What to do with Ahonen

NJDevils#4 · 09-23-2003, 05:09 PM

What do you guys think will come of Ahonen?

Will he be dealt?
Will Lou wait for him to develop...meaning waiting for Broduer to retire?
Will he backup Marty?
Will he waste away in the AHL?

I think Marty honestly has 5 maybe 6 good years left in him. So, where does that leave Ari Ahonen? He's 23 right now. That would put him right in the prime of his career to start in NJ. I think we could get pretty good return for him.

Thoughts?

Blackjack · 09-23-2003, 05:15 PM

I don't think we could get much for him at all. There are just too many "franchise" prospect goalies out there, and nobody knows which ones will pan out

Luongo
DiPietro
Ahonen
Noronen
Nurminen
Miller
Lehtonen
Fleury
Blackburn
Caron
Denis
Theodore
Biron
Roloson
Fernandez

ahh well, you get the idea.

I say the best thing to do with Ahonen is to let him develop and gain confidence in the AHL, then bring him up as a high profile backup (like Legace) and as Brodeur gets older let Ahonen take 20-25 games. Of course you'd have to drag Marty from in front of the net kicking and screaming

I Hate Tie DOMI · 09-23-2003, 06:19 PM

Schwab is most likely gone after this year as he is a UFA. I can see Ahonen backing up Marty in 2004 as long as there isn't a lockout.

DevilFisch · 09-23-2003, 06:21 PM

Unless Brodeur plays poorly as he gets older and/or can't play roughly 70 games a season, I don't think we'll see much of Ahonen in NJ. But I still think he should be kept around similar to Manny Legace in case that does happen.

BTW, BlackJack, am I spying (with my little eye) 3 Buffalo goalies on that "franchise" prospect goaltender list?

Blackjack · 09-23-2003, 06:24 PM

Absolutely, I think that figuring who's going to be a great goalie is a crapshoot, and that Biron, Noronen, and Miller have as good a shot as Ahonen.