Devils at the Quarter Pole : Your Grades

Forwards

8 Dainius Zubrus C
The Stats : 20GP 6G 8A 14P +7 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 25G 33A 58P
The Word : Zubrus has done a little bit of everything in the first 20 games. He's played all 3 forward positions and played in almost every situation. Zubrus struggled early in the year with finishing chances and racking up points, but has seemed to find his offensive game with Elias and Gionta. A newfound offensive game with a physical style could bold well for Zubrus and the Devils. A great game tonight, now needs to find more consistency in the points department.
The Grade : B+


9 Zach Parise LW
The Stats : 20GP 13G 11A 24P +12 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 53G 45A 98P
The Word : Team MVP at the moment. Kept the team's head above water offensively during the beginning of the season when everyone seemed to be figuring themselves out. Snakebitten as of late but now adding to the Assist category. Never stops hustling and always keeps working.
The Grade : A+

11 John Madden C
The Stats : 18GP 3G 5A 8P -3 ~ On Pace For : 74GP 12G 21A 33P
The Word : A bit of a rough patch for Madden to start the season. Some of the stats tell the story. Points production is down from last year. He's a minus 3. The Penalty Kill is among the worst in the league. But the finger is not just pointed at Madden. Madden has not slowed down, and I think he'll pick his game back up.
The Grade : C+

12 Brian Rolston C/W
The Stats : 4GP 1G 1A 2P +1
The Word : Unfortunately has seen too little time to get a grade
The Grade : Inc.

14 Brian Gionta RW
The Stats : 19GP 6G 11A 17P +8 ~ On Pace For : 25G 45A 70P
The Word : Look who's putting up points again. Play has stepped up, like Zubrus's after reuniting with Elias. Seemed to have found his scoring touch of late as he is getting back to living around the net. Even when he wasn't scoring, still provided a good 2 way game and maybe the Devils' best forechecker. Don't see Lou moving him.
The Grade : B

15 Jaime Langenbrunner RW
The Stats : 19GP 3G 8A 11P +8 ~ On Pace For : 12G 33A 45P
The Word : Everyone expects a bit more from the captain, and rightfully so. Point production isn't terrible, but could be much better considering who he has been play with. Has taken too many dumb penalties, but has been quiet in that department in recent weeks. Play is getting better, however, which bodes well
The Grade : C-

16 Bobby Holik C
The Stats : 5GP 0G 0A 0P E
The Word : Seen too little of him to give him a grade, but his return is anticipated. Will solidify the 4th line greatly
The Grade : Inc.

17 Mike Rupp C
The Stats : 20GP 1G 1A 2P +2 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 4G 4A 8P
The Word : Effective 4th liner with limited offensive skills. Nevertheless, is effective at what he does, and even has showed that he can step into a larger role and play well. Grades well as a 4th liner
The Grade : B

18 Nicklas Bergfors RW
The Stats : 8GP 1G 0A 1P -1
The Word : THE topic of most discussion on the boards thus far. I would've liked for him to see an increased role, mainly duty on the powerplay was my main gripe. Still needs to develop as more of a two-way hockey player before becoming a full-time NHLer, but you can see that he has talent. Did not see enough from him to give him a grade
The Grade : Inc.

19 Travis Zajac C
The Stats : 20GP 3G 11A 14P +10 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 12G 45A 57P
The Word : Improved himself from a physical standpoint. Top-notch in the faceoff circle as well. If he can stay on pace, it'll be an excellent bounce-back year for Travis. Needs to work on his shot still, teams will be letting him shoot trying to take away Parise
The Grade : B+

20 Jay Pandolfo LW
The Stats : 20GP 2G 3A 5P -2 ~ On Pace For : 82 GP 8G 12A 20P
The Word : Almost everything needs to be better from this point going forward for Pandolfo. Has been part of the weak PK. Is only on pace for 20 points while consistently leading the forwards in icetime. Needs to improve his game substantially
The Grade : D

