Todd Cordell: New Jersey Devils: Buying Out Anton Volchenkov Makes Sense

For me, it's a matter of whether it should be Sal or ATrain. ATrain is better, but has a higher cap hit and an extra year on the contract. I'd say buy out both, but maybe that's asking for too much.

Has he really been bad enoughto buy him out? I hhaven't paid much attentionto him this year.

It makes all the sense in the world to buy him out. Just as it made sense to keep him for depth purposes last year. It was good to not have to force any of the kids into the lineup. They developed at their own pace. That is always for the best.

As for Zidlicky, I don't see the need to bring him back at anything more than his current contract. There are plenty of Marek Zidlicky's in the world.

Raphael Diaz, Joe Corvo, and Joni Pitkanen coming off a severe injury would be on the low end. Sami Salo and Derrick Morris are probably an equivalent.
Matt Niskanen, Dan Boyle, and Kimmo Timonen are on the higher end even though the latters don't have many years left.

Point is, they'll have plenty of options. They're not locked in to anything. For a team that just missed the playoffs for the 2nd straight year, that's not a bad thing.

Hopefully they evaluate all of their options.

Has he really been bad enoughto buy him out? I hhaven't paid much attentionto him this year.
- Isles_since_6

The speed in the league has evolved to a point where it's too much for him to keep up. Those shot blocks have taken their toll on his body.

As someone else mentioned at another point during the year, the league is also moving more towards trying to prevent shot attempts and scoring opportunities rather than sitting in the John Tortorella shell and trying to block them when they come.

The league has just passed him by. He's a 6th defenseman at this point. On most teams.

It makes all the sense in the world to buy him out. Just as it made sense to keep him for depth purposes last year. It was good to not have to force any of the kids into the lineup. They developed at their own pace. That is always for the best.

As for Zidlicky, I don't see the need to bring him back at anything more than his current contract. There are plenty of Marek Zidlicky's in the world.

Raphael Diaz, Joe Corvo, and Joni Pitkanen coming off a severe injury would be on the low end. Sami Salo and Derrick Morris are probably an equivalent.
Matt Niskanen, Dan Boyle, and Kimmo Timonen are on the higher end even though the latters don't have many years left.

Point is, they'll have plenty of options. They're not locked in to anything. For a team that just missed the playoffs for the 2nd straight year, that's not a bad thing.

Hopefully they evaluate all of their options.
- njdevils350

I think they could even try to acquire Paul Martin from Pitt, if they ate $1 mil.

Todd Cordell: New Jersey Devils: Buying Out Anton Volchenkov Makes Sense
- Todd.Cordell

Good blog

I think they could even try to acquire Paul Martin from Pitt, if they ate $1 mil.
- Devils9503

Should've just re-signed him instead of ending up with Volchenkov.

Either way, Lou needs to make a relevant move soon for some offense.

Lombardi learned fro Lou, but Lou could learn from Lombardi.

Dean goes and grabs players like Carter & Gaborik that put his team over the top.

Lou goes and grabs Rutuu and puts his team in a deeper hole.

Should've just re-signed him instead of ending up with Volchenkov.

Either way, Lou needs to make a relevant move soon for some offense.

Lombardi learned fro Lou, but Lou could learn from Lombardi.

Dean goes and grabs players like Carter & Gaborik that put his team over the top.

Lou goes and grabs Rutuu and puts his team in a deeper hole.
- FLdevilsFAN

He wanted to sign with Pitt. Lou can't force players to re-sign if they don't want to.

They got Carter back in 2012, when we had Parise and Kovalchuk. Columbus wasn't going to trade Gaborik to us even if we wanted him (which I have no idea about). Loktionov hurt his shoulder in worlds this week and apparently Doctors say the prognosis does not look good for him, so maybe the Ruutu trade wan't so bad.

He wanted to sign with Pitt. Lou can't force players to re-sign if they don't want to.

They got Carter back in 2012, when we had Parise and Kovalchuk. Columbus wasn't going to trade Gaborik to us even if we wanted him (which I have no idea about). Loktionov hurt his shoulder in worlds this week and apparently Doctors say the prognosis does not look good for him, so maybe the Ruutu trade wan't so bad.
- CaptCrankypants

Which is why I'm glad only Jagr and Brunner are playing in worlds from the Devils.

129 Hits and 91 Blocked shots compared to Bryce's 47 Hits and 50 blocked shots. I'll take A-train over Sal any day of the week. Plus PDB has actually pressboxed him before unlike captain fantastic.

129 Hits and 91 Blocked shots compared to Bryce's 47 Hits and 50 blocked shots. I'll take A-train over Sal any day of the week. Plus PDB has actually pressboxed him before unlike captain fantastic.
- NickA

From a hockey standpoint Volchenkov>Salvador but when you include the cap hit and the contract length I think Volchenkov is more of a detriment to the team, I also just don't see Lou buying out the captain of the team.

I think they could even try to acquire Paul Martin from Pitt, if they ate $1 mil.
- Devils9503

Pittsburgh will never let Paul Martin leave, there are people here who think he is the best defenseman in the game today.
Matt Niskanen can be had but not cheap. The Pens will make him an offer but it won't be what he can get on the open market. So that will become an interesting situation.

Pittsburgh will never let Paul Martin leave, there are people here who think he is the best defenseman in the game today.
Matt Niskanen can be had but not cheap. The Pens will make him an offer but it won't be what he can get on the open market. So that will become an interesting situation.
- Thunderbolt

I don't see why Pittsburgh can't retain Niskanen. Oprik + Niskanen's current deal = 6 Mil

Goc, Pyatt, Glass, Stempniak, and Jokinen are all expiring contracts. Jokinen is likely gone coming off a big year. They have plenty of room to work it out, especially with Gibbons, Bennett, and Megna primed for small salary increases and larger roles on the top 9.

