Todd Cordell: Grading The New Jersey Devils' Off-Season

A

Not a Devils fan but solid "A" as well. Hall trade was ingenuous. Lovejoy and Bennett coming off a cup, plus with Zacha coming up into the fold Mikey McLeod was a solid pick up in the first round. Finally giving Schneider something to work with.

I've always been a Shero fan. He isn't given enough credit for long-term thinking and being a great deal-maker. Given this, I think it is worthwhile to look at this through a long-term lens. NJ has been horrid offensively the past 2-3 years (at least). With Hall (assuming he stays healthy) they have shored up the top 6 to a competitive and underrated one, and their bottom 6 is a good mix of veterans and younger players, which is exactly what you want in this stage of the teams development.

Losing Larrsson does suck as I agree he isn't given sufficient credit, and was also playing in a system that is not best for his skill set (I think you will see an bit of an increased production from him in EDM). The D strength of NJ is, and typically has been, a result of the system they play - although I think this will slowly change under Shero. So, I do not think that trading Larrsson will reveal a huge hole on D. Moreover, I think giving Severson (paired with Greene) more playing time will be better for the Devils as he seems more suited to what Shero wants his team to be. There will be opportunities at the trade deadline and also before the expansion draft to pick up a good or younger D needing a change of scenery for a discount from teams who would lose them for little otherwise.

So, longterm I think Shero did an excellent job here and my guess is that they will get a D for this year (maybe a vet they can trade at the deadline or give a rookie a chance), but that they will be very active in trying to get at least one "tweener" D who could be lost to expansion later on as a more longterm solution (e.g. Tyler Myers or maybe Pouliot if Shero still likes the upside).

For now I have to say B.

Adding Taylor Hall was a no brainer, and addition by subtraction with clearing the roster of Tootoo, Ruutu, Gionta, Farnham, etc. were great moves.

But letting Schlemko go after holding him at the deadline and Larsson, while adding only Lovejoy makes me say B.

That being said if Santini steps right in and looks comfortable and Merrill finally progresses this could easily be an A offseason.

A-. I think the Devils held onto Schlemko at the deadline because they wanted to re-sign him, and not getting that done, and not replacing him at all, bumps the grade down for me (yes, they can't force him to re-sign, but they should have gotten a deal worked out prior to the start of the legalized tampering phase).

That said, there wasn't much available in free agency and the Hall trade was amazing, so I can't complain too much.

What teams received As? I can see us and Tampa....people are back and forth on Florida moves...but who else killed it this off season?

I give Shero's offseason moves an A-/B+

The Hall trade was obviously huge (and let's not forget re-signing Palmieri) but the Penguin-ing of this team has to stop. As Todd said, Lovejoy is no better than Schlemko (and the lack of depth on D is a huge concern imo). Beau Bennett is made of glass. If he stays healthy maybe he's a decent top 6 forward, but I doubt it. Fiddler is fine, but kinda old and unnecessary. One more solid acquisition (on defense, esp.) and I'd give the Devils an A.

The draft was good, maybe could have picked someone with more offensive upside but who knows. Getting an extra pick to take Savard's contract was a good move. Overall, I think the rebuild is coming along nicely with Zacha, Quenneville, Santini, Blackwood and now McLeod aboard. I wonder where the Devils prospect pool ranks among the NHL's 30 teams?

I am really in no position to critique the man but I would give him an A for excitement factor for sure. Hall is so exactly what we needed. Forwards a plenty selected at the draft, and a few great ones also. I like Mcleod and Bastian. I think Shero did a great job. We (or I if you guys are in the know) don't know enough of the behind the scenes stuff to say he failed at things like re-signing Schlemko. He may have been fully on board to sign back with us and then changed his mind to go West at the last minute. Either way it is nice to not have any long term contracts handed to well past their prime vets or passing on more talented players to get a Matteau. I am really happy with the direction this team is heading.

Todd Cordell: Grading The New Jersey Devils' Off-Season
- Todd.Cordell

Agreed

Agree we need more bodies on D, but Wiz really isn't that great at hockey anymore. Would've preferred Jultz just because he can skate. Maybe we take a chance on Luke Schenn? Not sure Seidenberg's health situation, but he's also sitting in UFA

What teams received As? I can see us and Tampa....people are back and forth on Florida moves...but who else killed it this off season?
- Mewsik2myears

NJ, Tampa, Florida, Boston and Nashville got an A.

Saint-Louis and Montreal were the only two teams to receive Fs.

