How this team was built

I was thinking about our team this year and how it was built. All of us are really excited about the new season and the team seems to have a really great chemistry this year.

The Devils have never been a rebuilding team, and I think it's really impressive that we're always up there in the top echelon in the league. We rarely sign any top free agents, actually we lose more top free agents than any other team in the league probably. But we're still up there because we find the right people for this team.

Just take a look at how this year's team was bulit. I'm not counting Rolston as a free agent signing. After all, he was one of our two first round picks in 91. Holik was acquired in a trade at first, but played here for so long and became the player he was/is with us. And undrafted/European free agents are like our own draft picks IMO.

Sheldon Brookbank - Waivers
Colin White - NJ draft pick
Andy Greene - Undrafted/ NJ pick
Paul Martin - NJ draft pick
Dainius Zubrus - Free agent
Zach Parise - NJ draft pick
John Madden - Undrafted/ NJ pick
Brian Rolston - NJ draft pick
Brian Gionta - NJ draft pick
Jamie Langenbrunner - Trade
Bobby Holik - Trade/Free agent
Mike Rupp - NJ draft pick
Travis Zajac - NJ draft pick
Jay Pandolfo - NJ draft pick
Petr Vrana - NJ draft pick
David Clarkson - Undrafted/ NJ pick
Bryce Salvador - Trade
Patrik Elias - NJ draft pick
Mike Mottau - Free agent
Anssi Salmela - Undrafted/ NJ pick
Johnny Oduya - Was drafted but came in as a free agent from Europe
Martin Brodeur - NJ draft pick
Kevin Weekes - Free agent

To me, it's amazing that 16 of our 23 players (Oduya included) have come up from within our organization. It's not uncommon for teams to say that their top players are their own products, but those teams have usually rebuilt at some point and therefore have some strong names.

Our top players are: Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias, Zach Parise, Brian Rolston, Brian Gionta, Paul Martin, John Madden etc....and they're all our own draft picks/undrafted free agents. Unlike some other teams whose top players almost are all free agents.

Sometimes when you think about it truly becomes evident what a remarkable job the Devils have done over the years. Top names leave, but the Devils always stay the same.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s93/vagel117/funny/KOOLAID.jpg

Unlike some other teams whose top players almost are all free agents.
Gee, I can't think of any :sarcasm:

i don't think that it is fair to count rolston and holik as drat picks since they did both play for other teams and we did pick them up in free agency after being gone from the devils for quite a while.

however, i do think it speaks more volumes about the organization that both decided that they wanted to end their careers with the organization that drafted them and made them (or certainly helped make them) into the players that they are today.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s93/vagel117/funny/KOOLAID.jpg

:laugh:
this one always cracks me up
http://www.prefixmag.com/site_media/uploads/images/posts/k/kool-aid-man.jpg

To put it in a kool-aidish way: It constantly amazes me, how the kool aid men come and go through the walls but the word "rebuild" in the Devils´ vocabulary. I guess they have done a decent job with the foundations of their house.

All aboard on the kool-boat :laugh:

http://www.loonietimes.com/gallery/koolaid.gif

And let´s not get too carried away with that KA-47..