2007-2008 New Jersey Devils Player Predictions

Patrick Elias
The captain once again led the team in points but did not have the offensive season one would associate with the type of contract he signed. Problem is he will never live up to that contract offensively, but it’s the little things that Elias does so well that makes him valuable to the team.
GP-78 G-24 A-48 P-72

Brian Gionta
From 89 points to 45 it would be an understatement to say Brian Gionta failed to live up to his career year. 89 points is a bit much to ask from the speedster, especially with Scott Gomez gone. But he’s better than 45 isn’t he?!
GP-75 G-37 A-30 P-67

Travis Zajac
Travis Zajac surpassed everybody’s expectations becoming the teams 2nd line center and putting up 42 points. Want to realize how great those numbers are? He scored 10 more points than Zach Parise did in his rookie year. Adjusting to the NHL so quickly means a sophomore slump is unlikely.
GP-82 G-18 A-31 P-49

Zach Parise
The birth of a superstar? Not quite yet, but Zach Parise nearly doubled his point total from his rookie year and looks to be on the verge of becoming a special player for the Devils. Don’t forget his 7 goals in 11 playoff games as well.
GP-81 G-35 A-35 P-70

Dainius Zubrus
Two years in a row the towering center has put up career numbers. It’s no coincidence it happened while playing with goal scoring machine Alexander Ovechkin. Chances are he won’t reach those numbers but he should have a nice offensive output centering the top line. Think Jason Arnott’s years with the Devils.
GP-71 G-22 A-25 P-47

Michael Rupp
Michael Rupp has developed a great physical package that includes huge hits and the occasional scrap. His hands haven’t come around yet and I don’t think they will this year either. Don’t worry, power forwads take forever anyway. A positive note is he will most likely be playing with Aaron Asham who has decent hands.
GP-70 G-8 A-7 P-15 PIMS-102

John Madden
The former Selke award winner seems to have lost a step in the new NHL going in minus numbers the last two years. Is the era of the shut down center gone? It sure seemed like it in the playoffs against Tampa and Ottawa. Hopefully not, especially for John Madden’s sake.
GP-82 G-12 A-20 P-32

Jay Pandolfo
Jay Pandolfo finally got some recognition as a top defensive forward with his nomination for the Selke trophy. Interestingly enough he has had better seasons in the past. Rarely ever in the box we know what to expect from Pando every year.
GP-82 G-12 A-15 P-27

Jamie Langenbrunner
Believe it or not Jamie Langenbrunner has been putting up career numbers ever since he came from Dallas. He has earned himself a spot on the 2nd line and first unit power play time. Possibly another career year?
GP-81 G-24 A-36 P-60

Aaron Asham
The newest Devil will hopefully give some offensive life to the 4th line. He could even try and spark the 3rd line as well if David Clarkson/Sergie Brylin doesn’t work out like we all hope.
GP-70 G-10 A-11 P-21 PIMS-72

Cam Janssen
The Devils enforcer knows his job and does it well. Crash, bang, and fight. A shame he didn’t get any playing time during the playoffs since he is a very effectively energy booster and intimidator.
GP-42 G-1 A-2 P-3 PIMS-119

David Clarkson
The only real wild card going into the season David Clarkson could get 2nd to 4th line duties. He has the grit to fit in well with the bangers, but showed some great goal scoring instincts in his seven games with the Devils last year. My guess is he’ll be on the fourth line and split time with Janssen and fill in for injuries.
GP-30 G-5 A-3 P-8 PIMS-61

Sergie Brylin
Sarge is as versatile as they come and quietly put together his normal 30-40 point year. Looked decent on the checking 3rd line at times unless out muscled by bigger players. Will play anywhere needed as usual.
GP-78 G-14 A-22 P-36

Paul Martin
This is the make or break year for Paul Martin. He is the only guy that comes close to a legitimate offensive defenseman and it’s time for him to step up. First Power play time and 25 minutes a night should help him with that.
GP-82 G-7 A-35 P-42

Colin White
Colin White has the ability to put up 13-20 points a year if his head is on straight. He should be entering the prime of his career right about now, so maybe a decent offensive output isn’t too far away. Maybe not. He’s often injured and should worry about defense more than offense at this point.
GP-73 G-1 A-10 P-11 PIMS-87

