Todd Cordell: New Jersey Devils: Peter Harrold, David Clarkson, Draft Talk & More

He is a Leaf July 5

He is a Leaf July 5
- robbies

Quite possibly.

The more Eklund talks about how busy the Devils will be this offseason the more I'm convinced we'll spend the whole summer waiting for all of these signings that ultimately never happen...

In his last blog he has us linked to Bickell and Stalberg, in his rumor chart (I can only see the top player, not season ticket holder) he has us as the "frontrunner" for Stalberg and earlier today we were tops for Sam Gagne as well.

I sure hope we actually acquire an impact player or two (besides whomever we draft), but hell can we just resign some of our players first...

I'd rather re-sign Elias and not get a top 6 UFA than lose him and acquire a Ryder, Stalberg, Bickell.

The more Eklund talks about how busy the Devils will be this offseason the more I'm convinced we'll spend the whole summer waiting for all of these signings that ultimately never happen...

In his last blog he has us linked to Bickell and Stalberg, in his rumor chart (I can only see the top player, not season ticket holder) he has us as the "frontrunner" for Stalberg and earlier today we were tops for Sam Gagne as well.

I sure hope we actually acquire an impact player or two (besides whomever we draft), but hell can we just resign some of our players first...
- MannySilvers

Hey! We resigned Lokti AND Teddy, as well as qualified JJ. I wouldn't mind Bickell if Clarky leaves, especially if he comes in at around 3.5 million. Apparently TB is shopping Malone with a pick (who knows which one), could be an interesting fit for the Devils assuming Malone stays healthy for more than 50% of the season.

Hey! We resigned Lokti AND Teddy, as well as qualified JJ. I wouldn't mind Bickell if Clarky leaves, especially if he comes in at around 3.5 million. Apparently TB is shopping Malone with a pick (who knows which one), could be an interesting fit for the Devils assuming Malone stays healthy for more than 50% of the season.
- Kaymondel

Lokti was a good signing. Teddy and JJ (JJ's isn't done yet) are just house keeping. How about Elias, Clarkson, Zubrus, Henrique...

Believe it or not I feel like Peter Harrold shouldn't be our top priority right now.

I'd rather re-sign Elias and not get a top 6 UFA than lose him and acquire a Ryder, Stalberg, Bickell.
- MartysBetter88

I'm with you there.

Lokti was a good signing. Teddy and JJ (JJ's isn't done yet) are just house keeping. How about Elias, Clarkson, Zubrus, Henrique...

Believe it or not I feel like Peter Harrold shouldn't be our top priority right now.
- MannySilvers

JJ has been qualified, not signed. I'm hoping something awesome happens at the draft Sunday. Maybe Lou walks up to the podium and announces a bunch of resignings before picking Shinkaruk or Lindholm. Yeah, that's totally what will happen.... in my fantasy land.

I'd rather re-sign Elias and not get a top 6 UFA than lose him and acquire a Ryder, Stalberg, Bickell.
- MartysBetter88

Totally, to me resigning Elias is almost a must. All this talk about getting a top 6 from the UFA crop shouldn't be to replace Elias, it's in addition to.

If we lose Clarkson, oh well, if we lose Elias...

We need a winger! why even bother to mention defense men we have plenty

Face it already! Clarkson is gone, he's comin' home!


"I'm back where I beloooong!"

I'd rather re-sign Elias and not get a top 6 UFA than lose him and acquire a Ryder, Stalberg, Bickell.
- MartysBetter88

This is my exact problem with Harrold

eat up some minutes

and never let any young players play...great that will really improve and get better as a team. Only way Harrold should be brought back is if we move2-3 defensemen.

This is my exact problem with Harrold and never let any young players play...great that will really improve and get better as a team. Only way Harrold should be brought back is if we move2-3 defensemen.
- NickA

I like him as a seventh D-man. Injury replacement. Let Merrill and the others play 20 mins a night in albany if needed.

I like him as a seventh D-man. Injury replacement. Let Merrill and the others play 20 mins a night in albany if needed.
- Kaymondel

I don't Urbom and Gelinas got a game last year because he was on the roster. How are you suppose to know what you have in these prospects if they never get any time in the NHL? A game is not enough. Only way i think its good to bring him back is if you move 2 to 3 defensemen otherwise we have a log jam.

I don't Urbom and Gelinas got a game last year because he was on the roster. How are you suppose to know what you have in these prospects if they never get any time in the NHL? A game is not enough. Only way i think its good to bring him back is if you move 2 to 3 defensemen otherwise we have a log jam.
- NickA

We have that log jam with OR without him. Unless Lou pulls some draft day trade magic and ships out a dman or two, I highly doubt Urbom/Gelinos/Burlon/Merrill have a shot at the pro roster.

I like him as a seventh D-man. Injury replacement. Let Merrill and the others play 20 mins a night in albany if needed.
- Kaymondel

You could make a strong argument that Harrold is the best skating defenseman on the team. He's not the biggest or strongest, and he won't create a ton of offense, but he plays solid D and isn't a liability like Zidlicky. You know what you're getting from him each night which is more than I can say for any of the other d-men the Devils have. His cap number is small so why not keep him?

Harrold is the perfect 7th D man. He is right handed shot and he can even fill in on the 4th line wing. He made league min this past year.

You do not want a prospect filling the 7 D role.

I am not concerned with the D next yr. My guess is the following:

Greene-Larsson
Salvador-Fayne
Urbom/Merrill-Volchie
Harrold

Tallinder to be traded for a late round draft pick. Zids not resigned.

I am more concerned about a scoring winger.