22 Petr Vrana C
The Stats : 14GP 1G 0A -4 ~ On Pace For : 57GP 4G 0A 4P
The Word : Has been nearly invisible since scoring his first NHL goal in his first NHL game. Part of that has to do with the ice time that he is getting, and part of that has to do with his play. Not a prototypical 4th liner, but needs to be on the scoresheet a bit more than his lone tally. Needs to improve defensive game.
The Grade : C

23 David Clarkson RW
The Stats : 20GP 5G 3A 8P E ~ On Pace For : 82GP 20G 12A 32P
The Word : Hey, for a 2nd year player playing on the 3rd line, being on pace for 20 goals 32 points is pretty darn good. Has improved his game from the start of the season when he seemed like he wanted to become a goon. Since then, he's found his offensive game a bit more and has knocked off the Sean Averyish crap. His start knocks his grade down a peg.
The Grade : B-

26 Patrik Elias LW
The Stats : 20GP 8G 12A 20P +5 ~ On Pace For : 82Gp 33G 49A 82P
The Word : Has been an offensive dynamo of late. Numbers could be even better if not for being absolutely snakebitten on some great chances earlier on. Seems to be enjoying himself more out there, playing good defensive hockey, and looking like a leader
The Grade : A-

Defensemen

2 Sheldon Brookbank
The Stats : 11GP 0G 0A 0P +1
The Word : Has shown versatility in his move to forward over the past few games. Is a guy who really does nothing all too well, but has limited his mistakes - not including the delay of game penalty against TB. Has played reasonably well, but doesn't impact the team too much to garner a great grade
The Grade : C

5 Colin White
The Stats : 20GP 1G 5A 6P +9 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 4G 21A 25P
The Word : Has played surprising well on the offensive side of things, which helps his +/- out significantly. Overall has played decent, but still takes the penalty or makes the mistake that leaves you scratching your head. Has room to improve, but has not been horrible.
The Grade : C+

6 Andy Greene
The Stats : 6GP 1G 5A 6P +4
The Word : Was impressive in his limited action before going down with injury. Seemed to improve his game substantially from last year, but I need to see an extended stretch before giving a grade out.
The Grade : Inc.


7 Paul Martin
The Stats : 15GP 2G 5A 7P +2 ~ On Pace For : 62 GP 8G 21A 29P
The Word : Play is consistent. Developing better offensive game. I still think the best is yet to come
The Grade : B+

24 Bryce Salvador
The Stats 19GP 1G 1A 2P -5 ~ On Pace For : 78GP 4G 4A 8P
The Word : Steady as they come. Fights, hits, and moves the puck pretty well for a stay at home guy. Still could contribute better to the PK.
The Grade : B

27 Mike Mottau
The Stats 19GP 0G 5A 5P +7 ~ On Pace Fore : 78GP 0G 21A 21P
The Word : Played better than some would lead us to believe. Still can make the boneheaded mistake, but he's proved some worth
The Grade : B-

28 Anssi Salmela
The Stats : 13GP 0G 3A 3P +3 ~ On Pace For : 53GP 0G 12A 12P
The Word : Play is improving. Goals will come with that shot. Still needs to improve positioning in own end, but has exceeded my expectations and looks like another good find
The Grade : B

29 Johnny Oduya
The Stats : 20GP 0G 9A 9P +8 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 0G 37A 37P
The Word : Play keeps on improving and is consistent. Offensive instincts are coming and his skating is top notch. Deserves another contract
The Grade : B+

Goaltenders

1 Kevin Weekes
The Stats : 6GP 2W 3L 2.87GAA .903SV% 0SO
The Word : Can look brilliant in spots and shaky in others. Needs to find consistency, but has shown that he can do some of the job.
The Grade : B-

30 Martin Brodeur
The Stats : 10GP 6W 4L 2.16GAA .916SV% 2SO
The Word : Got off to a good start, but unfortunately the injury bug hit him too. Get well soon.
The Grade : A-

35 Scott Clemmensen
The Stats : 6GP 3W 2L 2.60GAA .909SV% 0SO
The Word : Has exceeded all expectations by playing and playing well. Has shown to be able to get the job done. Still prone to the soft goal though. Gets a good grade based on exceeding expectations.
The Grade : B+

pretty much the same as 10 games ago

ok ill do one

Pariae-A+

Gionta-B

Elias-B

Zajac-B+

Zubrus-B+

Greene-B+

Madden-B

Langenbrunner-C

Mottau-C (he got worked yesterday in front of the net)