Richard Matvichuk
Anything he gives you on offense is a bonus. His main job is to play a sound defensive game and block some shots.
GP-59 G-1 A-8 P-9

Andy Greene
Good news for Andy Greene is he has decent offensive instincts which will be treasured on the Devils power play. But that’s only if he can prove himself as a threat early. He will probably split time with Oduya and Rachunek.
GP-45 G-3 A-10 P-13

Johnny Oduya
The rookie was a nice surprise for the depleted Devil defense last year playing almost every game of the season and displaying a nice balance of skating ability and grit. He won’t see as many games unless someone goes down with an injury.
GP-63 G-2 A-7 P-9 PIMS-65

Karel Rachunek
A lot of people seem to forget that Rachunek had very nice offensive abilities early in his career with the Senators. He had flashes of it with the Rangers and will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself.
GP-68 G-5 A-25 P-30

Vitaly Vishnevski
Vitaly can put up 13-15 points during a good year but chances are the Devils system will turn him into a more mobile version of Ken Daneyko. That would be a very good thing.
GP-76 G-2 A-5 P-7 PIMS-82


Kevin Weekes
At one time I thought of him as the best back up goalie in hockey. He may not be that anymore, but he won’t have to be backing up Marty. Just fill in the 8-10 games and be solid.
GP-11 W-6 SO-2

Martin Brodeur
He just never stops does he? Just when you think the tank is full, he pulls out one of his best years. Not only one of his best years, but one of the finest seasons a goaltender has had. I’m not going to doubt him. But he should see some less playing time this year.
GP-71 W-43 SO-7

NHL #1

Boy do I love the NHL.

What have been the top headlines in sports? Major League Baseball being forced to embrace a suspected cheater while he rewrites history. A NBA referee accused of gambling thus compromising the legitimacy of hundreds of NBA contests. And Michael Vick; one of the most recognizable faces in a sport where everybody wears helmets, becoming public enemy number one.

A juicer, a gambler, and a dog killer have rocked the very foundation of the sports world. I would just like to thank those gentlemen. Now I know why I love the NHL so much.

Thank you Rafael Palmero, Pacman Jones, Ron Artest, and whichever Cincinnati Bengal decides to get arrested this week. Yes your sports are huge money producers and are the most popular in American. Yes women's softball and poker get higher ratings than hockey. And yes, ESPN the 'World Wide Leader In Sports' would rather air a spelling bee than a Canadians vs Avalanche game.

I still love the NHL.

Rumor Has It..

Let the bidding begin! Or not so much bidding but convincing. Who will be able to charm Peter 'The Great' into joining their team and instantly bolstering it's offense.

There is no doubt that Peter Forsberg can still perform at a high level and with his off season surgery he is hoping to have his ankle at 100%. But where does he want to play? There are only a handful of options that Forsberg is likely to entertain offers from and he is so good that the handful of teams will be waiting anxiously for his decision.

The interesting strategy in signing Peter Forsberg is all the teams he would want to play for will already be a playoff team without his help. A team could sign Forsberg and let him rest up plenty in the regular season and unleash his abilities for the playoffs. No need in putting pressure on ankles when it's clear he can be saved for a cup run.

Who are these teams? Peter has already expressed interest in joining a team he has previously played on. That means The Flyers, Predators, and Avalanche are automatically pushed to the top of his list. I would say the Predators are the least likely for him to rejoin. He didn't play there long and the new ownership obviously wants a small payroll. The Flyers would definitely make some room for him with his proven chemistry with Knuble and Gagne. I also could see Joe Sakic calling Peter closer to October and asking him to rejoin the Avs. It seemed to work in getting Ryan Smyth. Think about that one two punch. Sakic/Smyth, Forsberg/Hedjuk?

TSN.ca is reporting that the Ottawa Senators and the Vancouver Canucks are also interested in Peter Forsberg. The Canucks have a great advantage over most teams with his childhood friend Markus Naslund being the captain of the team as well as Forsberg playing with the Sedin twins during the lockout. If Peter's decision is based on personal relationships than Vancouver is in the front running.

