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Forums :: Blog World :: Todd Cordell: On the signing of Wayne Simmonds
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Todd Cordell
New Jersey Devils
Location: Toronto, ON
Joined: 09.05.2011

Jul 2 @ 12:22 PM ET
Todd Cordell: On the signing of Wayne Simmonds
Just5
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: PA
Joined: 05.22.2008

Jul 2 @ 12:34 PM ET
Going to be hard seeing simmer in devil red. One year deal is smart with him. I think his decline is real. Even at his peak he was not a good 5vs5 player. Can’t carry the puck through the neutral zone. On defense he will never ever get a stick in the lane or cleverly pick a pass off.

He’ll help a power play for sure and I would expect some degree of bounce back. But your not playing him on your top 2 lines even strength and he’s not exactly what you’d look for on a modern day 4th line. He’s real tough to hide even strength
Queenie_5_hole
New Jersey Devils
Joined: 05.01.2015

Jul 2 @ 12:35 PM ET

It sounds like Simmons is a third liner and PP specialist - which is fine. But considering one of the best parts of this deal would be him providing some protections for Hughes, can Simmons play on the same line? OR is the idea that Hughes will start on our third line?

Wood - Hughes - Simmons? Not really serious about that but I bet people would think twice before taking liberties with Jack.
Queenie_5_hole
New Jersey Devils
Joined: 05.01.2015

Jul 2 @ 12:37 PM ET
Going to be hard seeing simmer in devil red. One year deal is smart with him. I think his decline is real. Even at his peak he was not a good 5vs5 player. Can’t carry the puck through the neutral zone. On defense he will never ever get a stick in the lane or cleverly pick a pass off.

He’ll help a power play for sure and I would expect some degree of bounce back. But your not playing him on your top 2 lines even strength and he’s not exactly what you’d look for on a modern day 4th line. He’s real tough to hide even strength

- Just5


This sucks because you've seen him play a lot and are undoubtedly right...

All I can say is a good coach knows how to put people in the best position so hopefully Hynes can figure out something. It's his problem.
jmdodgeser4
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 01.26.2009

Jul 2 @ 12:41 PM ET
Hes not the same player at all. He was a true flyer and it was heart wrenching watching him decline after the pelvic surgery and all the injuries he had. He isn't that tough guy anymore and cant skate to keep up with the play. If he can just sit infront of the net he will pot a few goals, but we even watched that dry up. Hell of a teammate and will stand up for teammates, but he isn't nearly the same as he was. Hopefully a full offseason of training he can come back a little bit more but it would take a miracle to come close to doing enough to justify the 5 million dollars.
Pomegrant
New Jersey Devils
Location: NJ
Joined: 01.18.2010

Jul 2 @ 12:44 PM ET
It sounds like Simmons is a third liner and PP specialist - which is fine. But considering one of the best parts of this deal would be him providing some protections for Hughes, can Simmons play on the same line? OR is the idea that Hughes will start on our third line?

Wood - Hughes - Simmons? Not really serious about that but I bet people would think twice before taking liberties with Jack.

- Queenie_5_hole

Not sure how anybody believes that having a "tough guy" on the wing protects players at all. It's not like Lucic playing with McDavid prevented him from breaking his collar bone or anybody just running him every game.
Blueshirts16
New York Rangers
Location: Rangers Sweep Icelanders...go , NY
Joined: 07.28.2009

Jul 2 @ 12:46 PM ET
Hate to say it and hope I’m wrong but this is a very good move
cmr.266
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Joined: 06.07.2013

Jul 2 @ 12:55 PM ET
Simmonds can play on a line with skill players as long as there is defensive skill in one of your other forwards. At this point I would agree he peaks at 3rd line at ES (with aforementioned teammates on his line) and PP specialist.

He will still throw some hits to change the momentum, stand up for teammates, and is intimidating. He's definitely a better skater than he's given credit for - he probably still has average to slightly above-average straight line speed - so he's not a plodder. He's just very good at the things he does well, but unfortunately the things he doesn't do as well (carrying the puck, passing, defensive awareness) have steadily declined.

