Zajac to return for Jr.Yr.

A New York Post story two weeks ago speculated that Zajac, a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, would be signed to help New Jersey make a playoff push this season. But Zajac said he anticipates returning to UND next fall, where his younger brother, Darcy, will join him.

"I came here to win a national championship," Zajac said. "And that's a goal I wanted to accomplish. I think losing two years in a row in the Frozen Four kind of stings a little bit, and you want to sort of leave on a good note. I don't think (the semifinal loss) is the note I want to leave on.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be back."


http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/14283918.htm

*Greene makes Ist Team All-american http://wcha.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/040706aae.html

I would have liked to have seen Zajac play next season at Lowell to further his development, but another year at UND isn't a bad thing.

Maybe he can take his game to a higher level while still playing in the NCAA. I still think he will need a year in the American League before joining New Jersey. He's numbers and accomplishments are a little less than those of Zach Parise, and Zach needed a growth year in the NHL after having a pretty good year in the AHL.

I wonder if NJ will draft Darcy Zajac... one of the good scorers in BCHL... :)

A New York Post story two weeks ago speculated that Zajac, a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, would be signed to help New Jersey make a playoff push this season.
Sounds like a Mike Everson or Larry Brooks article. "Oh gee, the Devils can't score so they're gonna bring up a guy with no NHL experience for the playoffs." Yeah, real smart.

Sounds like a Mike Everson or Larry Brooks article.

So I have a question, living in ND I have no idea about east coast newspapers. How credible is the Bergen Record, is it just as bad as the above mentioned news paper journalists?

So I have a question, living in ND I have no idea about east coast newspapers. How credible is the Bergen Record, is it just as bad as the above mentioned news paper journalists?
I don't know about their articles on current events but the articles on the Devils are valid.

Lou probably wants to sign Zajac and have him play in Lowell next season. Zajac wants to stay in ND for another season. Maybe that's why the discrepancies between The Bergen Record/NY Post and the Grand Forks Newspaper.

[QUOTE=David Puddy]I would have liked to have seen Zajac play next season at Lowell to further his development, but another year at UND isn't a bad thing.

Maybe he can take his game to a higher level while still playing in the NCAA. I still think he will need a year in the American League before joining New Jersey. He's numbers and accomplishments are a little less than those of Zach Parise, and Zach needed a growth year in the NHL after having a pretty good year in the AHL.[/

You have to remember too that Zach and Zajac are completely different players. Zach had the body of a college hockey superstar, and hopefully he does well in the NHL too. Small fast guys are the ones who usually lead the nation in scoring year in and year out. Marty Sertich, Brett Sterling, Peter Sejna, Jeff Panzer. Time in and time out the scoring leader is a guy that can fly that is just a small guy(i believe the tallest guy in the group i just listed might be Sejna :biglaugh: ). College hockey is a completely different game then pro hockey.

[QUOTE=crosby_87]

You have to remember too that Zach and Zajac are completely different players. Zach had the body of a college hockey superstar, and hopefully he does well in the NHL too. Small fast guys are the ones who usually lead the nation in scoring year in and year out. Marty Sertich, Brett Sterling, Peter Sejna, Jeff Panzer. Time in and time out the scoring leader is a guy that can fly that is just a small guy(i believe the tallest guy in the group i just listed might be Sejna :biglaugh: ). College hockey is a completely different game then pro hockey.It is not a completely different game. Brian Gionta led the NCAA in goals scored in 2000-01. He is 8th in the NHL this year. Paul Kariya, a former Hobey Baker winner, has had a really good NHL career. Martin St. Louis led the nation in scoring. St. Louis had a pretty good year before the lockout. Sid Crosby is having a nice rookie campaign, and he isn't exactly Keith Tkachuk or Eric Lindros sized.

The speed of the game is one of the biggest differences as players move up from the NCAA to the AHL and the NHL. Things happen much more quickly. There is much less reaction time when a player has the puck, and there is a lot less time to get to loose puck.