Another rumor going around is Michael Peca is very close to signing with the New York Rangers. Peca is an unrestricted free agent who skated last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 33 year old center played only 35 games after suffering a broken leg scoring 15 points. Can this signing help The Rangers? Yes it should. But are The Rangers prepared to go into the 2007-2008 season with a new 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line center? Has that ever been done in history?

The Rangers had a very good season last year and just happened to run into the ultra deep President Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres. Is Michael Peca really needed? It is like The Rangers have the bases loaded and instead of trying to get a base hit they are going for the grand slam. Instead of adding some nice pieces to an already potent hockey team, they are breaking the bank. Is it a bad move? No because it shows Ranger fans how serious the team is about contending and ultimately winning. It just may not be necessary and might take away spots from some young talent.

Other news New Jersey Devils signed Paul Martin to a new 3 year deal. He will make 3 million the first year, 4 the next, and 4.5 the third. This is a lot of money for a player who has never broken the 40 point barrier but it was a must for The Devils. He is the only possible player who can be considered a true offensive defenseman on the team and with Rafalski gone his points will pick up drastically.

Borderline of Fame

The 2007 Hall of Fame class just happens to be one of those years where every player is a no brainer. There are no debates or questions; All were known as Hall of Fame players long before the announcement that made it official. Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Scott Stevens, and Al MacInnis. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, "The players elected represent the epitome of hockey excellence. Their careers were distinguished by their skill, by their drive, by their refusal to accept anything less than the best."

There are the can't miss Hall of Fame players and then there are the borderlines. Mike Francesa, host on the popular Mike and The Mad Dog radio show, stated that if there is a question on whether a player should be in the Hall of Fame, then that player isn't a Hall of Famer. Mike believes that the Hall should be reserved for the players that there are no questions about. The greats, the very best of the best. Yet every time the debate comes up, the borderline Hall of Famers are sure to follow. Who are these players?

I'm no hockey historian, so looking at this in an all time matter wouldn't make sense. I can't have an opinion on a player I never watched. But current players are a different story. Even now you have the guaranteed guys. Joe Sakic, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Brodeur, Ed Belfour, Dominik Hasek, Brendan Shanahan, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Chris Chelios. Sorry if I missed anybody, but those guys in my opinion should and will be Hall of Fame players. Really isn't a debate for any of them is there?

Then there are the fun ones, the wild cards. Who to start off with? How about two guys I considered being locks and are sort of active, Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer. Niedermayer is an interesting case just because playing in a defensive minded Devils system his stats aren't that impressive. Never had a season more than 70 points, and not since signing with the Ducks did he have one with more than 60. Do I think he gets in? Yes. A Norris trophy, Gold Medal, and a staggering 4 Stanley Cup rings (one while captaining a team) is more than enough to get him in. How about Teemu? He did have many mediocre years to go along with his offensive explosions. I think he will get in, but it is only because of his late career resurgence and that championship he got along with it.

What about the big names? The franchise players like Mike Modano and Mats Sundin. Both have over 500 goals and will continue to score. Modano has never had a 100 point year, but he does have a cup. Neither guy has led the league in points or has any type of individual trophy. Has either player made that big of an impact on a season? Probably not. Guys like these are very good for a long time. They will get in eventually because of Modano's importance the U.S.A hockey and Sundin's importance to an original six franchise.


Talking about being good for a long time, Marc Recchi has quietly put together quite a career. Best suited as a compliment to a franchise player, Recchi scored 500 goals and over 800 assists and his still productive. Again, another guy who doesn't have any individual trophy's but his 3 cups are hard to ignore. He will be a tough one because he's overlooked in the history of hockey. I say he has a good shot.

Then there are the flashy names. The names you say out loud and automatically think of offense. Tony Amonte, Alexander Mogilny, Sergei Fedorov are good examples. Mogilny does have some nice numbers, but he also has some very mediocre numbers due to injuries. Good player, but I don't think he will get in. Tony Amonte doesn't have those huge Mogilny years, but he was consistently good for 30-40 goals for practically his entire career. One of the great ironman's of the sport, he just doesn't have the stats or the credentials for the Hall of Fame. Sergei Fedorov on the other hand has it all. His numbers most definitely dipped after his last 100 point season, but with a the cups, two Selke awards and a Hart Trophy he'll get in. If he sticks around another 2-3 years, he'll probably reach 500 goals as well.

