He just needs an MVP type LW and he’d be unstoppable. Someone who could really Hall the puck around and create havoc.
- Queenie_5_hole

Lol Lafreniere ?

If we where going all in to win that year as in the team would never have a chance of being better then they would have done more then added Grabner and Lovejoy.

The fact is at that point Hall had never made the playoffs and Ray wanted to give him a taste to help keep him here even Though he couldnt sign for another year at least.

Everyone knew if we got in we where one and done.
- Devilish4

Love joy was a free agent signing. Ray didn’t trade anything for him. If your referring to Maroon he traded a 3rd for him which was worth it. And ray recouped that when he traded love joy and got a depth d man in carrick back.

Love joy was a free agent signing. Ray didn’t trade anything for him. If your referring to Maroon he traded a 3rd for him which was worth it. And ray recouped that when he traded love joy and got a depth d man in carrick back.
- K-dizzle

Im just saying just about everyone knew we could of added just about anybody and still the odds would of been in favor of getting slaughtered that year.

If everyone is saying they didnt really expect this team this year to make the play offs per say with the additions of Gusev and Subban for nothing off the roster then how on earth can I believe anyone believed that team really belonged in the play offs? So with that how is a 2nd a third and a good prospect not a lot for a team not anywhere near being there yet ?

I think a pretty good debate can be had on exactly how good of a player grabner is so to me that was a steep price given everything at the time.

It doesnt really matter what I say at this point though as people are just quoting things I said in a context and they are completing taking my comments out of their original contex.

So yeah when I say something in context and someone takes it out of that context its going to come off as stupid.

Hall's departure may end up with the team playing better, as a team. They have been, in ny opinion playing far below their collabortive pieces would be expected to perform. If they even play average/ pretty good hockey it would be better than what we have seen. There must have been some things going wrong. Hynes was one, maybe the Hall ordeal was another.

I never was one to criticize or comment on all the rumors he is not good in the locker room, but it couldn't have been a positive thing having the best player on the team on his way out either way, and he always had sort of an irritable/standoffish nature to him, that I always chalked up to confidence. I could be totally off base but something tells me I am not. They kissed the guys ass trying to get him to sign. Say what you want, but a guy arguing about a 2 or 3 million dollar contract can't not look at a guy turning his nose up at a 10 million dollar payday a certain way. Any of our offices I am sure would operate better if the guy or woman that was a cranky/spoiled wienerhead suddenly left (regardless of their talent) and we could just do our jobs without all the added stress and drama of that bs.
- TRDevil

You are clearly right that the team is playing better now and was performing below the skill level of the collective players. I think most of that is on Hynes' system. I have been totally anti-Nesreddine but I think he deserves some of the credit for moving this team back to watchable brand of hockey. They haven't won much but several of the games were quite well played; such as the game vs. the Blackhawks.

As for Hall, in my mind he is a bit of a mystery. I don't think he said one thing out of line ever. Even the complaints about the booing (which I was at that game and participated in) wasn't off base. The fans were just so fed up at that point but Hall was right that it was a bit of an odd time to boo. But I'm wandering...

... My point is Hall was a damn good soldier and I can't be upset he didn't want to stay with this train wreck. The Devils failed Hall more then Hall failed us. Yes he sort of always seemed a bit standoffish and I always thought he wasn't exactly thrilled to be here BUT I think when things were rolling well he was hopeful that NJ could be the team for him to embrace and have the success that has eluded him. But it was fleeting success and we reverted to sucking. Some of that is on Hynes and Shero for not really bringing in much help before this off season.

It has been like half the time we are tanking and half the time trying to convince Hall we are a good team. And in the end it didn't work out.

So I still like this team but now we are missing that one elusive elite talent that is so hard to get...

I thought the team played well last night. They have really cut back on passing it backwards in our zone and seem to be breaking out with more ease because of it.

I thought a lot of guys played strong last night but the guys who stood out the most where:
Jack and Boqvist seemed to be creating a lot and really taking it to them very good to see. I thought Pavs played well and Blackwood made some big stops when we needed to to keep them from getting back in it.

I watched twice but both times missed what caused Damon to lose his cool did any one catch what it was ? Loved seeing it non the less.

Im missing guys but overall it was a good team game. We got a ppg and the pk was perfect plus we got the W.

You are clearly right that the team is playing better now and was performing below the skill level of the collective players. I think most of that is on Hynes' system. I have been totally anti-Nesreddine but I think he deserves some of the credit for moving this team back to watchable brand of hockey. They haven't won much but several of the games were quite well played; such as the game vs. the Blackhawks.

As for Hall, in my mind he is a bit of a mystery. I don't think he said one thing out of line ever. Even the complaints about the booing (which I was at that game and participated in) wasn't off base. The fans were just so fed up at that point but Hall was right that it was a bit of an odd time to boo. But I'm wandering...

... My point is Hall was a damn good soldier and I can't be upset he didn't want to stay with this train wreck. The Devils failed Hall more then Hall failed us. Yes he sort of always seemed a bit standoffish and I always thought he wasn't exactly thrilled to be here BUT I think when things were rolling well he was hopeful that NJ could be the team for him to embrace and have the success that has eluded him. But it was fleeting success and we reverted to sucking. Some of that is on Hynes and Shero for not really bringing in much help before this off season.

It has been like half the time we are tanking and half the time trying to convince Hall we are a good team. And in the end it didn't work out.

So I still like this team but now we are missing that one elusive elite talent that is so hard to get...
- Queenie_5_hole

I agree that Hall was great to the fans here and respectful here in NJ, so dont get me wrong saying he is/was a negative presence. It was purely speculative. He works hard and did all he could to win games. I wish the Devils were a team he would want to sign with. He should get a real chance at a cup, his best chance at that certainly isn't going to be in NJ any time soon.

But all of that in terms of this team here, and how it affects them, etc, it just doesn't build a good team bond I would imagine, justifiable or not, so I was just pondering how much that actually impacted the team in the room and on the ice. It is easy to say they are all professionals, and it doesn't matter etc. but it has to some. Plus it is one thing with a regular player but the teams hands down 'star' player is another thing. Its all we heard about.