Rafalski

So we lose 2 big-time free agents this summer, Gomez and Rafalski. I would just like to say how its a good thing nobody is trashing Rafalski.

While both players left the team, whether its for money or a new experience, one of them didn't go to the Rangers. In the end, I think that is all Devils fans really care about

So I wish Rafalski well. Wonder what everyone else thinks about him

So we lose 2 big-time free agents this summer, Gomez and Rafalski. I would just like to say how its a good thing nobody is trashing Rafalski.

While both players left the team, whether its for money or a new experience, one of them didn't go to the Rangers. In the end, I think that is all Devils fans really care about

So I wish Rafalski well. Wonder what everyone else thinks about him

But the other went to the Red Wings, which in my opinion is almost as bad.

I don't begrudge either player though. They did what was best for themselves under their circumstances. As with others before them, it's just time to move on.

I personally think its ashame the way Rafalski was treated.

He was a good Devil; did everything he that was asked of him, gave 100% all the time...He will be missed.

But..... as Big#D said, it was probably just time to move on.

He was overpaid from a few seasons ago and that it why he is gone now. If he had been getting around the 3 he should have been making, I'm sure Lou would have offered around 3.5-4 per season and he would still be a devil.

I bear Raffi no ill will at all and will always love him for the good years he gave us. However the last two were not his best and he was not worth the money so I am not sad to see him go at that price. My hate for the Wings isn't what it used to be, since we never ever play them anymore (thanks NHL), so I don't bear him any ill will for where he went.

Ralfaski has always been one of my favorites, so I can't say anything really bad about him. Plus the Red Wings are a good club they will take care of him. Maybe we'll face em in the playoffs this season.

The Red Wings was his dream team and now hes on it...Of course i was pissed that he left, but I wish him well

I actually got to talk to him after he signed with the Red Wings. He was playing Paint Ball in NJ about a month ago, and I asked him what happened. He said that NJ low balled him and he had no choice but to leave and smiled when he said Detroit called him. He seems very happy to go back to his hometown. I told him maybe we will see him in June, haha. So I wish him the best!

I'll miss Rafalski, He was a great part of the defense and of course the offense. He wanted to re-sign with the team but of course Lou said no for a weird reason, he was a much bigger loss then Gomez and it hurt our defense and I wish him best of luck in Detroit. No doubt he will be a great player there.

I bear Raffi no ill will at all and will always love him for the good years he gave us. However the last two were not his best and he was not worth the money so I am not sad to see him go at that price. My hate for the Wings isn't what it used to be, since we never ever play them anymore (thanks NHL), so I don't bear him any ill will for where he went.

Huh? He set a career high in points last year (top ten in the league amongst defensemen) and was a rock defensively. I think he a had great year.

Yes, he did deserve a raise, but it should have been from a lower salary than what he was making. Can't blame the guy, he didn't do anything wrong and wish him the best.

I don't bear Rafalski any ill will either. Even if you dislike the Red Wings (which I don't), it's easy enough to see why he went there, given Michigan's his home.

I also don't think he'll be particularly missed in NJ, either. He's small and moderately offensively gifted - easy enough to replace (IMO) from within.

He's not on my team anymore. Goodbye!

Huh? He set a career high in points last year (top ten in the league amongst defensemen) and was a rock defensively. I think he a had great year.

A rock defensively? That rock had to be hidden from Tampa's top pair in the playoffs because they were eating him alive and got tossed around by the Sens. Raffi the past two seasons has been solid offensively but defensively he has been anything but a rock.

But the other went to the Red Wings, which in my opinion is almost as bad.

I don't begrudge either player though. They did what was best for themselves under their circumstances. As with others before them, it's just time to move on.

Agreed, the Red Wings are my second most hated team.

Agreed, the Red Wings are my second most hated team.

yea but he moved to his home state, to pkay for his favorite team when he was a kid and he is in the west now.

unlike someone else who moved to his previous teams rival just for the money

i know this is off topic but honestly the only person on the rangers who's ego isnt bigger than his wallet is Shanny

yea but he moved to his home state, to pkay for his favorite team when he was a kid and he is in the west now.

unlike someone else who moved to his previous teams rival just for the money

i know this is off topic but honestly the only person on the rangers who's ego isnt bigger than his wallet is Shanny

Ask a Hartford Whalers fan, they'll disagree with you on Shanny.

Ask a Hartford Whalers fan, they'll disagree with you on Shanny.

well maybe its just because he is getting old and thinks that this is his last real shot to make a cup run so he took less money

He was overpaid from a few seasons ago and that it why he is gone now. If he had been getting around the 3 he should have been making, I'm sure Lou would have offered around 3.5-4 per season and he would still be a devil.

