I still support Erat for a 5th if Washington eats 1/2 the cap hit.

That said I like the Salvador for Heatley option better.

If Lou can't find anything that keeps the existing roster intact & doesn't touch the main prospect group of Gleinas, Merrill, Larsson, Matteau, Boucher or Pietila. I would prefer he scrape the bargain bin.

With those 3 young Dman coming you could potentially move Santini or Severson but not for a rental ideally.

I'm not sold on Black or Johnson as yet. That's not much prospect depth so you need more than a rental to sacrifice any of them. As mentioned repeatedly the core of NJ isn't young. With the exception of Jagr, Zidlicky & Brodeur the core of this team is in place for next season.

I hope they can get Jagr resigned but Jagr's all about the money. Whoever pays him the most he signs with & waits to get moved to a cup contender at the trade deadline if that team is out of it.

No way Lou cuts Jagr at the deadline. NJ is in the thick of it & I belief they make it.
- striker777

Jagr also signed here because he was guaranteed a lot of ice time. Have to think he got offered similar money if not more by someone else. But since we suck and he knew he would play a lot he chose us.

No way Lou cuts Jagr at the deadline. NJ is in the thick of it & I belief they make it.
- striker777

You're far more optimistic than me my friend.
We're still on the outside looking in and unless we start putting together some winning streaks i don't think we'll get in.
And depending on the return for Jagr it might not be a bad thing moving him.

The team potentially in the best position to bid for Vanek as a rental player may be Anaheim. They have 7.2 million in cap space at the deadline so Vaek's 5.7 fits. They also have the assets to expend as well as the draft picks if they were so inclined & I assume would be willing if they feel they truely have a shot at the cup which they must.

You have at forward Etem, Palmieri, Rackel, Noesen, Smith-Pelly, Karlsson, Kerdiles, Roy, & Sorenson. At D Theodore, Vatanen & in net Gibson & Anderson.

& That doesn't even count the young players that are lockes on this team now in Lindholm, Bonino, Fowler, Sbisa, Belesky, & Silverberg.

Anaheim could give up there 1st, they still have Ottawa's and almost any 2 of those prospects not playing in the NHL & it would have almost no impact to their fortunes down the road.

Anaheim & StLouis are going to dominate the NHL for like the next decade with the riches they have accumulated.

You're far more optimistic than me my friend.
We're still on the outside looking in and unless we start putting together some winning streaks i don't think we'll get in.
And depending on the return for Jagr it might not be a bad thing moving him.
- FAZOOL

need to win both these games before the Olympic break and than the first 3 when they get back. I'm almost positive we have only won 3 games in a row once this year and have multiple losing streaks of 2-4 games and at least one that was over 5. I'm not too optimistic either.

All those Juicy chances Zajac cant finish will be taken by Heatley who still can shoot and Zajac and Jagr and cycle and set up.
- blizzzard

Not saying this is a bad idea as it could be a cheap option, but he is an awful skater. The last thing we need to do is decrease our team speed

You're far more optimistic than me my friend.
We're still on the outside looking in and unless we start putting together some winning streaks i don't think we'll get in.
And depending on the return for Jagr it might not be a bad thing moving him.
- FAZOOL

I'm with you "Pasta" Fazool!

C'mon guys...Cammalleri?

Enough dumpster diving.

Just because they could doesnt mean they should.

Get a real impact player or stop with these stupid over the hill crap acquisitions and sit on your hands. This isnt a team playing well enough to justify giving up assets for someone else's scraps hoping it will be the last piece to a bigger puzzle.

This isn't a playoff team and adding Cams wont make it one.

You're far more optimistic than me my friend.
We're still on the outside looking in and unless we start putting together some winning streaks i don't think we'll get in.
And depending on the return for Jagr it might not be a bad thing moving him.
- FAZOOL

15 of NJ's final 25 games are played at home. They just got healthy a few weeks ago for the 1st time all season, they are now able to ice the starting roster they thought they would when the season started & the torch appears to have been passed to Schneider.

If they can stay healthy & DeBoer plays Schneider 3 out of every 4 only giving Brodeur the weak starts, I have NJ making the playoff's at #7.

If he stops trying to force square pegs into round holes. Example. Playing Salvador over Gelinas. Playing Bernier on the PP at all. Playing Zajac on the #1 PP over Henrique Playing Brodeur over Schneider, etc. We win even more games.

If they add anyone who is actually an NHL top 9 player & I don't care if that's Erat, Heatley, Cleary, Bertuzzi, Gionta what have you, but someone cheap all the better.

If they can add a decent C cheap, like a Cullen from Nashville, who has won 57% of his face off's in 597 attempts & could easily center a 3rd line in NJ & provide some offensive support either upfront on the PP or he can also play the point. That ould e fabulous as long as the cost isn't more than a 3rd round pick.

Todd.

I assume that the retained portion of Vanek's contract stays with Buffalo, 1.3 mil even if NYI moves him. That means Vanek isn't be moved as a 7.5 million dollar player but a 5.3 million player by NYI correct?
- striker777

Actually Isles can still retain 50% of his contract, so he can be a 2,875,000 cap hit

Hey I get watching NJ is worse than watching paint dry but we all share 1 common fault. We like NJ. Crazy I know but lets be honest. We all want them to make the playoff's as we know if they get their they could surprise a great many teams. Especially in the East.

