Earlier today on NHL Home Ice (XM Radio), they were discussing the five burning questions surrounding the New Jersey Devils as we head into the 2008-09 season. And from those five questions, they derived five incredibly biased answers. I love my XM and couldn't live without it, but the truth is that they certainly make no attempt to hide their allegience to Leaf Nation...you know, the poor souls who have nothing better to do but criticize successful teams because they themselves have not even been to the Finals let alone won a Stanley Cup since 1967. But I digress...the point of this blog is not to knock the XM staff; rather, I wanted to answer their five burning questions from the perspective of the Devils fan, the people who truly know their team and don't care how much Haterade the rest of the NHL seems to love drinking so much.
Question 1: How much do Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik help the Devils' forward unit?
The answer is they each help in very different ways. The key to Rolston being a successful signing is that he has to be able to put up 35-40 goals each season like was doing in Minnesota. It's not that coming to New Jersey decreases his ability to do so; more like the chemistry he had developed with the other Wild forwards played a role in his point production, and he is going to have to build that level of chemistry with his new teammates from scratch. When so many of the NHL's premier teams build their success on the ability to score goals, Rolston's ability to help score goals and anchor the powerplay will be crucial to the Devils building on last year.
Bobby Holik helps a lot if he can fill a different role. In both the 2007 and 2008 playoffs, the Devils suffered from a severe lack of physical play. In 2007 they were pushed around by the Ottawa Senators with not so much as an afterthought. Last year, they were in desperate need of a player who would stand up to Sean Avery during his crease antics, as well as retaliate on Henrik Lundqvist -- something which was promised, but never delivered.
The success of the Devils' offense is largely dependent on all of the forwards producing the way they are capable of, but it is also heavily related to the success of these two new players. If Rolston can add a 40-goal season to our offense, and Holik can use his size and bravado to keep opponents honest, then the answer is they help our front end a lot.
Question 2: Did the Devils forget how to draft?
I have to clarify something here...they deliberately left out the drafts from 2006-2008, since those players have not yet developed and therefore cannot be judged. Their argument was that from 2000-2005, the Devils have not drafted with the same success rate as they did throughout the entire span of the 1990s. Okay, the problem with that, however, is that no team is immune from drafting dry spells. Drafting is such an inexact science that its bound to happen, and for the Devils it just happened to fall within the comfortable little time frame that is recent enough to measure its direct effects on the pipeline. If one were to guess, based on current progress, as to the success of draft classes 2006-2008, it would appear that they will prove far better than their predecessors. The one truth in this situation is that the Devils roster is not as homegrown as rosters past. There is more of a recent dependence on free agency, a direct result of the aforementoned drafting dry spell. Only time will tell, but the immediate impression of our future troops is that all is well in draft land yet again. Patrice Cormier has been pegged by many as the steal of the '08 draft, and high picks Tedenby and Burlon join a growing corps of future Devils such as Corrente, Bergfors, Vrana. By the way, this group should be pegged The Future Five.
Question 3: Is the defense corps good enough?
This is a hard question to answer, because the truth is they really surpassed anyone's expectations last year. We saw Paul Martin seize the reigns as the #1 defenseman, Johnny Oduya finally have the breakout the scouts saw in him when they signed him as a free agent, Mike Mottau rise from the depths of obscurity and Colin White look a career-ending injury in the face and say "too bad, but I'm going to play anyway." On the other hand, we also saw a few million dollars spent on Vitaly Vishnevski fly out the window as he battled with mediocrity, we saw Andy Greene rotting in the press box because he could not keep up, and we saw why bringing aboard Sheldon Brookbank doesn't exactly better your chances of doing much of anything.
There were too many ups and downs to fairly pass judgment in my opinion, so I'll just go with a "I hope so."
Question 4: How many games will Martin Brodeur play this season?