Chris Pronger and Rob Blake? Pronger is going to need a couple of more years, but he's on the way. Blake does have impressive stats, but definatley isn't a lock. At least not first ballet. Maybe if he can get himself on a cup team to go along with his Avs championship it will push him over the edge. One guy who doesn't have another couple of seasons is Eric Lindros. Like I've stated before, I think he's a Hall of Fame player. Eric Lindros was dominant. He didn't compile stats over 20 years and put together a nice career, he made an impact in the game as a top power forward. Take a look at Cam Neely's stats. They are very similar with Lindros only #88 put up better numbers and has a Hart Trophy to top it off. Simply put if Cam Neely gets the nod, so does Lindros. And so does Peter Forsberg as well. He's actually a lock in my opinion, but I'll put it here because he is an interesting case.

Rod Brind'Amour? John Leclair? Keith Tkachuk? All nice careers, but I don't think they are the type of guys who can make it. Rod "The Bod" may make an interesting case with his last two seasons of offensive output and a Stanley Cup. Keith Tkachuk will probably hit 500 goals next year if healthy and if he has another couple of years he may near 550-600. If that happens, he'll get in. But that's a big if. Leclair was a good player, but not Hall of Fame worthy.


So many great players. Or are they good players? How about very good. Hall of Fame? It's a great debate every year in every sport. So some guys are just in the borderline Hall of Fame. It could be worse, you could be Adam Oates!! Don't worry Oatesy fanatics, next year. Next year.

Book Review : MESSIER

I try and keep up with Hockey message boards to see what my peers are thinking every now and again. Recently a debate came up on HFboards.com, the most popular hockey message board on the planet, that pitted Scott Stevens vs Mark Messier. Who was the better leader? Now I am a New Jersey Devils fan and have basically worshipped the ground Mr. Stevens has walked...or skated on for a long time. Who the better leader was isn't a big deal. It was the lack of knowledge on Mark Messier's career that scared me.

The biography on Mark Messier written by Jeff Klein is a great in depth look at the charismatic warrior who captained two different franchises to a Stanley Cup victory. What this book really touches on that I think gets lost in the legend of Mark Messier was just how vicious the man really was. On the ice, I don't think there was a more remorseless player to ever play the game. The book doesn't miss any of Mark Messier's huge hits, after whistle scraps, or cross checks thrown after losing a face/off. Flat out, Mark Messier was a dirty player and the book does not try and hide that fact. I believe it's a testament to his greatness that hardly anybody looks at Mark as a dirty player. That's how good he was, he couldn't be considered dirty. He just did anything to win. And he would do anything for a victory.

A lot of the thoughts on Messier focus around the magical cup run in 94 and the guarantee that brought his leadership qualities on a national scale. An iconic moment in hockey and in sports that cemented Messier as one of the greatest leaders in sports. Yes it was on a bigger stage, probably the biggest stage possible in hockey, but Messier was a leader long before that on The Oilers and on Team Canada. Always in the background of Wayne Gretzky, but never overshadowed by The Great One, Mark Messier was the spark plug and emotional force behind the Oilers dynasty. Wayne wasn't the one talking during intermission in the locker room when the game got tight, it was Mark. The book does not leave any details out about the Oilers run, from the battles with The Islanders, to the contract disputes, to the personal side of the players and especially Messier.

Jeff Klein glorifies Messier in his glory days, but also does not hold back when Mark's performance tailed off towards the end. The political 'Messiah' comes out in this book as well with his Vancouver Canuck controversy's with his push for the hiring of Mike Keenan, to the captaincy issue with Trevor Linden. Also touches on The Rangers bringing him back in for his second run and refusing to accept a lesser role on the team. The biggest flaw with Messier at the end of his career was his obsession with winning, and thinking that he was the best chance of that happening. A young Messier, even a 35 year old Messier could dominate a game and basically will his team to win. Not a 38 or 40 year old. The book is very clear in the rise to prominence for Messier, but also the fall from grace.

The read is very entertaining and really informs you on the life of Messier off and on the ice. After reading this there is no possible way you could have a lack of knowledge, or a lack of respect for Mark Messier.

E-Train Derailed?

TSN.ca is reporting that Eric Lindros' future as a player may be in question. The "Big E" is an unrestricted free agent but has been focusing more on a players association role than an actual player.

