We are never going to get a top pairing defensman that is going to fix all our problems there-fore we needed as many defenceman as we could/can get, you say he is like every other defensman but that would make him better then all but 1 of ours, and in terms of Ty Smith if Smith was good enough he would have made the team and if Smith is good enough this year he will make the team but as with last year just he alone won't be enough
- cu45161

Going in to the year we had 7 dmen on 1 way contracts and Smith was coming off a CHL defensman of the year season and also almost made the team out of camp as an 18 year old. Signing Gardiner absolutely would have blocked Smith. We can look back now and say "but he didn't make it" but everyone including the organization was expecting him to make the team.

Gardiner and Harmonic were examples of Free Agents we COULD have pursued because someone mentioned that NJ has trouble signing free agents. So they are examples of folks we could have signed. If you think Gardiner and/or Harmonic are the wrong guys that's fine. I'm doubtful they wouldn't be helpful above the AHL level guys we are running with but I get that these might be players to pass on.

The big picture point was that we aren't really trying to bring in free agents and the big knock on free agents is they get to much money. Which is completely true they mostly all get overpaid; but you aren't spending any other assets so it's a trade off... So overall it looks to me that Ownership has little interest in spending money on this team.
- Queenie_5_hole

I don't get why you want the owners to max out our cap space on a poopty team. The reason we aren't spending on any other assets is that they are already under contract. Sure, we could sign Bratt to a 10 million dollar contract so that the owners can show they are willing to spend money, but that would still be stupid because he's not worth that. Colorado has the 5th lowest salary (a whole 3 mil more than us) in the league and are contenders this year and have the longest window to contend of anyone in the league. That should be our goal coming out of this, not rush it so that we can get back to the playoffs sooner but never go anywhere. It sucks because this past year we were supposed to look respectable, but we didn't and the right move was to get assets back for older players and try to add more pieces for the future.

For the record, Hamonic was never a free agent and would only could have been acquired in a trade from the Islanders. Also impossible to have gotten in said trade because Hamonic specifically requested a trade to a western Canadian team to be closer to his family for personal reasons.

I don't get why you want the owners to max out our cap space on a poopty team. The reason we aren't spending on any other assets is that they are already under contract. Sure, we could sign Bratt to a 10 million dollar contract so that the owners can show they are willing to spend money, but that would still be stupid because he's not worth that. Colorado has the 5th lowest salary (a whole 3 mil more than us) in the league and are contenders this year and have the longest window to contend of anyone in the league. That should be our goal coming out of this, not rush it so that we can get back to the playoffs sooner but never go anywhere. It sucks because this past year we were supposed to look respectable, but we didn't and the right move was to get assets back for older players and try to add more pieces for the future.
- rmdevil313

Obviously Colorado is a great goal and I’m not looking for gratuitous spending. All I’m saying is I think these owners are much more focused on saving money then building a winning team.

UFAs are an overpriced product and I get there are a lot more bad deals then good ones. We just seem unwilling to spend on any of them unless it’s a bargain player like Quincey or Stempniak.

It doesn’t help that even hiring a GM or new Coach is an ongoing ordeal.

In the end owners are never going to say they don’t want to win and aren’t willing to spend. But actions speak louder then word and they haven’t looked very interested in building a winner.

If they even could present a decent plan I’d be optimistic but we don’t even know what the heck they’re trying to do and they seem in no rush to even take basic steps in getting new people in to run this organization.

For the record, Hamonic was never a free agent and would only could have been acquired in a trade from the Islanders. Also impossible to have gotten in said trade because Hamonic specifically requested a trade to a western Canadian team to be closer to his family for personal reasons.
- Pomegrant

Sorry. Wrong guy.
I was thinking of Calvin De Hann. Brain fart.

Todd wrote a few articles about targeting him in free agency and we of course did not.

Sorry. Wrong guy.
I was thinking of Calvin De Hann. Brain fart.

Todd wrote a few articles about targeting him in free agency and we of course did not.
- Queenie_5_hole

Apparently we did send a contract offer but Carolina gave him an extra mil or something, which shows a lot about us undervaluing potential players. I think he was traded to Chicago after have a solid season. Not sure how he was doing this year though.

Sorry. Wrong guy.
I was thinking of Calvin De Hann. Brain fart.

Todd wrote a few articles about targeting him in free agency and we of course did not.
- Queenie_5_hole

We went after him though and gave him an contract offer. He chose to play somewhere else. Like i said before, players need to want to come play here

[quote=Queenie_5_hole]Obviously Colorado is a great goal and I’m not looking for gratuitous spending. All I’m saying is I think these owners are much more focused on saving money then building a winning team.

I just think the conversation on the team spending/not spending is one that makes no sense. They had a plan, Shero's plan to rebuild through the draft. Any/All money was planned to be spent on youth/vets already on roster and would have taken us closer to the cap in a year or 2.

The frustration should be with management, that we have not developed talent properly. Hynes system was garbage and prevented players from taking next steps. Players that should've been ready (Smith, Bastian, McLeod) just never grew like we thought. Some could argue he was impeding potential on Zacha, Wood, Bratt, Nico, Jack, MB29 and Boqvist.

If we can get a players coach and a GM, we are right back on track in the rebuild. We show we've taken a step or 2 then free agents to fill role player positions will come. Until then we continue to build through the draft and save the money for future contracts. These owners spent a heck of a lot in Philly on the sixers, I really think them being cheap is a non-issue.

[quote=Queenie_5_hole]Obviously Colorado is a great goal and I’m not looking for gratuitous spending. All I’m saying is I think these owners are much more focused on saving money then building a winning team.

I just think the conversation on the team spending/not spending is one that makes no sense. They had a plan, Shero's plan to rebuild through the draft. Any/All money was planned to be spent on youth/vets already on roster and would have taken us closer to the cap in a year or 2.

The frustration should be with management, that we have not developed talent properly. Hynes system was garbage and prevented players from taking next steps. Players that should've been ready (Smith, Bastian, McLeod) just never grew like we thought. Some could argue he was impeding potential on Zacha, Wood, Bratt, Nico, Jack, MB29 and Boqvist.

If we can get a players coach and a GM, we are right back on track in the rebuild. We show we've taken a step or 2 then free agents to fill role player positions will come. Until then we continue to build through the draft and save the money for future contracts. These owners spent a heck of a lot in Philly on the sixers, I really think them being cheap is a non-issue.
- ShoresideDevil

You're right. The real frustration is with management, the limited player development, the inability to hire a GM and Head Coach and the general lack of directions. The money isn't the issue per se except we never seem to be willing to bring in any quality UFAs. Simmonds is a bit of an exception because $5M wasn't cheap but I think the term was the savior on that.

While the Devils are probably not profitable they are the ones who built the stadium in Newark which is hugely profitable. We should be able to use some resources to compete.

And ownership has not been open about what they are even trying to do here. It just sends a bad message.

You're right. The real frustration is with management, the limited player development, the inability to hire a GM and Head Coach and the general lack of directions. The money isn't the issue per se except we never seem to be willing to bring in any quality UFAs. Simmonds is a bit of an exception because $5M wasn't cheap but I think the term was the savior on that.

While the Devils are probably not profitable they are the ones who built the stadium in Newark which is hugely profitable. We should be able to use some resources to compete.

And ownership has not been open about what they are even trying to do here. It just sends a bad message.
- Queenie_5_hole

I agree the most with management not being open about what the direction of the team is. Just tell the fans that we're going to spend a few years drafting and developing young talent and I think we'd be onboard with it. But right now it's the mixed messages of trying to be decent but not willing to commit to be a contender that confuses us.