You could make a strong argument that Harrold is the best skating defenseman on the team. He's not the biggest or strongest, and he won't create a ton of offense, but he plays solid D and isn't a liability like Zidlicky. You know what you're getting from him each night which is more than I can say for any of the other d-men the Devils have. His cap number is small so why not keep him?
- jersey1414

I agree. I don't want to just give the young guys a spot. Make that group earn their spot over the vets.
Larsson-Green
Fayne (yes I like Fayne) - Tallinder
Atrain-Sal ( at this pairing though)
Harrold

If one of Burlon/Gelinas/Merrill/Urbom out plays anyone on the bottom two pairings, by all means give them a top-6 role. If not leave them in the minors to play each night.

How do they earn a spot when they don't ever play? Larsson outplayed just about all the dmen last year and was getting less ice time then well just about everyone. We clearly don't hold the vets accountable and its blatently obvious. I'm shocked Volchenkov even sat for a game honestly. It's sad him and Tallinder where the only non-injury scratches.(maybe fayne was too can't remeber) Our d-corps is horrible and will not improve until some new faces are injected in be it from within or through trade/fa. Good defensemen go a long long long way in improving goal scoring.

out of all the 1-2 game tryouts I've seen of our Dmen, Gelinas looks the most NHL ready, and Urbom looked like a 7th or 8th dman.

I'd like Gelinas with either Salvador or Volchenkov. I wish Sal was younger, or both of them were younger.. but Sal-Gelinas should be solid. Salvador-Greene was great when Greene was in his first NHL seasons. Volchenkov is out of position and needs to have his partner keeping an eye on him half the time- not the place for Gelinas, but a better fit for Fayne.

I hope Gelinas can bring it on both ends of the ice. He can skate, has a big body, a BIG shot, and can hopefully lock it down on D. We need a more mobile guy back there in place of one of Tallinder or Volchenkov. Urbom is a more Salvador-type player, not needed right now. Gelinas is more 2-way, and we need a guy with offensive ability. I hope he's ready.

Todd Cordell: New Jersey Devils: Peter Harrold, David Clarkson, Draft Talk & More
- Todd.Cordell

Still think the best offer Stalberg gets is 2 mil? I doubt it. He got more minutes in game 6 than he usually does (or if he didnt he played on the 2nd line with players more suited to his skill set) because of some injuries. One thing he showed is he isnt scared to go into the corner. He did get bumped off the puck a few times, but he was still working for it while he was down, that's the kind of mindset that fits into the Devils system. Keep working. Though, the point some people made about him always finding pads may have some truth to it. Trailing 2-1 in the 3rd he cruised down the wing and had room short side on Rask. Think he hit him in the hip.

Clarkson and Bickell will both likely be priced out of the Devils range. I'd expect bidding wars for both. And not for nothing, all of these points came with him playing with Toews and Kane....years ago Grant Marshall benefited in a similar way playing with Elias and Gomez.

How do they earn a spot when they don't ever play? Larsson outplayed just about all the dmen last year and was getting less ice time then well just about everyone. We clearly don't hold the vets accountable and its blatently obvious. I'm shocked Volchenkov even sat for a game honestly. It's sad him and Tallinder where the only non-injury scratches.(maybe fayne was too can't remeber) Our d-corps is horrible and will not improve until some new faces are injected in be it from within or through trade/fa. Good defensemen go a long long long way in improving goal scoring.
- NickA

Say... what now? That "horrible" d-corps made it to the cup finals with defensively mediocre and irresponsible offense. Zidlicky is horrible, the rest play their roles and we have one of the best defending set of defensemen in the league. Don't knock Salvador... he played the entire season with Zidlicky; play with bad players, get bad stats. Volchenkov got burned a few times, but all of his good plays don't show up on highlight reels and he's a warrior. About half the league wishes they had a 3rd pairing as responsible defensively as Fayne. Greene is in great shape and had a pretty damn good season last year, and Larsson is about to play his third year, and he's already playing like he's going into his seventh year in terms of defensive responsibility.

They're not the most offensively gifted guys (Greene's all right, and so is Larsson in that role), but I give them full marks on their defensive game. Hedberg played bad during that slump and kept letting in soft 5 hole squeak-ins. If Zidlicky had given us a better performance at playing PP Qback, or first pairing for that matter, we'd have been in the playoffs. Our team full of third liners (exc. Elias, Kovalchuk, and Loktionov at times) is what killed us as well.

Say... what now? That "horrible" d-corps made it to the cup finals with defensively mediocre and irresponsible offense. Zidlicky is horrible, the rest play their roles and we have one of the best defending set of defensemen in the league. Don't knock Salvador... he played the entire season with Zidlicky; play with bad players, get bad stats. Volchenkov got burned a few times, but all of his good plays don't show up on highlight reels and he's a warrior. About half the league wishes they had a 3rd pairing as responsible defensively as Fayne. Greene is in great shape and had a pretty damn good season last year, and Larsson is about to play his third year, and he's already playing like he's going into his seventh year in terms of defensive responsibility.

They're not the most offensively gifted guys (Greene's all right, and so is Larsson in that role), but I give them full marks on their defensive game. Hedberg played bad during that slump and kept letting in soft 5 hole squeak-ins. If Zidlicky had given us a better performance at playing PP Qback, or first pairing for that matter, we'd have been in the playoffs. Our team full of third liners (exc. Elias, Kovalchuk, and Loktionov at times) is what killed us as well.
- archromat

All solid points. I've been saying I want to see two of Zid, Volchenkov, Tallinder, and Sal gone, it seems about 90% that Zid is gone, so that's one down, might not get the other.

Larsson better be getting top pairing minutes this whole season, he better get PP time as well. The only reason he should be out of a game is injury.

I agree that Moose was pretty awful all year. I get that he's a great guy, teammate, blah blah, but I really wish he wasn't our backup next year. I'd MUCH rather have Marty and a young guy to develop under him. Seems like it would make the eventual goalie transition much smoother.