I'm actually surprised he did as poorly as he did in Nashville. His production in Philly earlier in the year (20 goal 15 assist pace) is probably a more realistic expectation if he's fully healthy.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 2 @ 12:55 PM ET
First of all, I love Wayne Simmonds as a hockey player. He was a guy who could score, fight, hit, would do anything it took to win. To boot, he's a great guy off the ice and I don't think there's a single player in the league (outside of NYR) that doesn't like him..

Note I said was above. All of those on-ice things I love about him ended early last year. He got injured early after a great start, came back too early, and was a shell. Didn't hit, didn't fight, didn't engage at all. He was never a great skater or puck handler, but he was doing them at an ECHL level. It was just a shell of his former self. I chalked it up to the injury.

Sadly, this past year was more of the same. Slow, sloppy, diengaged, and basically not providing much at all. It was time to move on. To''d using the numbers over the past 3/4 seasons...do those numbers over the past 2 and see how they look.

Now, as a renowned Devils' hater, I wish you all nothing but pain and suffering (except when you play the Rags). But at least for Simmonds, I really do wish him a bounceback because he's such a great guy. If nothing else, he'll at least be a good guy for the kids to be around and is a great guy to have in the community.

In closing, (frank) THE RANGERS!
MartysBetter88
New Jersey Devils
Location: 94Nevermore, NJ
Joined: 07.01.2010

Jul 2 @ 1:00 PM ET
so basically, he's not the droid we've been looking for.
Atomic Wedgie
Toronto Maple Leafs
Location: The centre of the hockey universe
Joined: 07.31.2006

Jul 2 @ 1:01 PM ET
I'm pretty amazed that he took a 1-year deal.

Very little risk for the Devils.

I'm going to throw this one in the "good signing" box.
shvingter88
New Jersey Devils
Location: Puljujarvi makes draisitil and mcdavid better, CT
Joined: 10.12.2009

Jul 2 @ 1:02 PM ET
Todd Cordell: On the signing of Wayne Simmonds
- Todd.Cordell

Good guy in the locker room? What about everyone crying yesterday saying he’s an bumhole?
Queenie_5_hole
New Jersey Devils
Joined: 05.01.2015

Jul 2 @ 1:02 PM ET
In closing, (frank) THE RANGERS!
- jmatchett383



It's good to agree on something...
rmdevil313
Edmonton Oilers
Location: Your a (frank)ing fag and I hope you get crippled- Cranny, MN
Joined: 01.05.2009

Jul 2 @ 1:03 PM ET
I've got a good feeling about Gusev. Team in cap trouble, low risk high reward player, seems to fit a Shero type move perfectly.
rmdevil313
Edmonton Oilers
Location: Your a (frank)ing fag and I hope you get crippled- Cranny, MN
Joined: 01.05.2009

Jul 2 @ 1:05 PM ET
First of all, I love Wayne Simmonds as a hockey player. He was a guy who could score, fight, hit, would do anything it took to win. To boot, he's a great guy off the ice and I don't think there's a single player in the league (outside of NYR) that doesn't like him..

Note I said was above. All of those on-ice things I love about him ended early last year. He got injured early after a great start, came back too early, and was a shell. Didn't hit, didn't fight, didn't engage at all. He was never a great skater or puck handler, but he was doing them at an ECHL level. It was just a shell of his former self. I chalked it up to the injury.

Sadly, this past year was more of the same. Slow, sloppy, diengaged, and basically not providing much at all. It was time to move on. To''d using the numbers over the past 3/4 seasons...do those numbers over the past 2 and see how they look.

Now, as a renowned Devils' hater, I wish you all nothing but pain and suffering (except when you play the Rags). But at least for Simmonds, I really do wish him a bounceback because he's such a great guy. If nothing else, he'll at least be a good guy for the kids to be around and is a great guy to have in the community.

In closing, (frank) THE RANGERS!