He wasn't overpaid at all. He was making less than a player of his caliber should've been, IMO. He never got his "big pay day" or anything else. He was a loyal soldier to the Devils and was making a bit less than market value for a guy like himself.

Lou wasn't about to match Rafies (Det) offer. 5 years at 6 mil per year. Rafie is a decent defenseman but not that much.

Gomer can kiss my ass. a devil player should never sign with the rangers or flyers. ever! I hope he goes the way of holikenstein. getting bought out 7 run outa town.

I'll keep my Rafalski jersey and wear it with pride after he retires.

He wasn't overpaid at all. He was making less than a player of his caliber should've been, IMO. He never got his "big pay day" or anything else. He was a loyal soldier to the Devils and was making a bit less than market value for a guy like himself.

He got his big pay day before he earned it. That salary was too much, period. I'm not taking anything away from the guy, but the contract he got was way too much and he is not on the same level as Niedermayer. He is a small offensive forward who is easy to push around and isn't all that solid defensively. Playing with Stevens made him look better than his D game actually was. Being loyal doesn't entitle you to be overcompensated and hurt the rest of your team.

He got his big pay day before he earned it. That salary was too much, period. I'm not taking anything away from the guy, but the contract he got was way too much and he is not on the same level as Niedermayer. He is a small offensive forward who is easy to push around and isn't all that solid defensively. Playing with Stevens made him look better than his D game actually was. Being loyal doesn't entitle you to be overcompensated and hurt the rest of your team.

+1

He got his big pay day before he earned it. That salary was too much, period. I'm not taking anything away from the guy, but the contract he got was way too much and he is not on the same level as Niedermayer. He is a small offensive forward who is easy to push around and isn't all that solid defensively. Playing with Stevens made him look better than his D game actually was. Being loyal doesn't entitle you to be overcompensated and hurt the rest of your team.

Agree. I'm not a Rafalski hater, but he's not a number 1 d-man, and he got overpaid in 2005 because Niedermayer bolted and Lou couldn't afford to lose another D-man. His contract with Detroit is WAY too long and expensive.

Lou offered him 4.4 milliion and he is worth that. He considered it a lowball, because it was barely a raise and because he knew he was "worth" more than that on the open market - in other words jackass teams overpay for defensemen who put up numbers.

If White makes 3 million and Martin 3.8 million, 4.2-4.4 million is what Rafalski should make. 5 million (what he supposedly wanted from the Devils) or 6 million (what he got from Detroit) is way too much for a guy who has to be hidden from the top players of other teams when he isn't playing with someone of the calabre of Scott Stevens.

Unless Greene really steps up, our powerplay will suffer without Rafalski. I've been watching the Devils for 15 years, and in that time, Raffi is the best powerplay quarterback the team has had in my opinion. Neids had a better shot and was much better at skating with the puck (and was far better overall), but Raffi was the man at running the powerplay.

I think Detroit might be the perfect situation for Raffi. He can be paired with Chelios - who while ancient is still quite physical - at even strength while Lidstrom takes on the opponent's top line. Then he can play on the powerplay with Lidstrom.

If i were Lou i think i may have offered him 5mil, but then again it does seem like Lou had the plan to get bigger and more physical this offseason, and not that it should be totally held against him because yes he was always a very good overall defensemen, but Raffi totally sucked it up in the playoffs(the reason i have so much hope for martin and greene is because they completely outplayed raffi on an overall level in the 1st and 2nd round) To me Raffi will be missed, i always loved him as a devil and loved the whole story about our scouting finding him out of nowhere out of europe. Truth be told the red wings are one of my most hated teams, but now with raffi, i honestly think they will win the cup.....IT PAINS ME TO SAY THAT!

If i were Lou i think i may have offered him 5mil, but then again it does seem like Lou had the plan to get bigger and more physical this offseason, and not that it should be totally held against him because yes he was always a very good overall defensemen, but Raffi totally sucked it up in the playoffs(the reason i have so much hope for martin and greene is because they completely outplayed raffi on an overall level in the 1st and 2nd round) To me Raffi will be missed, i always loved him as a devil and loved the whole story about our scouting finding him out of nowhere out of europe. Truth be told the red wings are one of my most hated teams, but now with raffi, i honestly think they will win the cup.....IT PAINS ME TO SAY THAT!

yea but they lost schneider and markov possibily

to be honest i thought the wings completely outplayed the ducks in the playoffs, and if im not mistaken didnt schneider get injured and was out for most or all that series. Raffi i think makes up for schneider easily, and we dont kno yet about markov, but at this point i seriously think the wings are gunna be real tough to beat