Martin-B+ (needs to get going offensivley)

Oduya-B+

Clarkson-C (is picking it up)

Pandolfo-C+

White-B(still makes bonehead plays, like yesterday when he pinched and cost us a 2-1 with brookbank and a goal)

Rolston-B (not many games played)

Vrana-B (has been solid but hasnt gotten too much going offensivley)

Bergfors-TBD (i hope he is given a good shot in teh show)

Salvador- B

Rupp- C

P3L-mehh

Halsichuk- (needs to play in teh minors for a season or 2)

Holik-C (not many games)

Salmela-C+ (not many games)

Brookbank-C+ (not many games)

Brodeur-B+

Weekes-TBD

the only differences

Weekes-B

Clemmensen-B+

Salemla-B

Gionta-B+

Elias-B+

Rupp-C+

Clarkson-C+

Langenbrunner-B

I'll make it short for those who don't like to read and ****.

They're doing OK. They are beating the teams they should be beating, but are having trouble against teams that are better than them.

Simple as that. You suckers are getting your hopes up a bit tooooo high right now. Tonight they played well, but letting those 3 goals up the way they did was all kinds of ****ed up. Plus our offense has been clicking against teams with weak defense units, or they have Marek Malik... which just negates the idea of "defense".

A real test is Pittsburgh, followed by the Flyers. Even the Rangers will still poop on us...

1st Periods: A-
2nd Periods: F
3rd Periods: C+

I'll bite...
8 Dainius Zubrus: 20GP 6G 8A 14P +7
Up until today I would have said that Zubrus is the most underrated guy on the Devils. He is definately more noticeable this year than last year whether it be skating with the puck, cycling the puck, or being physical. As a matter of fact, he is the only true physical presence in the top six. He will never score big points, but I think he is begining to legitimize himself as a top six forward on this team, as opposed to the begining of the year when Sutter envisioned him on the 4th line. Plus things finally seem to be clicking between him and Elias and that can only be good news.
B

9 Zach Parise LW: 20GP 13G 11A 24P +12
Clearly he's the motor of the Devils. Nothing short of spectactular and I really don't think I need to say anything but I will anyway. You can't say enough about a guy that hustles as much as Parise. Especially when a guy who isn't as tall as some of the other players in the league mucks it up in the corners and comes out with the puck. He scores in the tough areas like where Brian Gionta should be scoring from. He always knows where to be and the puck just follows him.
A

11 John Madden C: 18GP 3G 5A 8P -3
5-on-5 the Devils have been great. Madden has a lot to do with that. On the penalty kill though, they've been awful. Simply put, Madden has a lot to do with that too.
C-

14 Brian Gionta RW: 19GP 6G 11A 17P +8
Over the summer I thought that Gionta got a lot of undeserved flack. I still think he gets a lot of crap that he doesn't deserve by some posters, but he still doesn't dig like he used to. He still doesn't muck it up in front of the net like he used to, and he is not nearly as fiesty as he was in his heyday. He might be putting up points now, but IMO he has left a lot out that has yet to be desired. He has shown flashes though, like that goal he scored against Florida (or maybe New York?). He was getting crossed checked and he got sent flying, but through sheer determination he put the puck in the net. I love seeing that Gionta, we just haven't seen him that much lately. I want to see him get his nose dirtier.
C

15 Jaime Langenbrunner RW: 19GP 3G 8A 11P +8
I don't understand what people expect of him. He will never be a big point producer, but hasn't been as terrible as people make him out to be. Sutter trusts him a lot, and that is not for no reason. He has taken some penalties this year, but they are aggressive penalties, not lazy ones. I wish he would put the puck in the net a little more, but its been Parise thats been cashing in on his rebounds, so I can't complain too much.
B