- jmatchett383


Worst case scenario we got a character guy to help us reach the cap floor. If he pots 15 goals with limited ice time + PP minutes then its a win.
bikeguy99
New Jersey Devils
Joined: 09.05.2017

Jul 2 @ 1:08 PM ET
Todd Cordell: On the signing of Wayne Simmonds
- Todd.Cordell


I like the signing! 5M is a big over-payment for a guy that produced so little this past season, but we are desperate for RW's, and he will fit the 3RW perfectly with some PP time as well. I like it! just need that 2RW and we're set. I vote we trade for Touch. 7 years remaining at 4.75M is a no brainer for this perennial 20 goal power RW.
shvingter88
New Jersey Devils
Location: Puljujarvi makes draisitil and mcdavid better, CT
Joined: 10.12.2009

Jul 2 @ 1:10 PM ET
I like the signing! 5M is a big over-payment for a guy that produced so little this past season, but we are desperate for RW's, and he will fit the 3RW perfectly with some PP time as well. I like it! just need that 2RW and we're set. I vote we trade for Touch. 7 years remaining at 4.75M is a no brainer for this perennial 20 goal power RW.
- bikeguy99

Would love that trade but Vegas won’t do it unless it’s a landslide trade in their favor
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 2 @ 1:12 PM ET
I've got a good feeling about Gusev. Team in cap trouble, low risk high reward player, seems to fit a Shero type move perfectly.
- rmdevil313


The next Vadim Shipchyov?
MBFlyerfan
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Be nice from now on, NJ
Joined: 03.17.2006

Jul 2 @ 1:13 PM ET
Good guy in the locker room? What about everyone crying yesterday saying he’s an bumhole?
- shvingter88




Anyone saying that has absolutely zero clue what they are talking about.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 2 @ 1:13 PM ET
Worst case scenario we got a character guy to help us reach the cap floor. If he pots 15 goals with limited ice time + PP minutes then its a win.
- rmdevil313


I think that's probably his ceiling. Again, love the guy, but he's not 2015 Wayne Simmonds anymore.
Pomegrant
New Jersey Devils
Location: NJ
Joined: 01.18.2010

Jul 2 @ 1:17 PM ET
I've got a good feeling about Gusev. Team in cap trouble, low risk high reward player, seems to fit a Shero type move perfectly.
- rmdevil313

When they get to LTIR Clarkson they are actually fine if they don't want to change any other pieces. If they still want to make moves, they will need to move players out though.
shvingter88
New Jersey Devils
Location: Puljujarvi makes draisitil and mcdavid better, CT
Joined: 10.12.2009

Jul 2 @ 1:17 PM ET
Anyone saying that has absolutely zero clue what they are talking about.
- MBFlyerfan

You missed all the devils and rangers fans in yesterday’s comment section.
rmdevil313
Edmonton Oilers
Location: Your a (frank)ing fag and I hope you get crippled- Cranny, MN
Joined: 01.05.2009

Jul 2 @ 1:23 PM ET
When they get to LTIR Clarkson they are actually fine if they don't want to change any other pieces. If they still want to make moves, they will need to move players out though.
- Pomegrant


Don't they need to still sign a backup goalie + a defender or two? I also don't think they can afford the 4 mil until Clarkson's contract can go on the LTIR.
Pomegrant
New Jersey Devils
Location: NJ
Joined: 01.18.2010

Jul 2 @ 1:27 PM ET
Don't they need to still sign a backup goalie + a defender or two? I also don't think they can afford the 4 mil until Clarkson's contract can go on the LTIR.
- rmdevil313

I'm not sure the exact % you can go over the cap in FA signings but they might still be able to sign to contracts and then bring players up through the system. They might have to move a small contract in the end but nothing too serious.
MJL
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Candyland, PA
Joined: 09.20.2007

Jul 2 @ 1:29 PM ET
This sucks because you've seen him play a lot and are undoubtedly right...

All I can say is a good coach knows how to put people in the best position so hopefully Hynes can figure out something. It's his problem.

- Queenie_5_hole


You shouldn't trust that source. For one, at his best, Simmonds was effective at 5 on 5. Secondly, the blog is a purely stats based analysis. Shouldn't trust that either. Here is the bottom line. Simmonds play has deteriorated the last few years which also coincided with numerous injuries. Can he bounce back, how much is true decline and how much in injury related will be determined. This is a good move on the Devils part no matter how it turns out and worth the one year deal to see. Low risk, high reward potential.
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