BTW im loving the avatar

to be honest i thought the wings completely outplayed the ducks in the playoffs, and if im not mistaken didnt schneider get injured and was out for most or all that series. Raffi i think makes up for schneider easily, and we dont kno yet about markov, but at this point i seriously think the wings are gunna be real tough to beat








BTW im loving the avatar

thanks

to be honest i thought the wings completely outplayed the ducks in the playoffs, and if im not mistaken didnt schneider get injured and was out for most or all that series. Raffi i think makes up for schneider easily, and we dont kno yet about markov, but at this point i seriously think the wings are gunna be real tough to beat

I think the wings got out muscled by the ducks, plus they had Niedermayer and Pronger. The wings will definately be better this year with Rafalski on their side, but we'll see what happens.

Sad to see him go, But good on him to go to a great team and make that kind of money, He may be overpaid but he deserves it........ oh ya...f#@ him!

I think the wings got out muscled by the ducks, plus they had Niedermayer and Pronger. The wings will definately be better this year with Rafalski on their side, but we'll see what happens.

If they got outmuscled, Rafalski won't help the cause...

its sucks that we lost rafalski but he is still a good player i hope he does good in detroit im mad bout gomez because he said he wasnt gonna play for the rangers and still wnet there

If they got outmuscled, Rafalski won't help the cause...
especially if they lose Markov too.

Lou offered him 4.4 milliion and he is worth that. He considered it a lowball, because it was barely a raise and because he knew he was "worth" more than that on the open market - in other words jackass teams overpay for defensemen who put up numbers.

You know, if Lou had offered him 5.4M or even 5M, Rafalski likely would've signed before turning UFA. Lou basically told him he wasn't interested in bringing him back. He knew that Rafalski was worth more than 4.4M.

Also, I think that everyone here saying that the Devils aren't going to miss him that much is in for a surprise. Rafalski has been one of my favorite players for a while (I like most Devils players as... players ;)). The guy has some really great poise on the ice. While Martin might be able to replace a bit of him, he's still a step down.

Rafalski left a big hole (or rather Lou did) and it really wasn't filled adequately with the aquisitions.

I think the wings got out muscled by the ducks, plus they had Niedermayer and Pronger. The wings will definately be better this year with Rafalski on their side, but we'll see what happens.

I don't think they were at all. Giggy played lights out in that series and, IMO, stole it from the Wings. Also, the Wings just seemed to run out of gas towards the end. Ottawa was the team that really got "outmuscled".

jon, i dont really think i have agreed with many things you have say on this board....but i do on this one, as much as i dont like Giguere, he did steal that series

Ralfi never said "I will never play for the Redwings'!!!

FU Gomer

I think the wings got out muscled by the ducks, plus they had Niedermayer and Pronger. The wings will definately be better this year with Rafalski on their side, but we'll see what happens.

Aside from the Getzlaf line at the end, the Ducks never really established any type of physical game at all against Detroit. Detroit basically outplayed Anaheim and got beaten by Giguere. They did seem to lose some steam towards the end, but they played that entire series (and part of the SJ series) without Schneider and with Lebda on a gimpy ankle - not to mention the fact that Kronwall missed the entire playoffs. We had our 7th defenseman playing top 4 minutes and an AHLer playing on the bottom pair. After that SJ series (in which the Sharks DID play physical unlike the Ducks) and missing two top 4 D and another at 50% it's not really a suprise that the defense finally started slowing down. Calgary (minus Kronwall, some Lebda 50%), San Jose (minus Kronwall, some Schneider, Lebda 50%), and Anaheim (minus Kronwall, Schneider, Lebda 50%) is a pretty tough gauntlet for any team to face with a ravaged defense, and if not for a brutal OT giveaway to Selanne by Lilja which shifted the momentum the Wings might have won that series.

Ralfi never said "I will never play for the Redwings'!!!

FU Gomer

yea i dont have a problem with him going to the red wings. its his home state and im sure the wings were probably his favorite team when he was a kid and im sure it has been a dream of his to play for them, i mean wouldnt you guys like to play for the devils? i know i sure would. i would **** my pants because i play goaie, but i would love to. but anyway back to rafalski, no problem with him going to detroit, but to say money wasnt a factor is wrong (not saying you did)

He knew that Rafalski was worth more than 4.4M.



Actually, he knew Rafalski was not worth more than 4.4M.

That's why he's now a Red Wing.

Actually, he knew Rafalski was not worth more than 4.4M.

That's why he's now a Red Wing.

especially after that playoff performance. i mean i loved raffi when he was here but there is no denying the fact that he was bad in teh playoffs