I go with a B

Some solid depth guys that they could still sign in FA.

Don't like that Ray is content right now. One should never be content.

Even if they were to sign the lug Jackman that would only help the team having a body that could play 30-50 games of stay at home D. Would also be a good anchor on a line with one of the young bulls.

NJ, Tampa, Florida, Boston and Nashville got an A.

Saint-Louis and Montreal were the only two teams to receive Fs.
- Bruiniak

I'm not sure why Boston would be deserving of an A. I can get the argument for Florida, and certainly Nashville with their trade. What did Boston do besides add Backes when many think that wasn't a great move?

I'm not sure why Boston would be deserving of an A. I can get the argument for Florida, and certainly Nashville with their trade. What did Boston do besides add Backes when many think that wasn't a great move?
- Mewsik2myears

A draft that most agree was outstanding. Not overpaying for Eriksson and locking up Krug long term. The Backes signing at a great salary/term. This gives Boston the edge down the middle over any other team in the eastern conference.

https://www.nhl.com/news/...c-281176080?tid=277729154

Nice this NHL.com article on Mcleod and Bastian

I've been a Devils fan for as long as I can remember. While I'm very grateful for the amazing teams that Lou Lamoriello built that led to Stanley Cup championships, his last few years as the Devil's GM were horrendous. He signed players that were either past their prime or injury prone to large contracts.

Since joining the Devils organization, Ray Shero has brought in a surge of youth that meet the style of the game today. Speed! As such, I do think he deserves and 'A' for the offseason moves. Yes, losing Larsson was a blow. However, when you add a player like Taylor Hall who still has 4 years left on his contract, it's a no brainer move. Could they have brought David Schlemko back? Yes, but a 4-year contract worth $8.4 million is a steep price for a player who was a journeyman before one good season last year with the Devils. In addition, Schlemko is 29 and will be past his prime when his contract ends with the Sharks.

The Devils need to let their younger players on defense (ie; Steve Santini, Jon Merrill & Damon Severson) have an opportunity to play more regularly. Also, this will help the front office evaluate their talent and depth. If they aren't pleased, they can always pull a trade before the deadline and make a push for the playoffs in next year. There are several defenseman that are still in their prime that may be available next year (Dmitry Kulikov, Kevin Shattenkirk & Erik Gudbranson) via free agency. I'd rather the Devils stay put for now and have money to go after these players.

Keep up the great work, Shero!

Ray Shero is a master at pulling great trades on the deadline and as such look for him to do some damage then. In the interim, he fleeced Edmonton to land Taylor Hall and his much needed skills. Schmelko was replaced by Lovejoy. That's even. Palmieri has been good and Shero likes to be patient and pondering when it comes to player selections. I think he still pulls in Polliott from Pittsburgh if he doesn't shine this year. Huge potential as a D quarterback but Pens have plenty of those.
Shero will make his mark as a confident and capable GM very shortly. That I am sure of. He did it in Pittsburgh with Hossa, Dupuis, Niskanen, Neal, Martin, Gonchar and many others.

Shero is A+

Draft = C+

I would say that this draft didn't get anyone I was in love with like we did last year (I was big on Blackwood & Speers). That said, I didn't think that it was a bad one either. In the end, I think it was an average one for us; Shero did good at getting a decent amount of picks but I would be shocked if anyone became a huge contributor for us.

Trades = A+

Speaks for itself, we needed offense, this gives it to us. Granted it does hurt that we lost Larsson and our D is now in trouble, but all in all, we get the better player. Great trade in the end (and I will add I am a huge Larsson fan and I do think he will be great for Edm.)

Free Agency = B+

I was happy to see that we didn't go crazy. We are still a rebuilding team (1 more year IMO) but will probably be on the bubble this year. Lovejoy will help our penalty kill and I think Fiddler is a good safety net for Zacha. However, I think we signed Lovejoy for a bit much & I would like us to have a guy like Stempniak to help our RW situation/potential trade-bait. For those reasons, he falls just short of the A mark.

Overall Off-season So Far = B+

Simple math, just add the C+, A+, & B+ and you get our B+. This mark could easily change if we get another player in FA or if the Draft yields a hidden gem. But overall, I think the most people look to into the Hall trade when grading Shero's off season and don't look at the other aspects. Besides, a B+ is a strong grade all things considered.

https://www.nhl.com/news/michael-mcleod-nathan-bastian-on-same-path-for-new-jersey/c-281176080?tid=277729154

Nice this NHL.com article on Mcleod and Bastian
- Leniwm1