"Right now my focus is the 'PA work," says Lindros. "I'm not really concerned about the rest of it. But the last couple of years have been pretty frustrating in terms of not getting through without being injury-free. . It's just frustrating."

Never known as an iron man, the last couple of years in particular have been difficult health wise for Lindros. He hasn't played more than 50 games in the last 3 seasons. Scariest part of those 3 years is his well documented concussion problems aren't even the cause of the missed games. Sore groin, bruised foot, sprained wrist, you name it Lindros couldn't skate because of them.

I won't say it's impossible, but the times of Eric Lindros being a top scorer in the leauge are over. If it wasn't for Ken Griffey Jr. or Teemu Selanne I would say it's impossible but I'll leave that open for Eric. If Lindros did decide it was time to hang up the skates, what would his legacy be? One of the most unique talents to ever skate a sheet of National Hockey League ice? Or an injury prone star, who's career ended at the age of 34 as a third/fourth line center. Or lets just take it a step further. Is he a hall of fame player?

Think what you will of Lindros since he signed with the Rangers, his years with the Philadelphia Flyers are down right scary. Never in the history of hockey was there a player like Eric Lindros. Some guys had the size, some guys had the hands, the speed, the shot, the viciousness, but nobody ever had it all at the level of #88. 6-4 and over 240 pounds, in his prime Lindros received the nickname E-Train because at full speed he would demolish anyone in his path with or without the puck. For a moment in time Eric Lindros was a dominating force in the league. He could park himself at the bottom the circle and unleash a deadly snap shot, set up teammates with 60 assists or wreck opposing players with bone crunching checks and overpowering fights. His skill was remarkable, his body mass was undeniable, and the only thing that got in his way was injuries or more specifically the shoulder of Scott Stevens.

Now does he have a hall of fame career? Put it this way. He has 865 points in 760 games. He is an Olympic Silver and Gold Medalist with team Canada. For a span of 6-7 years was a dominant player in the league and in the 94-95 season won the Hart Trophy as MVP on the league. Look at his situation like you would Pavel Bure. Both better than point per game career wise. Both dominating but tailed off due to injuries. If you ask me, both will be in the hall of fame as well.

Is it over for Eric? I believe he could contribute on a team in a limited role and as a power play specialist. Should he? Probably not. The memory I want of Eric Lindros isn't the picture of him struggling to contribute in random jerseys. It's the memory of watching a player that for a short period of time was one word. Great.

Defending The Devil


Playing the devil's advocate is a great role for anybody needing a topic to write about. In this case I may have bitten off more than I can chew. That's right, I am going to defend Alexei Yashin. Earning the nick name "Cashin", it is obvious that many NHL fans have reserved a special spot in their hearts for Alexei, usually reserved for hatred or frustration. To understand people's distaste with the former number 2 overall pick we have to understand why. Why do people dislike Alexei Yashin?

First is the biggest reason of all. His hold out of an entire NHL season. Not training camp, not a couple of weeks, not even months but the entire year. Second is the eventual contract he would sign with The New York Islanders. Third is his underachieving. Hopefully I'm not missing anything, but it wouldn't surprise me if this grocery list of negativity falls short of other haters standards.

Let me just say before I receive all the hate mail (although I could use the pubilicity) I can't and won't defend Yashin holding out an entire year. Simply put Yashin got some very bad advice. Maybe not from a financial standpoint (although he did lose around 3 million on the hold out) but from the public approval side of things the holdout was suicidal. Holding out an entire year is outrageous and there is no way I can back him up on that. What I can back up is the fact he decided to hold out. Let me clarify this, should he have held out an entire year? God no. But can I see the reason behind him deciding to hold out.

Alexei Yashin at the time of the hold out was making around 3 million a year. Not a bad living, but was it worth his production? The year before his hold out Alexei Yashin was sixth in the NHL points wise with 94 points in 82 games. He was also a candidate for the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in the league. Yashin obviously led the Ottawa Senators in points with 94. Who was second on the team? Shawn McEachern. How many points did Shawn produce that year compared to Yashins' 94? 56. That number is staggering. The closest person to Alexei Yashins career year on his team was shy just about 40 points. Alexei Yashin carried the 98-99 Ottawa Senator team to an outstanding record that slotted them second in the Eastern Conference and third in the league behind the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils. That sounds like a franchise player to lock up with a long term deal.