The answer should be no more than 70. I know it's Martin Brodeur, arguably the greatest goalie ever, and I know that he "never gets tired," but it doesn't matter; rest helps everyone. It also helps Kevin Weekes, who should start the other 12 games. This is much simpler than the Devils have ever made it out to be. Weekes plays more, stays on top of his game, is ready and waiting whenever needed. Marty rests more, is sharper, come playoff time doesn't lose a step. If anyone can step in and make this happen, it's Brent Sutter. You need to say to Marty, "look, I know you want to play every game, and that's really terrific. But I'm the head coach and you're going to play when I tell you to play." 70 games is not a small number, other than by Brodeur standards.
Question 5: Are the Devils legitimate Cup contenders?
As I see it, the Devils are no less a contender than your Pittsburghs and Philadelphias. What they lack in star power, they make up for in discipline and putting the team above all else. That's how they won it the last three times, and its a system that works. I'm not saying they are going to win, all I'm saying is that you need to include them in the list of teams which could potentially win. Most people won't, but then again, they didn't in 1995, 2000, or 2003 either...and we all know how that worked out.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
2008-09 Season Preview
While it is not yet the end of July, it's hard not to think about the upcoming hockey season, especially given the current state of the Devils and everything that has happened since last season's disappointing playoff loss. It seems as though the Devils have addressed their most pressing needs, and in just two months time, we finally will get to see how the seeds planted this summer will begin to grow. I realize that there is still plenty of time left to add and remove pieces, but I feel that enough has been done and sufficient time has passed in order to properly make a prediction for the upcoming season.
Arrivals:
Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik, Scott Clemmensen
Departures:
Sergei Brylin, Arron Asham, Karel Rachunek
Offense:
There is not a doubt in anyone's mind that if you replace Sergei Brylin and Arron Asham with Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik, you made out pretty darn good. Player loyalty is all well and good to a point, but Brylin is a prime example of when too much blind loyalty is not a good thing. "Sarge" had not been much more than a body on the ice for the past few years, and likely would have been shown the door years ago had he not just happened to have been a part of all three Stanley Cup winning teams. Given the option to give either sign Brylin or Jay Pandolfo, the Devils made the right decision. Arron Asham is why one-year contracts can be a great idea sometimes. Asham and the Devils were a terrible match from the start, and thankfully, we only had to watch it for one season. While his only real strength is his fighting ability, he barely even used that during his Devils tenure, rendering him dead weight on skates. He's on his way to Philadelphia where his services fit the Flyers' mold far better than they ever would ours.
Brian Rolston returns to the Devils following a season in which he was one of the best forwards on the Minnesota Wild. He brings with him 59 points that the Devils' anemic offense certainly could have benefitted from last year. Rolston also provides an instant solution to the Devils powerplay, an area nearly as vapid as the offense in general. Rolston also brings great veteran leadership and playoff experience, and can easily assume the right wing position on the top line with Patrik Elias and Zach Parise. Bobby Holik was a slightly more questionable signing at first glance, although given the performance of Dainius Zubrus last season, it could very well work out to be a great move on the part of Lou Lamoriello. Holik will fill two critical roles on the Devils; Holik, like Zubrus, is a big body and can fight the battles in front of the net while patrolling for rebounds. He's also very strong on the puck and is hard to shake off, and provides the team with a necessary dose of sandpaper. Holik's second role will likely be to provide relief to John Madden, who upon Holik's original departure in 2002, assumed his duties. Just as Rolston bolsters the powerplay, Holik's presence will prove beneficial on the penalty kill, as one half of the second unit which follows Madden/Pandolfo. In addition, Holik is proficient in the faceoff circle, another aspect of his game which will come in handy should Madden be too fatigued to take a key faceoff. Even if the Holik signing does not appear to be working out, it is a one year deal, therefore it is an easy mistake to fix.
Defense:
What the Devils lost on defense this offseason was not much. Karel Rachunek was brought aboard last summer for his point shot alone, though it became clear when he rarely if ever used it that his time in New Jersey would be short. Even with his departure, there remain eight defensemen under contract. There are those who say that the young and inexperienced Devils defense corps overachieved last year; that their "defense-by-committee" was nothing more than youthful drive, and that they worked well as a group but were nothing more than a bunch of no-name minor leaguers. Even Colin White and Paul Martin, blueline regulars going back to the pre-lockout days, seemed lost in the shadow of those who came before them and those on the other teams around them. Not that you can entirely blame the hockey media...after all, who outside of the Devils' development coaches had ever heard of Mike Mottau? But the "pleasant surprise" that was the Devils defense now has experience and chemistry, and figure to play even better this year.
