Todd Cordell: Examining the Devils' free agent options on the left side

why not Nick Holden

Sabres could use a righty. Severson for McCabe?

Todd Cordell: Examining the Devils' free agent options on the left side
- Todd.Cordell

Cole strikes me as an odd fit. Not a great skater or puck mover, but does provide a physical presence. I've been in favor of getting a more physical defender though, so maybe looking outside of the current mold isn't a bad idea.

I wouldn't mind Hickey though. I like his game. Simple but reliable, IMO.

Kempny looked good to me in the playoffs. I'd be perfectly fine Shero went in that direction.

Forget the offensive upside and bring in someone who can play defense.

Then bring in Scott Stevens... although Lou Lams will probably invite him to the Island of misfit toys soon.

NJ.com has article about K'Andre Miller - offence turned D. Very interesting player.

If the devs don't resign John Moore I will be a little dissapointed from an entertainment standpoint. He may make some Jake Gardiner moves in his own end but he can skate very well and he joins the rush often.
I personally enjoy watching him play. If we could lock him up on a 4×4 like Russell in Edmonton I'd be happy. Even if he becomes a bottom pairing guy it's not too much to pay him.
I would much rather see him on the ice than Lovejoy or Mueller.

If the devs don't resign John Moore I will be a little dissapointed from an entertainment standpoint. He may make some Jake Gardiner moves in his own end but he can skate very well and he joins the rush often.
I personally enjoy watching him play. If we could lock him up on a 4×4 like Russell in Edmonton I'd be happy. Even if he becomes a bottom pairing guy it's not too much to pay him.
I would much rather see him on the ice than Lovejoy or Mueller.
- Thunder_daddy

Lovejoy is just playing out his contract and this season will be it for him in NJ. Mueller showed some good improvement and is still just 23. Defensively he seems likely to be better then Moore.

While Moore has certainly been entertaining (and I think get dumped on more then he deserves) the Devils need to try and upgrade the position.

Can Mike Hoffman play D? He may be available on the cheap?

Lovejoy is just playing out his contract and this season will be it for him in NJ. Mueller showed some good improvement and is still just 23. Defensively he seems likely to be better then Moore.

While Moore has certainly been entertaining (and I think get dumped on more then he deserves) the Devils need to try and upgrade the position.
- Queenie_5_hole

I definitely agree the team needs to upgrade defence but to lose him for nothing would seem like a missed opportunity. At least a sign and trade.

I definitely agree the team needs to upgrade defence but to lose him for nothing would seem like a missed opportunity. At least a sign and trade.
- Thunder_daddy

Moore gets dumped on appropriately and losing him is a good thing. No one is doing a sign and trade for John Moore.

The problem with him is he's a good skater and has a good shot so it's easy to get tricked into thinking he's better than he actually is.

I definitely agree the team needs to upgrade defence but to lose him for nothing would seem like a missed opportunity. At least a sign and trade.
- Thunder_daddy

Devils need to move on from Moore. His strengths don't outweigh his weaknesses.

why not Nick Holden
- jimbro83

Bust!

Kempny looked good to me in the playoffs. I'd be perfectly fine Shero went in that direction.
- CaptCrankypants

I like this. You can probably give him a contract big enough to draw him away from Caps but not so large to be unwieldy.

Todd Cordell: Examining the Devils' free agent options on the left side
- Todd.Cordell

Yikes

I definitely agree the team needs to upgrade defence but to lose him for nothing would seem like a missed opportunity. At least a sign and trade.
- Thunder_daddy

Sign and trade? No offense, but if you can't trade him at the trade deadline a sign and trade is not a possibility. Furthermore the attraction of a sign and trade is 8 yrs vs. 7 yrs for term. No one wants Moore for 7 years never mind 8.

No one is mentioning it, but Butcher and Mueller on the left side is not bad. Both of them are growing and based on the World Championships developing fine (as second and third pairings). Greene is the worry on the left side, its not a matter of deteriorating its a question of how fast, and the last two years really have not been pretty. And I have always liked Green, I also said back when his contract would eventually turn ugly. That clock is ticking as a first pairing Dman. I like DeHaan, not sure if he is a solution based on the above or a waste of cap space.

