Todd Cordell: Setting the table for the New Jersey Devils' 2018 off-season

Hall vs everyone

Who do we draft with our 1st round pick? Forward or D?

Hall vs everyone

Who do we draft with our 1st round pick? Forward or D?
- dmarsden2988

BPA

Offseason goals
1. Sign John Tavares
2. Don't sign John Carlson
3. Find an upgrade on the left side over John Moore and Mirco Mueller.

just like to point out that Cordell constantly harped on the fact that the Devils would exploit Dan Girardi, he did it here and on Twitter on a nearly constant basis and it doesn't look like it happened.

just like to point out that Cordell constantly harped on the fact that the Devils would exploit Dan Girardi, he did it here and on Twitter on a nearly constant basis and it doesn't look like it happened.
- jimbo83

Just because the Devils didn't take advantage of Girardi doesn't mean he's not one of the worst defensemen in the NHL (he is).

Girardi is still garbage.

Devils lacked in secondary scoring and that's it.

just like to point out that Cordell constantly harped on the fact that the Devils would exploit Dan Girardi, he did it here and on Twitter on a nearly constant basis and it doesn't look like it happened.
- jimbo83

More so Hall than the team. Cooper did a good job of keeping Girardi away from Hall and the former survived the few shifts he did have against him. I still think that was the most exploitable matchup the Devils could have had. There are almost no weaknesses on TB.

BPA
- CaptCrankypants

Just because the Devils didn't take advantage of Girardi doesn't mean he's not one of the worst defensemen in the NHL (he is).
- CaptCrankypants

the guy just played the 127th playoff game of his career

that's hard to do if you are one of worst players in the league

the guy just played the 127th playoff game of his career

that's hard to do if you are one of worst players in the league
- jimbo83

Are you saying the lighting are in the playoffs because of Dan Girardi? Ok then

I would love for JT and john carlson.. but here are the areas we need to improve.. we need left handed dman who can provide offense so adios to John Moore. I also feel this teams really needs another shooter. . Aside from hall and palmieri, no one rockets pucks to the net... a right winger would be nice which is the position devils have struggled with.. i would only bring back marroon as a 3rd/4th liner. I hope devils bring in a top 6 player or two just so that zacha can maybe focus on something else. Maybe move him to wing and make him shoot. Havent given up on him yet.. and i hope next year’s third line isnt coleman-zajac-noesen..... please dont let it be sher

Sign JVR

Sign JVR
- mr.sir

This team has way too many LW... johannson should have that 2nd line Lw locked down

This team has way too many LW... johannson should have that 2nd line Lw locked down
- Jamincito

One would hope. Unpopular opinion. When Mojo was healthy he didn't particularly impress me too much. He needs to shoot more.

Yes and he got to that 127th game on the backs of the rest of the team. He was better earlier in his career, but presently he's not very good.

The Bolts have a former 1st round pick LD in Koekkoek who is riding the pine because Jon Cooper has never trusted him enough. He is the second best D skater on the Bolts behind Hedman and he has offensive flare. Yzerman made a deal to protect him in the expansion draft and he is still an RFA but most likely getting traded this offseason because Cooper won't play him. He would be a great additional to the Devils for the right price.

Going to be interesting to see what Tavares does but the Devils are a good landing spot as all the others. With 20M in cap your team can dictate what it wants to do.

It was a fun series, your team played hard but were just outclassed by a deeper skilled team. Best of luck next year to the Devils.

One would hope. Unpopular opinion. When Mojo was healthy he didn't particularly impress me too much. He needs to shoot more.
- Devilspep87

I know he didn't collect any points but I thought he looked good the last three games of the series.

The Devils priority has to be D. Not really sure they should go out and spend UFA money on any forwards unless Tavares is a real option. As it is we have a bit of a log jam of forwards, and I think it's a fair assumption that some new young guys, Anderson, McLeod, Quennville, could compete for spots next year. Grabner won't be back - that was objectively a bad trade at this point but it is what it is. Could see Maroon coming back but don't think it's the end of the world if he walks. Similar with Gibbons.

The Devils and Tavares are intriguing. For all the talk of him signing with the Rangers, the Devils would pretty much equally afford him the opportunity to stay by NYC, the Devils have lots of cap space, and seem to be much closer to being competitive than either the Rangers or Islanders. Islanders fans also hate the Devils way way less than the Rangers so it'd be less of a "TRAITOR!" move for JT to sign with NJ. I could be totally making this up, but I thought a few years ago I read somewhere that Hall and Tavares train together in the offseason.

the guy just played the 127th playoff game of his career

that's hard to do if you are one of worst players in the league
- jimbo83

It's not impossible if your coaches make poor lineup decisions and you have other players who can make up for his suckiness (Lundqvist, McDonagh) to mask how awful he is.

The Devils and Tavares are intriguing. For all the talk of him signing with the Rangers, the Devils would pretty much equally afford him the opportunity to stay by NYC, the Devils have lots of cap space, and seem to be much closer to being competitive than either the Rangers or Islanders. Islanders fans also hate the Devils way way less than the Rangers so it'd be less of a "TRAITOR!" move for JT to sign with NJ. I could be totally making this up, but I thought a few years ago I read somewhere that Hall and Tavares train together in the offseason.
- MannySilvers

It was this past summer that Hall went to train at the same place as Tavares. I'm hoping Hall did some recruiting while they were training together. Having Hall on one line and Tavares on another would elevate the Devils to another level.

All we hear from Tavares is that he's a loyal player. I can see him sticking with the Islanders or going to San Jose. To me, those are probably the most likely destinations. But if Tavares wants to stay on the east coast and he's not going to stay with the Islanders... well if a player did the reverse and signed with the Islanders I'd be ok with that if the choices were there or with the Rangers. I just can't see him leaving the Islanders to play in Manhattan. That would be a huge betrayal and I think the rumor of him potentially signing there is because a lot of people in the media want to write that story.

It was this past summer that Hall went to train at the same place as Tavares. I'm hoping Hall did some recruiting while they were training together. Having Hall on one line and Tavares on another would elevate the Devils to another level.

All we hear from Tavares is that he's a loyal player. I can see him sticking with the Islanders or going to San Jose. To me, those are probably the most likely destinations. But if Tavares wants to stay on the east coast and he's not going to stay with the Islanders... well if a player did the reverse and signed with the Islanders I'd be ok with that if the choices were there or with the Rangers. I just can't see him leaving the Islanders to play in Manhattan. That would be a huge betrayal and I think the rumor of him potentially signing there is because a lot of people in the media want to write that story.
- CaptCrankypants

Everyone keeps expecting him to do the Stamkos where right after he becomes a UFA he just resigns, but the difference is the Lightning were set up to be a real contender in the immediate future. The Islanders...are not.

Would like to see the devils take either merkley or wilde in the draft assuming either falls to 17, if both are gone, i would go with either farabee or noel. First choice should be a defenseman. just my opinion long way from the draft.

Everyone keeps expecting him to do the Stamkos where right after he becomes a UFA he just resigns, but the difference is the Lightning were set up to be a real contender in the immediate future. The Islanders...are not.
- MannySilvers

Agreed. But to me, the most likely destination is still the Islanders just because I'm always going to give the best odds to the home team.

Quick question to you guys, which left
Handed Dman would you like to see on the devils ?? I saw carlsson but he is a RHD so who would you like to see ?