Why do I have a sickening feeling that lou will forget about the waiver process and larsson will be picked up

Pittsburgh will never let Paul Martin leave, there are people here who think he is the best defenseman in the game today.
Matt Niskanen can be had but not cheap. The Pens will make him an offer but it won't be what he can get on the open market. So that will become an interesting situation.
- Thunderbolt

If Paul Martin was still in NJ he'd be the uncontested #1D, with Andy Greene the only one even remotely possible of challenging that.

Some of you really do think a little too highly of NJ's defensive corps.
Everyone except Greene is easily replaceable.
Even the rookies are replaceable at this point.

As far as the veterans go, you all complain about Volchenkov, Salvador, and even Zidlicky (all rightfully so) every day because in reality NJ has some very mediocre, overpaid, overhyped defensemen right now, but want to throw stones at other team's defense?

Welcome to the glass house.

NJ's back end is old, slow, overpaid, and overhyped with very little return so far.

Two years with early golf should make everyone get off their bandwagon & a little closer to reality.

If Lou doesn't poop or get off the pot and bring in some guys who can put the puck in the net and shed some of the old slow weight on defense, it doesn't matter who's in net or if Cory pulls Vezina caliber numbers again, they'll miss the playoffs next year too. Take that to the bank.

It makes all the sense in the world to buy him out. Just as it made sense to keep him for depth purposes last year. It was good to not have to force any of the kids into the lineup. They developed at their own pace. That is always for the best.

As for Zidlicky, I don't see the need to bring him back at anything more than his current contract. There are plenty of Marek Zidlicky's in the world.

Raphael Diaz, Joe Corvo, and Joni Pitkanen coming off a severe injury would be on the low end. Sami Salo and Derrick Morris are probably an equivalent.
Matt Niskanen, Dan Boyle, and Kimmo Timonen are on the higher end even though the latters don't have many years left.

Point is, they'll have plenty of options. They're not locked in to anything. For a team that just missed the playoffs for the 2nd straight year, that's not a bad thing.

Hopefully they evaluate all of their options.
- njdevils350

It made no sense to bring back both him and sal. Its obvious that those kind of defensman aren't terribly useful anymore and it showed throughout the season when both Sal and ATrain played. Pete was then forced to juggle some incompetent defensmen in his roster all season.

Zidlicky put up 42 points last year on a terrible offensive team. Most of the players you mentioned aren't close to being a competent replacement. Niskanen would be better than Zid but cost a lot more, boyle is probably the same if he's even better anymore, and kimmo is retiring.

It makes all the sense in the world to buy him out. Just as it made sense to keep him for depth purposes last year. It was good to not have to force any of the kids into the lineup. They developed at their own pace. That is always for the best.

As for Zidlicky, I don't see the need to bring him back at anything more than his current contract. There are plenty of Marek Zidlicky's in the world.

Raphael Diaz, Joe Corvo, and Joni Pitkanen coming off a severe injury would be on the low end. Sami Salo and Derrick Morris are probably an equivalent.
Matt Niskanen, Dan Boyle, and Kimmo Timonen are on the higher end even though the latters don't have many years left.

Point is, they'll have plenty of options. They're not locked in to anything. For a team that just missed the playoffs for the 2nd straight year, that's not a bad thing.

Hopefully they evaluate all of their options.
- njdevils350

We haven't had a player like Zidlicky in a while and then people say that there are plenty of him. I'd take Zidlicky back in a heartbeat, he's a solid, reliable PPQB, the only fault I have on him of late is his stupid gamely penalty. He's shored up his defensive game, it's not much of a hindrance anymore.

I'm just unsure of where he fits.

From a hockey standpoint Volchenkov>Salvador but when you include the cap hit and the contract length I think Volchenkov is more of a detriment to the team, I also just don't see Lou buying out the captain of the team.
- MannySilvers

That should be all that matters. Can't keep guys around who don't help the team at all.

If Paul Martin was still in NJ he'd be the uncontested #1D, with Andy Greene the only one even remotely possible of challenging that.

Some of you really do think a little too highly of NJ's defensive corps.
Everyone except Greene is easily replaceable.
Even the rookies are replaceable at this point.

As far as the veterans go, you all complain about Volchenkov, Salvador, and even Zidlicky (all rightfully so) every day because in reality NJ has some very mediocre, overpaid, overhyped defensemen right now, but want to throw stones at other team's defense?

Welcome to the glass house.

NJ's back end is old, slow, overpaid, and overhyped with very little return so far.

Two years with early golf should make everyone get off their bandwagon & a little closer to reality.

If Lou doesn't poop or get off the pot and bring in some guys who can put the puck in the net and shed some of the old slow weight on defense, it doesn't matter who's in net or if Cory pulls Vezina caliber numbers again, they'll miss the playoffs next year too. Take that to the bank.
- FLdevilsFAN

That the defense wasn't the problem? We can complain all we want about Sal and Anton(and rightfully so) but our defense hasn't been an issue for years. If we kept the same roster as this past year, and simply put a guy who could actually put the puck in the net with some regularity in there, they would probably still be playing

Clarkson plus $2M salary retention per year for Volchenkov? Saves a salary buyout.

Buy out volchenkov

Sign gaborik, I know he is injury prone and getting older but he still is fast and he has a shot no one else on the team has

Loved the Atrain but everybody including devel fans could see this coming the moment he signed that deal tbh

Clarkson plus $2M salary retention per year for Volchenkov? Saves a salary buyout.
- Leafsandbolts

No way the leafs would keep $2m in salary for the next 6 years. They're a cap team and would screw themselves by doing that