There are no quick fix's in NJ. Were not 1 or 2 players away from being a power house like Boston or Pittsburgh in the East or Anaheim, StLouis or Chicago in the west.

Better to stay the course, plug the hole in the top 9 as best able & start drafting developing & trading for assets that will help down the road but in the meantime a playoff spot is there to be had & no reason with the schedule having 15 of NJ's final 25 at home we can't make the playoffs. NJ is 12-7-7 at home & we all know if Schneider were maning the majority of starts to date this season we win a bunch of games we lost.

Sven has odles of upside, he could actually turn into your Kovalchuk light.
- Kevin R

Actually Isles can still retain 50% of his contract, so he can be a 2,875,000 cap hit
- Danformo

Interesting. Thank you.

That opens up way more teams that could potentially bid on an asset like Vanek then. We currently have 10 teams with virtually no cap space now or at the deadline.

Hey I get watching NJ is worse than watching paint dry but we all share 1 common fault. We like NJ. Crazy I know but lets be honest. We all want them to make the playoff's as we know if they get their they could surprise a great many teams. Especially in the East.

There are no quick fix's in NJ. Were not 1 or 2 players away from being a power house like Boston or Pittsburgh in the East or Anaheim, StLouis or Chicago in the west.

Better to stay the course, plug the hole in the top 9 as best able & start drafting developing & trading for assets that will help down the road but in the meantime a playoff spot is there to be had & no reason with the schedule having 15 of NJ's final 25 at home we can't make the playoffs. NJ is 12-7-7 at home & we all know if Schneider were maning the majority of starts to date this season we win a bunch of games we lost.
- striker777

Not really as good as Cory is he still can't score goals...This is why we lose 9 out of 10 times. Not all of Marty's losses are on him. Even the outdoor game obviously we can say if Cory was in we win. I don't necessarily think it's true as we didn't play good but he does have the potential to have us win games we shouldn't.But how many games has Cory been good if not great and still lost? Other than that part I bolded though I completely agree with you.

C'mon guys...Cammalleri?

Enough dumpster diving.

Just because they could doesnt mean they should.

Get a real impact player or stop with these stupid over the hill crap acquisitions and sit on your hands. This isnt a team playing well enough to justify giving up assets for someone else's scraps hoping it will be the last piece to a bigger puzzle.

This isn't a playoff team and adding Cams wont make it one.
- FLdevilsFAN

Awesome!

Not really as good as Cory is he still can't score goals...This is why we lose 9 out of 10 times. Not all of Marty's losses are on him. Even the outdoor game obviously we can say if Cory was in we win. I don't necessarily think it's true as we didn't play good but he does have the potential to have us win games we shouldn't.But how many games has Cory been good if not great and still lost? Other than that part I bolded though I completely agree with you.
- NickA

Marty has started 28 games. 27 decissions 13-11-4. 2.52 GAA & .899 Sv%. An .899 Sv% is abysmal & last season he wasn't much better .901Sv%.

Hey Marty for me was the best goalie ever. The key word here was. It's time to move on. That's the business of hockey. If Marty can't accept his role then move him now & get a 2nd round pick or a top 9 forward that can help.

So nobody is interested in Johnny Gaudreau?

Schneiders Sv% is .925.

For goalies that have had at least 25 starts, essentially 1/2 there respective teams starts to date this season only Bishop, Rask & Harding have better Sv%'s. Bernier is tied & Varlamov is just a notch below at .924. Price .923.

You can't tell me if Schneider had started 46 games like Price, 45 games like Varlamov, 42 like Rask, Bishop or Bernier that NJ wouldn't have won at the very least a couple more games, if not 1/2 a dozen.

So nobody is interested in Johnny Gaudreau?
- TandA4Flames

No for the very reason you stated. It appears he wants to take a page out of Schultz's book & auction himself off.

Well that & the fact he's 5"6" & 141 lbs.

So nobody is interested in Johnny Gaudreau?
- TandA4Flames

At 5'6" he comes up to Chara's waist & at 141 lbs Byfuglien is twice as heavy.

Hey I get watching NJ is worse than watching paint dry..
- striker777

And that is why Devils fans drink so much.

Dude, Gelinas and a 2015 first? I might just do it.
- whipper334

I would definetly do that trade cammi should for sure be traded bearscni is I'm the ahl. We would have two 2015 first round picks in a great draft. No way devils
Do it

And that is why Devils fans drink so much.
- FAZOOL

Haha! I know I do. Beer & hockey just go well together regardless of who's playing.

Not that I want to see him traded, but how would you guys feel about a NHL native, John Gaudreau. For whatever reason a lot of our fans (not me) fear he won't sign in CGY. The kid is an offensive juggernaut but small. Would you do Cammi, Gaudreau and our 3rd for Severson and your 2015 1st and maybe some kind of useful, salary dump roster player. We'll need RW for our top 9 next year.
- TandA4Flames

Okay you can leave now...

I'm with you "Pasta" Fazool!
- Crushers68

Pasta Fazool! lolol

So nobody is interested in Johnny Gaudreau?
- TandA4Flames

I'm not interested in you offering him...