Draft Day Notes >>>

[CuseFan10]

Too bad.

I wonder if this was a one-shot deal for KLowe or if he now turns his attention to Parise...

Parise ain't going anywhere for a long time.... He's restricted and you have to think Lou is focused on keeping him with Gionta and Greene (and Zajac even) as a young nucleus. Especially since he lost Gomez and Rafalski already.

At least I hope.

BRING ON SOURAY!!!! Marty is recruiting him hard, love it.

[FlyersFan]

BRING ON SOURAY!!!!

I heard Souray was demanding 6,000 tickets each home game for his family and friends at whatever arena he signed at. The Devils were the only team in the league that could guarantee that. :beerbang:

[chickameng33]

I heard Souray was demanding 6,000 tickets each home game for his family and friends at whatever arena he signed at. The Devils were the only team in the league that could guarantee that. :beerbang:

LMFAO
haha its funny a team like New Jersey even keeps it going. They sold out like 5 games last year including the playoffs. So I can see them even talking him up to about 7500 just to fill up the arena.
LOL man that is good stuff!

[CuseFan10]

LMFAO
haha its funny a team like New Jersey even keeps it going. They sold out like 5 games last year including the playoffs. So I can see them even talking him up to about 7500 just to fill up the arena.
LOL man that is good stuff!

I'm sorry, when was the last Penguins championship? NJ won three cups in a nine year stretch at one point, and have been the most consistent franchise in the Eastern Conference over the past decade plus.

At least FF's comment was funny (sort of). By the way, they have a new arena in Newark opening this year too which will get more fans to it because mass transit actually goes there (unlike the Meadowlands).

I like to make fun of the Devils attendance woes as much as the next guy, but that's quite the ignorant statement you made there chickameng seeing how NJ jas won three cups since the Pens last one and your team has threatened to move multiple times.

Boy, Souray has a big family, haha...

[FlyersFan]

just a little Flyers love for a Devils fan cuse...lol...

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

All jokes aside, it's nice to hear the move to the city will have a positive effect on the team...'bout time they got outta the "swamp"!

I hear Souray wants to go to the west coast....but yeah, Jersey really wants him back...

[CuseFan10]

All jokes aside, it's nice to hear the move to the city will have a positive effect on the team...'bout time they got outta the "swamp"!

I hear Souray wants to go to the west coast....but yeah, Jersey really wants him back...

FF- I laughed aloud at yours. I enjoy humor in good taste.

JML- The Devils NEED Souray, IMHO. Plus, isn't he like best friends with Brodeur? They co-own a couple restaraunts together or something I think? News the other day was that it was pretty much a done deal for 5-6 year contract with terms undisclosed but the longer it goes that nothing is announecd the more fearful I'm getting. As for the arena, they should sell out a bunch of games this year, and people should actually be there in body (not just in corporate spirit). They have redone the downtown area of Newark beautifully (though the rest of it is still an absolute ghetto ****hole), and the arena and the concourse is absolutely gorgeous from the pictures they've sent out and I've sen online. They cut the seats down to about 15K I thnk which helps because Continental was a cavernous 20-22K seat wasteland most nights. If you want to use me (a hockey fan, but not at all a die hard), I use to go to maybe 1 game a year because it was a hassle, and now that I can take the train right there I will definitely go 5-7 gmaes this year minimum.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

That's great. Transit to and from a stadium/arena is definitely imprortant to me. Also...bars and restaurants in the surrounding area. When I go to a sporting event, I like to go for some beers and food before, and have plenty of beverages inside. That's why arenas like the one in the swamp, and the one in Ottawa are brutal, IMO. In Toronto...the Skydome and Air Canada Centre are right downtown near great bars and restaurants...makes a whole day of it!

GL with Souray...yeah, I think him and Marty are friends...but I think Souray is a little bit of a playboy...and loves the Cali lifestyle...not sure if Newark is his style...but I think Lou is really going after him, so him returning to Jersey sure wouldn't surprise me at all!

That new arena can't be only 15,000...way, way too small, especially for a new building...I think the NHL has a minimum size...18,000?

Leafs sign David Ling....start planning the parade route up Yonge Street...

[flmmkrz]

Cusefan, whats the word down there with Elias or Gionta getting moved. Rumors are swirling up here in Vancouver that we're after one of them tho it gets changed day to day as to which one it is. We're hearing it'll be one of our dmen in some sort of package deal going back to you guys. The recent extension to Bieksa and the signing of Miller makes it looks more likely one of the top guys on d is going in a deal. You hearing much?