No one is mentioning it, but Butcher and Mueller on the left side is not bad. Both of them are growing and based on the World Championships developing fine (as second and third pairings). Greene is the worry on the left side, its not a matter of deteriorating its a question of how fast, and the last two years really have not been pretty. And I have always liked Green, I also said back when his contract would eventually turn ugly. That clock is ticking as a first pairing Dman. I like DeHaan, not sure if he is a solution based on the above or a waste of cap space.
- redmonsters

Butcher should be able to handle top-4 minutes next year and Greene is definitely a concern (he hasn't been a good top-pairing guy since 2015, that's a part of why the Devils have struggled). But I don't see any reason to count on Mueller as anything more than a depth guy. At no point in his career has he been more than serviceable. I know he's young, but he's not so young that anyone should expect a major improvement.

Also, the world championships are meaningless for determining NHL ability. Most of the players aren't good enough for the NHL, they're playing on international ice and half the NHLers there are drunk/hungover 70% of the time.

No one is mentioning it, but Butcher and Mueller on the left side is not bad. Both of them are growing and based on the World Championships developing fine (as second and third pairings). Greene is the worry on the left side, its not a matter of deteriorating its a question of how fast, and the last two years really have not been pretty. And I have always liked Green, I also said back when his contract would eventually turn ugly. That clock is ticking as a first pairing Dman. I like DeHaan, not sure if he is a solution based on the above or a waste of cap space.
- redmonsters

Not sure if people have been paying close attention, but as season went on, Greene made more mistakes. And he been doing that last few yrs. He's done. People talk poop about Lovejoy, for 5mil, Greene is a disaster.

Mueller had an amzing world tourn. so I expect him to carry that over.

woow

Not sure if people have been paying close attention, but as season went on, Greene made more mistakes. And he been doing that last few yrs. He's done. People talk poop about Lovejoy, for 5mil, Greene is a disaster.

Mueller had an amzing world tourn. so I expect him to carry that over.
- Leniwm1

World championships have nothing to do with the NHL. They are against lesser competition on a bigger ice and most of the NHLers who go there are probably either drunk or hung over during most of the games. Plus he had a solid, even a good tournament, he wasn't amazing by any stretch of the imagination.

Mueller is a depth defenseman who can probably stick on a 3rd pairing and not kill you. Anyone who expects him to come into camp and fill in a a top-4 role next season is deluding themselves.

World championships have nothing to do with the NHL. They are against lesser competition on a bigger ice and most of the NHLers who go there are probably either drunk or hung over during most of the games. Plus he had a solid, even a good tournament, he wasn't amazing by any stretch of the imagination.

Mueller is a depth defenseman who can probably stick on a 3rd pairing and not kill you. Anyone who expects him to come into camp and fill in a a top-4 role next season is deluding themselves.
- CaptCrankypants

I don't think anyone here was suggesting him for top 4 role. If he becomes a good third pairing as I noted earlier it would be a win. And I think you underestimate your opinion of the WC, some players see it as a showcase, some take pride in winning for their country and sure some take it as a party. But there is some fine hockey played there no doubt.

I don't think anyone here was suggesting him for top 4 role. If he becomes a good third pairing as I noted earlier it would be a win. And I think you underestimate your opinion of the WC, some players see it as a showcase, some take pride in winning for their country and sure some take it as a party. But there is some fine hockey played there no doubt.
- redmonsters

If the Devils had more certainty in front of Mueller, then you could go into the season and hope he filled that 3rd pairing role, maybe you sign a lower tier guy to give him some competition. Since Greene is like 200 years old and Butcher was in a sheltered role last season, I'm not willing to bet on Mueller's solid WC play carrying over. I'd rather go into camp with him fighting for the 7th/8th spot on the depth chart and if he can earn a bigger role, good for him.

World championships have nothing to do with the NHL. They are against lesser competition on a bigger ice and most of the NHLers who go there are probably either drunk or hung over during most of the games. Plus he had a solid, even a good tournament, he wasn't amazing by any stretch of the imagination.

Mueller is a depth defenseman who can probably stick on a 3rd pairing and not kill you. Anyone who expects him to come into camp and fill in a a top-4 role next season is deluding themselves.
- CaptCrankypants

I too enjoy pegging down defensemen at or before their 23rd birthday. They all develop so quickly after all.