessing on what they feel it would take. For those teams it may be for what they think would make them better.

Also, don't forget the Kovy trade, Cormier, Oduya, a 1st, and I think a 3 for a top 10-15 player in the league at that time.

I think our Defense should be next year if we let Zid walk, buy-out Volch, and trade Sal while eating half his cap:

Gelinas-Merrill
Urbom-Larrsson
Greene-Fayne/UFA
Harrold

I like what I saw from Urbom when he was with Larrson in preseason and I know that's preseason, but I think he needs more than one game every other year because of the veterans besides his time in Wash.
- Devils9503

Too young of a defense. Need some vets there, 1 of Sal or A-train to play 3rd pairing and pk.

Too young of a defense. Need some vets there, 1 of Sal or A-train to play 3rd pairing and pk.
- Rseen

well Urbom isn't good so no reason to have him in the lineup.

Being a veteran doesn't matter at all. If you aren't as good as somebody younger "experience" doesn't count for anything.