But what about his playoff performance! That very career year, Alexie Yashin was held pointless against Buffalo in a four game sweep. Yes, he was awful in the playoffs. As was his entire team. To give the entire team credit for their regular season success, but place the blame on Yashin for their postseason failures is wrong. Without Alexei Yashin, the Ottawa Senators would of not had 44 wins. He was the best player on one of the best teams in the league. He didn't get shut down by some team, he got shut down by a Buffalo team that ended up in the finals that year.

Hold outs are something that happen in sports. Can the players live off their current salaries. Of course. But it's not a matter of making what you can live off of, but comparing your salary to players at your performance level. Who had a Yashin type of season that year? Paul Kariya? 8.5 million, and about to sign a 3 year deal for 30 Million. Eric Lindros? 8.5 Million. Peter Forsberg? 6 million, and about to sign a deal for 3 years that would pay him 8 million, 9 million, and the final year 9.5 plus a 3 million dollar bonus. Are those players better than Yashin? Some could argue of course, but that year they were comparable. Or were they? Eric Lindros joined his teammate John Leclair on the top scorers list, Kariya had Teemu Selanne, and Peter Forsberg had Joe Sakic. Yashin had a player with 56 points. Not only was Yashin comparable to these players, some would say he was even more valuable. All of a sudden, his salary of 3 million makes him underpaid. Yashin knew this, his agent most certainly knew this, and so did the franchise. The very fact the team allowed Yashin to hold out the entire year, proves it.

Did Yashin have a right to hold out? From the stats it looks like locking up your franchise player would be a great idea. Holding out an entire year? Not so much.

Which brings us to our next reason everybody hates Yashin. Underachieving. Alexei Yashin has struggled in the playoffs. That is obvious. Has he been horrible? No. In 40 playoff games Yashin has 27 points. Not what you would expect from a franchise player, but he doesn't stink up the joint in every series either. As for regular season underachieving look at it this way. Yashin has played in 11 NHL seasons. 8 of those seasons he has lead his team in points. 8 out of 11, and if it wasn't for injuries it would be 11 out of 11. Whatever situation Alexei Yashin was put in, he was offensivley the best player on that team. That doesn't sound like an underachiever to me. Some players just aren't clutch, doesn't mean they aren't valuable.

Why else do we hate Yashin? Well because his name is Cashin, and he signed a massive contract with The New York Islanders. And we hate him why? Because somebody backed up a dump truck of money on his front lawn and he decided to start picking up the cash? The Islanders thought they could build their franchise around a star center in his prime. Was it a lot of money? Yes. Was it overpaying? Yes again. Do you blame Yashin for that? For the first time in his career Yashin was being paid like the franchise player he emulated for 4 years. In the end the contract was a bust and Alexei wasn't worth the money although they made the playoffs 4 out of the 5 years he was on the team.

This debate is in perfect timing, with Alexei Yashin being a free agent for the first time in six years. Surpisingly two weeks after the bidding was allowed to begin, Yashin is still waiting for a contract. How much money does he deserve? I'm not quite sure, but any team in the league could use a player with his offensive abilities. 2.5 Million, 3 million, even 4 million would be worth the risk in my opinion. Maybe if everybody stopped viewing him as the devil, they would realize it as well.

No Big Deal?

So we all know about the blockbuster signings that shaked the very core of hockey as we know it. It was all very exciting but as we were all pointing and laughing at The Islanders (sorry couldn't resist) there were some very nice deals that went under the free agent radar. They didn't make any headlines really, until now.

Jocelyn Thibault- I bet half of you guys didn't even know he was available on the open market. Well neither did I until I researched this article. Who signed him? The Buffalo Sabres. Why bring it up? Well for starters the Sabres can replace Biron as the reliable back up for their often injured starting goaltender. But it's interesting that the Pens would let Thibault go. I guess that really means Marc-Andre Fleury is prepared for full time duty. Or at least they hope so.