Whether you're looking for the quick puck-movers like Johnny Oduya and leading minute-getter Paul Martin, the hard hitting stay-at-homers like Bryce Salvador, Vitaly Vishnevski, or the workhorses Colin White and Mike Mottau, this incarnation has players of all types who are good at what they do, and that perhaps is one of the underlying reasons for their success. You don't just walk into the 5th best Goals Against per game average in the league (2.35 if you're counting).
Goaltending:
Oddly enough, here lies the true challenge for the Devils this season. Say what you will about whether or not Martin Brodeur is consistently overworked, the truth is that doesn't matter. Every goalie benefits from rest, and if Marty truly doesn't feel tired come playoff time when he racks up 78 games, imagine what an extra 8 games of rest could do for him. Brent Sutter has already proven that he is a coach that does what he wants, therefore there is nothing to say that he can't demand of Marty, by the power vested in him by Lou Lamoriello, that Kevin Weekes will start 12 games, and that Marty will handle the other 70. Last January, Weekes had one bad game, entirely due to the fact that he hadn't played in two months, and from that point on he did not start a game the rest of the way. But think back to early last year, when Kevin was recieving normal minutes for a backup goaltender; he was extremely solid in goal. Combine fewer games for Marty with more playing time for Kevin, and you solve two problems at once. It is only if this happens that the Devils can truly get the most out of a goaltending duo that most teams would kill for. Scott Clemmensen returns to the Garden State just one year after publicly complaining about his lack of playing time. Fortunately for him, that will not be an issue this time around. Clemmensen was signed to mentor up-and-coming goalie Jeff Frazee in Lowell, similar to what he did for Justin Pogge last season with Toronto.
Outlook:
I know I sound like a blind optimist, but you cannot argue that this team did not lose much this offseason, but it did gain a lot, particularly up front. It is for this reason that I predict no worse a finish than last year. With the added offense brought in on July 1, '07-08's 99 points is a mark that can be surpassed, and the club's 12th consecutive postseason appearance is far more reality than fantasy. If Rolston and Holik can deliver the way they were brought in to, the defense essentially picks up where it left off, Brodeur plays less and Weekes plays more, and all of that is supplemented by the further growth of franchise future Zach Parise, there is nothing to say that the Devils can't contend for the Stanley Cup this season.
Arrivals:
Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik, Scott Clemmensen
Departures:
Sergei Brylin, Arron Asham, Karel Rachunek
Offense:
There is not a doubt in anyone's mind that if you replace Sergei Brylin and Arron Asham with Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik, you made out pretty darn good. Player loyalty is all well and good to a point, but Brylin is a prime example of when too much blind loyalty is not a good thing. "Sarge" had not been much more than a body on the ice for the past few years, and likely would have been shown the door years ago had he not just happened to have been a part of all three Stanley Cup winning teams. Given the option to give either sign Brylin or Jay Pandolfo, the Devils made the right decision. Arron Asham is why one-year contracts can be a great idea sometimes. Asham and the Devils were a terrible match from the start, and thankfully, we only had to watch it for one season. While his only real strength is his fighting ability, he barely even used that during his Devils tenure, rendering him dead weight on skates. He's on his way to Philadelphia where his services fit the Flyers' mold far better than they ever would ours.