Also, the goaltenders are, of course, much better in the NHL.

I would have liked to have seen Zajac play next season at Lowell to further his development, but another year at UND isn't a bad thing.

Maybe he can take his game to a higher level while still playing in the NCAA. I still think he will need a year in the American League before joining New Jersey. He's numbers and accomplishments are a little less than those of Zach Parise, and Zach needed a growth year in the NHL after having a pretty good year in the AHL.

I think it helps that Parise played in 70+ games in the AHL last year, rather than only play 30+ games at UND. Zach has 4G 2A in the last 8 games and still has plenty of jump.

I think it helps that Parise played in 70+ games in the AHL last year, rather than only play 30+ games at UND. Zach has 4G 2A in the last 8 games and still has plenty of jump.

I have to agree that Zach has played well in his first season in the NHL, it doesn't hurt that Zach gets to play with some talented hockey players and has shown with the chance to play that he is a decent NHL 2nd and 3rd line player. :yo:

I have to agree that Zach has played well in his first season in the NHL, it doesn't hurt that Zach gets to play with some talented hockey players and has shown with the chance to play that he is a decent NHL 2nd and 3rd line player. :yo:

He is a future first line player. His offense will increase as he continues to play with Gionta, Elias, Gomez etc and he was a highly touted offensive prospect. He has played great this year and will only get better.

He is a future first line player. His offense will increase as he continues to play with Gionta, Elias, Gomez etc and he was a highly touted offensive prospect. He has played great this year and will only get better.
I agree with your assessment and I have enjoyed watching the Devils play this season. I believe the Devils are going to be a dangerous team in the playoffs. I bet the Senators don't want to play them?

I think Zajac will have a little easier time adjusting than Parise because of his size. Parise was clearly overmatched earlier in the season and sometimes still is. I don't forsee that being too big of a problem for Travis.

An interesting tidbit from the article on Jordan Parise:
Parise, who is undrafted, has put together such a strong season and career at UND to make many wonder if he'll sign a free-agent deal like Cornell goaltender David McKee did earlier this week. He said that's not the case.
Looks like it will be a one more year wait to see if the Devils sign him for the hell of it.

I think Zajac will have a little easier time adjusting than Parise because of his size. Parise was clearly overmatched earlier in the season and sometimes still is. I don't forsee that being too big of a problem for Travis.
Parise is a better skater than Travis but that might not be a fair comparision since they are two different types of players.

Parise is a better skater than Travis but that might not be a fair comparision since they are two different types of players.
Travis's speed I think is very underrated. His stride is so effortless it looks like he's slow, although I believe he was probably one of the top 2 or 3 fastest guys on UND this year. Zach's speed is close to world class though, IMO. But I just love seeing Travis playing and it doesn't even look like he's moving real fast, but he just keeps pulling away from people.

From Rich Chere's article, "DEVILS: Gomez humble despite milestone (http://www.nj.com/devils/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/114456440018820.xml&coll=1&thispage=1)," in the April 9 Sunday Star-Ledger,
Although there has been talk, general manager/coach Lou Lamoriello said he isn't on the verge of signing University of North Dakota center Travis Zajac, the Devils' first pick (20th overall) in the 2004 entry draft.

"Not at the moment, but we'll see," Lamoriello said cautiously.Maybe Lou will make Zajac an offer that he can't refuse.

From Rich Chere's article, "DEVILS: Gomez humble despite milestone (http://www.nj.com/devils/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/114456440018820.xml&coll=1&thispage=1)," in the April 9 Sunday Star-Ledger,
Maybe Lou will make Zajac an offer that he can't refuse.

I would bet the GM doesn't want to pressure him to hard, and sour him on the team then he can just wait him out and sign with someone else when becomes a free agent. There is no rush to get him to the AHL next season, he can develop fine with the NCAA, the kid is not ready to play in the NHL.