Kevin Weekes- Great signing by The New Jersey Devils aquiring a veteran back up for Martin Brodeur. It has been a long time coming (although Corey Schwab was damn good at backing up Marty) but finally we can see Brodeur take some rest during the regular season. Kevin Weekes a couple of years ago was competing for starting goaltending positions so we know he can perform. He is a solid pick up and the fact that he makes a pretty penny ensures that he will get his games in and Brodeur will be forced to sit. That's right, force him!

Mike Comrie- Call me crazy, but I am a huge fan of Mike Comrie. I think we all tend to forget how young he really is just because he's been around forever. He's 26 and just dying to put up some huge offensive numbers. I don't know if he can do it on Long Island with Billy Guerin, but why not take the risk? Put some talent on his wings, and this guy is at LEAST 30 30. Good deal.

Jeremy Roenick- So J.R retires, and nobody thinks it's a big deal? Come on, I know he wasn't the most liked guy in the NHL but he had something that 90% of the league doesn't have. A personality!! Like him or hate him, the former back to back 50 goal scorer was a quote machine and was good for the game. Every sport has the one big mouth who makes everybody laugh, Roenick was ours and we were better off for it.

Mike York- The Coyotes signed the former Ranger and I think it's a good move for the same reason Mike Comrie was a good move. It shouldn't hurt. It's a one year deal at a decent price that can have a high upside. He's had some rough years as of late, but remember the FLY line? In the right situation this guy can put up some nice numbers. Who knows, maybe this is the right situation again.

Dallas Drake- Around deadline day the same question always comes up. Who will the Detroit Red Wings sign to add some toughness? Well we didn't have to wait long to get the answer. Dallas Drake is nothing special at offense. He can chip in here and there but that's not his job. This move is strictly preperation for a playoff run. He loves to finish his checks, score crucial goals and is not a defensive liability. He is perfect for Detroit, especially with the loss of Bertuzzi's physicality.

So they weren't the biggest deals in history. Or the biggest deals this year. Or the biggest deals of the hour. But with the exception of J.R retiring, all these signings could be very big deals to the clubs that offered them.

In Defense of...

You know what I can't believe it. I am actually going to defend the New York Rangers and their signings of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. I've heard a lot of Ranger fans guarentee a cup with those deals, which is ridiculous and a bit premature but the signings are far from bad. FAR from it.

Lets just put this one comparison to rest. The Bobby Holik deal to NY is not comparable to the Scott Gomez deal to NY. Yes both came from the same team and yes both men ended up signing huge deals. And yes both scored around 55-60 points the years before their massive pay days. But let me repeat, they are not comparable.

The Bobby Holik signing was looked at like the saving of the franchise. The Rangers for many years were rancid on defense. Just ask Mike Richter's knees. How do you solve that problem? Well by signing the best defensive forward in the best defensive system of course. Great in theory but it really didn't pan out. In fact it sucked. Bobby Holik within time became the teams #1 center and could not do his job properly to try and even justify the contract. Holik was put on the list with Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure, and Alexi Kovelov of players who could not turn the team around.

Fast forward to the signing of Scott Gomez. Scott Gomez is not looked at as the savior of the franchise, because the franchise is no longer in need of saving. The Rangers did not need to sign Scott Gomez. In fact they probably needed Chris Drury more than Scott Gomez because they had a formidable partner for Jagr in Nylander. Now since they didn't need Scott Gomez, why did they sign him? Age. With the long term deal of Scott Gomez, the New York Rangers don't have to worry about a #1 center for a long time. He's only 27 guys. He's only going to get better, and just the thought of him and Jagr clicking gives me nightmares.

As for Chris Drury. Why not? The team needed a second line center, and as long as nobody expects Drury to put up more than 70 points it will make sense. I've always thought of Chris Drury as overrated, because in reality he is the best player in the biggest games of the year but his play doesn't get you to the biggest games of the year. He'll get you that game winning overtime goal, but he'll also get you very mediocre numbers on the way there. But hey, I've always known that, and as long as everybody else does the signing is gold.

The only negative I can take from this scenerio is you are taking away Nylander who is a provin linemate for the moody #68. What if Gomez doesn't work out with Jagr? I know it's a long shot, but Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky didn't exactly mesh. You are taking away what is for what should be. Do I think Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr will be a flop? No I don't. But I'm not betting my last dollar on it either.

Either way, it's kind of hard to fault Mr. Sather for the moves he made.