Brian Rolston returns to the Devils following a season in which he was one of the best forwards on the Minnesota Wild. He brings with him 59 points that the Devils' anemic offense certainly could have benefitted from last year. Rolston also provides an instant solution to the Devils powerplay, an area nearly as vapid as the offense in general. Rolston also brings great veteran leadership and playoff experience, and can easily assume the right wing position on the top line with Patrik Elias and Zach Parise. Bobby Holik was a slightly more questionable signing at first glance, although given the performance of Dainius Zubrus last season, it could very well work out to be a great move on the part of Lou Lamoriello. Holik will fill two critical roles on the Devils; Holik, like Zubrus, is a big body and can fight the battles in front of the net while patrolling for rebounds. He's also very strong on the puck and is hard to shake off, and provides the team with a necessary dose of sandpaper. Holik's second role will likely be to provide relief to John Madden, who upon Holik's original departure in 2002, assumed his duties. Just as Rolston bolsters the powerplay, Holik's presence will prove beneficial on the penalty kill, as one half of the second unit which follows Madden/Pandolfo. In addition, Holik is proficient in the faceoff circle, another aspect of his game which will come in handy should Madden be too fatigued to take a key faceoff. Even if the Holik signing does not appear to be working out, it is a one year deal, therefore it is an easy mistake to fix.
Defense:
What the Devils lost on defense this offseason was not much. Karel Rachunek was brought aboard last summer for his point shot alone, though it became clear when he rarely if ever used it that his time in New Jersey would be short. Even with his departure, there remain eight defensemen under contract. There are those who say that the young and inexperienced Devils defense corps overachieved last year; that their "defense-by-committee" was nothing more than youthful drive, and that they worked well as a group but were nothing more than a bunch of no-name minor leaguers. Even Colin White and Paul Martin, blueline regulars going back to the pre-lockout days, seemed lost in the shadow of those who came before them and those on the other teams around them. Not that you can entirely blame the hockey media...after all, who outside of the Devils' development coaches had ever heard of Mike Mottau? But the "pleasant surprise" that was the Devils defense now has experience and chemistry, and figure to play even better this year.
Whether you're looking for the quick puck-movers like Johnny Oduya and leading minute-getter Paul Martin, the hard hitting stay-at-homers like Bryce Salvador, Vitaly Vishnevski, or the workhorses Colin White and Mike Mottau, this incarnation has players of all types who are good at what they do, and that perhaps is one of the underlying reasons for their success. You don't just walk into the 5th best Goals Against per game average in the league (2.35 if you're counting).
Goaltending:
Oddly enough, here lies the true challenge for the Devils this season. Say what you will about whether or not Martin Brodeur is consistently overworked, the truth is that doesn't matter. Every goalie benefits from rest, and if Marty truly doesn't feel tired come playoff time when he racks up 78 games, imagine what an extra 8 games of rest could do for him. Brent Sutter has already proven that he is a coach that does what he wants, therefore there is nothing to say that he can't demand of Marty, by the power vested in him by Lou Lamoriello, that Kevin Weekes will start 12 games, and that Marty will handle the other 70. Last January, Weekes had one bad game, entirely due to the fact that he hadn't played in two months, and from that point on he did not start a game the rest of the way. But think back to early last year, when Kevin was recieving normal minutes for a backup goaltender; he was extremely solid in goal. Combine fewer games for Marty with more playing time for Kevin, and you solve two problems at once. It is only if this happens that the Devils can truly get the most out of a goaltending duo that most teams would kill for. Scott Clemmensen returns to the Garden State just one year after publicly complaining about his lack of playing time. Fortunately for him, that will not be an issue this time around. Clemmensen was signed to mentor up-and-coming goalie Jeff Frazee in Lowell, similar to what he did for Justin Pogge last season with Toronto.
Outlook:
I know I sound like a blind optimist, but you cannot argue that this team did not lose much this offseason, but it did gain a lot, particularly up front. It is for this reason that I predict no worse a finish than last year. With the added offense brought in on July 1, '07-08's 99 points is a mark that can be surpassed, and the club's 12th consecutive postseason appearance is far more reality than fantasy. If Rolston and Holik can deliver the way they were brought in to, the defense essentially picks up where it left off, Brodeur plays less and Weekes plays more, and all of that is supplemented by the further growth of franchise future Zach Parise, there is nothing to say that the Devils can't contend for the Stanley Cup this season.
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