It's pretty hard to challenge a punishment when 2/3 of it has already been rendered (the $3 million fine, losing a third-rounder).
I'm not saying it'll be changed, but you can always sue the league for the 3 million back (plus interest if you're ballsy) and you can be granted a compensatory pick should the ruling be in your favor.
Predictions for this shortened season:
1. Clarkson production wanes, nothing like last year
2. Butler dazzles early than fizzles out
3. Larsson solidifies himself + puts up good O numbers
4. Kovalchuk comes out hot and stays hot
5. Marty comes out slow
6. Core of Salvador/Greene/Fayne are ready to go (all 3 seem like they were doing everything they could to be ready for this and I'm predicting they are)
7. Tedenby comes back to the big club and produces
Coming back I'm interested in the play of Elias, Volchenkov, and Zajac.
I also hope CGB wreak havoc yet again!
Also I hope Lou packages a defensemen (not Greene/Fayne perferably...Tallinder?) and a prospect/pick to pick up a top 9 forward. Doesn't need to be anyone special but someone that can score/play consistently enough to fill out the top 9.
Predictions for this shortened season:
1. Clarkson production wanes, nothing like last year
2. Butler dazzles early than fizzles out
3. Larsson solidifies himself + puts up good O numbers
4. Kovalchuk comes out hot and stays hot
5. Marty comes out slow
6. Core of Salvador/Greene/Fayne are ready to go (all 3 seem like they were doing everything they could to be ready for this and I'm predicting they are)
7. Tedenby comes back to the big club and produces
Coming back I'm interested in the play of Elias, Volchenkov, and Zajac.
I also hope CGB wreak havoc yet again!
Also I hope Lou packages a defensemen (not Greene/Fayne perferably...Tallinder?) and a prospect/pick to pick up a top 9 forward. Doesn't need to be anyone special but someone that can score/play consistently enough to fill out the top 9.
Same as last year. 5-8 seed with deep run potential.
I agree with this expectation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eggers
Holy jeebus I totally forgot Stevens was gonna be on the bench! I think this had made me more excited than anything else I've heard so far. I'm not even sure why.
I'm excited to see him working with Larsson. If I had a big, physical defensive prospect, I'd want him working with Robinson and Stevens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Classic Devil
Matteau is too young and raw to project him to be anything, yet.
I think we can safely project him as an NHL player. Even if he doesn't pan out as a top 6 power forward, he can still find a niche in a checking or agitating role.
Winnipeg is mediocre, and probably won't be in a position to be successful for a couple more years. Anyone can make it this year though with the exception of a few teams.
We said the same thing about Minnesota though prior to this Summer, and they finished even lower than Winnipeg did last year!
Clarkson's comment about ''This is my last year there'' and about how he's been in Jersey so long, and it was good to be in Toronto with friends, and family concerns me too. I'd really have to hear how he said that part though.
Predictions for this shortened season:
1. Clarkson production wanes, nothing like last year
2. Butler dazzles early than fizzles out
3. Larsson solidifies himself + puts up good O numbers
4. Kovalchuk comes out hot and stays hot
5. Marty comes out slow
6. Core of Salvador/Greene/Fayne are ready to go (all 3 seem like they were doing everything they could to be ready for this and I'm predicting they are)
7. Tedenby comes back to the big club and produces
Coming back I'm interested in the play of Elias, Volchenkov, and Zajac.
I also hope CGB wreak havoc yet again!
Also I hope Lou packages a defensemen (not Greene/Fayne perferably...Tallinder?) and a prospect/pick to pick up a top 9 forward. Doesn't need to be anyone special but someone that can score/play consistently enough to fill out the top 9.
I will add to this. I think Zajac will have a wonderful year. He was really good in the playoffs at times and I think He and Kovy will both start off Hot.
I will add to this. I think Zajac will have a wonderful year. He was really good in the playoffs at times and I think He and Kovy will both start off Hot.
I agree, I think Zajac and Kovalchuk are gonna look like the second half of 10-11 all over again.
Why? Is it because of yesterdays interview with TG where he said ''This is my last year there'' with (On contract) after that?
I was worried too, but I'd have to hear how he said that. Could have meant nothing. Zajac's already loving if we start the season in Winnipeg too from today's interview.
If we lose Clarkson it's not the end of the world, but Lou NEEDS to sign some free agents this time. We have no prospects(Matteau is still a couple years away) to fill those slots. He will need to shop for some free agents. That was my biggest concern if Parise left last year, and other than Butler there is no plan to replace him.
I would too just because we sucked at faceoffs. We got a lot better when Zajac came back because we won more faceoffs. Even with Zajac I remember how bad we got killed in the faceoff circle in game 7 against Florida. We were murdered in faceoffs that night, but found a way to win thanks to Marty. It was so bad Marty wasn't freezing the puck much just to avoid defensive zone faceoffs late in the game. Josefson is great with faceoffs, but hasn't been matched with top lines much yet.
Our faceoff depth without Travis is very nightmare scary.
Clarkson did say he was open to negotiating a new contract if approached so we shall see. It probably won't be until after our season is over, but we shall see. Maybe he'll be loyal, and take a contract like our 4th line guys did before UFA. Or maybe he'll figure ''I'm this close! Maybe I'll get a boatload from Burke to play for my beloved boyhood favorite Leafs!'' You just never know.
To me it seems like Clarkson loves the Devils, but who knows. If he has a decent year and is asking for a big raise, see ya. Zajac is our absolute number one priority this offseason. He cannot be lost.
To me it seems like Clarkson loves the Devils, but who knows. If he has a decent year and is asking for a big raise, see ya. Zajac is our absolute number one priority this offseason. He cannot be lost.
I want Clarke MacArthur if we don't re sign Clarkson. Either way I just wanna see some free agents signed. We don't have enough prospects that are forwards so we can't afford to be cheap like that.
I think Trav is as good as gone. Too many reasons for him to not to go play in Winnipeg...
What are the 'other' reasons besides the obvious one? They're not a winning team, they can't offer him more money than the big markets or more years than us (if it comes to that), and the travel playing there the next couple years is going to be ridiculous.
The only bright side about Zajac is he doesn't have a fiancee/girlfriend from Winnipeg (that we know of) and he doesn't have as much of an appeal as Minnesota did to Parise, with his father being there.
So on the bright side, he'd do it just to go home, whereas Parise did it go go home, where his girlfriend and parents lived, and where his father played NHL hockey. We just have to hope these guys meet a chick from New Jersey to tie them down here.