[CuseFan10]

Cusefan, whats the word down there with Elias or Gionta getting moved. Rumors are swirling up here in Vancouver that we're after one of them tho it gets changed day to day as to which one it is. We're hearing it'll be one of our dmen in some sort of package deal going back to you guys. The recent extension to Bieksa and the signing of Miller makes it looks more likely one of the top guys on d is going in a deal. You hearing much?

flmmkrz - Honestly, NO ONE talks about hockey here during the season, nevermind the offseason. Hockey is right above the MLS and WNBA in the NY/NJ metro area hierarchy of sports. Sports 660 WFAN (the biggest sports station on Earth) did some Rangers stuff the day Drury and Gomez were signed, and combined it with making fun of the ineptitude of the Islanders, but overall there isn't more than a peep, or occasional blurb, about hockey in this area unless the Rangers go deep into the playoffs. As for those rumors, I would highly doubt the Devils are looking to move Elias unless it's a salary dump type deal, and have to think there is a less than zero chance Gionta goes anywhere. Other than Brodeur, he's by far the most beloved, and celebrated, Devil right now.

JML- The new Prudential Center has all the bells and whistles you want inside and out (as far as I know, though I'm still not thrilled about have to go to Newark unless it involves me leaving from the airport to go on vacation) and the maximum capacity is 17,625 for hockey. My buddy got his partial season tix package with a whole brochure and the place looks outstanding.

[CuseFan10]

And in typical New Jersey pride fashion, Bon Jovi is opening the Prudential Center with a sold out concert. I guess Bruce Springsteen said no, haha...

Would you expect anything less?

[FlyersFan]

That is pretty funny......The Devils and the Nets might be the 2 least cared about teams in all of pro sports.

The Devils are going to have some work to do next year defensively. Broduer is already rumored to be on track for a much lighter work load this year. It isn't hard to figure out the guy can't play 78 games anymore. I would expect him to play more like 65 or so with a lot of BB night off (especially 3I4's). Souray would be an offensive and PP upgrade, but that guy is a below average defensive defenseman and Rafalski will be missed "defensively". They weren't all that great defensively last year anyway. I think NJD are going to have to figure out a way to put the puck in the net this year consistently. You figure about 10-13 less games out of Brodeur and an average D makes it hard to win a bunch of 2-1 games.

Interesting to see if Gionta can elevate his game to where it was 2 years ago. He was a shell in '06 of what he was in '05.

[CuseFan10]

FF- Yea, they have to be up there on the "forgotten franchise list". At least recent success has kind of elevated them in notoriety a bit, but it's honestly impossible for either of them to compete with the Giants, Jets, Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Rangers, and Islanders. When you are the 8th and 9th most important major sports franchise in the area, there's not much you can do. I live about 60 miles from NYC and probably 80 from Philadelphia and it's basically all transplanted NYC/North Jersey families here and the same applies a little of South of me for the Philly market (I actually live in an area where I get both NYC and Philly TV/radio etc which is tremendous).

As for the Devils, I agree the defense was down a bit last season and losing Rafalski won't help, but I think Lamoriello is expecting big things from Andy Greene and Matvichuk coming back is another body to add to to White, Martin and company... Weekes is a step up from Clemmensen so at least Brodeur can get a few more games off, one would think. I've also heard 65-68 games is the goal for him. As for the offense, losing Gomez, one of the best pure playmakers in the sport IMO, is definitely a hit. They did bring in Zubrus though and still have Elias, Gionta, Parise, Langenbrunner, and an emerging Zajac and hopefully Clarkson.

If they bring in Souray now to add the big shot from the back on the PP's, then I think they'll be good still. The Rangers and Flyers are definitely going to be better though and the Penguins should get better each year too so the division is gonna be a dogfight.

[FlyersFan]

lmao....Shanny back to the NYR. Final scores of NYR games this year should be about 15-13. Shanny reminds me of that guy on your men's league hoops team where everyone else is fighting for the defensive rebound and you look up and he's at center court with his hand up for the outlet pass. You can definitely spell backcheck without Shanny.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Not sure the Rangers will be giving up 13 a game with both big signees Gomez and Drury known to be responsible in both ends of the ice, a team defence that was an impressive 6th best in the league 5 on 5, a respecible 12th ranked PK, a Vezina nominated goaltender in Lundqvist, and a defensive guru coach in Tom Renney! LOL. But yeah, point taken...Jagr & Shanny aren't exactly the second comings of Gainey and Carboneau.

Well....Cuse....Devils sign Vishnivski, not Souray....ouch. That's like asking out Madonna, and getting Rosie. LOL.