17 Mike Rupp C: 20GP 1G 1A 2P +2
Does not get enough credit, at all. He skates well, he's physical, he fights, and when injuries hit he can fill a bigger role in the short term. Madden goes down, Rupp fills his spot and scores a goal. Theres not much more that you can ask of the guy. He is the closest thing that the Devils have to an enforcer and he's more than filled his role if you ask me.
B+

18 Nicklas Bergfors RW: 8GP 1G 0A 1P -1
The only time I ever noticed him was when people complained about his TOI. My response is that he didn't earn his time. Every time that his line was out there they were hemmed in their own zone, and sometimes got scored on. Now you can say that is Sutter's fault because he didn't put him on the top line and that he eats babies, but I think when you have an opportunity you have to make your own chances. Bergfors never did anything to make himself standout and thats why he's in the minors right now.
D

19 Travis Zajac C: 20GP 3G 11A 14P +10
What a difference a year makes. Zajac has been great this year passing the puck and in the faceoff dot. Plus he is, as always, excellent defensively. His passing this year has been very crisp, the only thing I wish more from him is to learn more from the Zach Parise school of thought. Which is to be more hungry around the net. Zajac has the body to do some damage there.
B+

20 Jay Pandolfo LW: 20GP 2G 3A 5P -2
Again, I don't understand what people expect from Pandolfo. He is not a point producer, and aside from the anomoly that was the begining of last year, he never was. He's never had over 27 points in a season, I don't know why people are expecting them out of him now. My problem with him is, like Madden, our PK has sucked and he's a big part of it.
C

22 Petr Vrana C: 14GP 1G 0A -4
The invisible man. His one goal was a tip in front of the net, and aside from that has shown almost no offensive creativity. I don't see any of the playmaking skills that earned him over 60 points in Lowell last season. The only thing I see him do is lose faceoffs, which he does pretty well.
D-

23 David Clarkson RW: 20GP 5G 3A 8P E
He's been good this year. He'll never be a very good skater, or very balanced but he's pretty strong on the puck. He cycles the puck well too. I wish he would use his shot a little more because I think he can do some damage with it.
B

26 Patrik Elias LW: 20GP 8G 12A 20P +5
He's the most offensively creative, and gifted forward, this organization has ever had. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the best skater on the team, plus he can do some pretty mind blowing passes. Once in a while he'll let one get away and give the puck up to the other team, but he's the only forward on the team that can pull off those type of moves in the first place. He's the only one that can gain the zone on the powerplay without dumping it in, and he's pretty damn aggressive on the forecheck too. This guy has done everything Sutter has asked of him and more and its time people start giving him a break.
B

2 Sheldon Brookbank: 11GP 0G 0A 0P +1
I like him better as a forward than I do when he's a defenseman. He bangs bodies and is pretty aggressive on the forecheck. I guess thats the only thing you can ask of for a player like him because he's not that good of a defenseman, not at the NHL level at least.
D

5 Colin White: 20GP 1G 5A 6P +9
IMO he has not been good. It seems every other shift he's on the ice he makes a bad play where he doesn't see the ice well, or he mishandles the puck. That St. Louis goal was pretty much exclusively his fault. Plus he is getting beat more often when before his eye injury it was practically unheard of.
D

6 Andy Greene: 6GP 1G 5A 6P +4
Can't wait to see him back, can't give him a grade though. Hopefully he continues his hot start.

7 Paul Martin: 15GP 2G 5A 7P +2
He's the best the Devils have to offer, and has filled the role of a number 1 defenseman pretty admirably. He rushes the puck more than he used it and it jumping into the offensive play more in general. Plus he eats huge minutes for this team night in and night out. I wish more people would notice how good he really is.
A

24 Bryce Salvador 19GP 1G 1A 2P -5
Still looking for a bit more from him. Don't get me wrong he's been good, but I don't see how Pandolfo is a -2 and people jump all over him yet Salvador is a -5 and nobody says anything. Neither of them are paid to score goals. And again, Salvador is somebody who would get a lot of time on the PK, and for all the praise he gets our PK is still near the bottom of the league.
C

27 Mike Mottau 19GP 0G 5A 5P +7
I lost a lot of respect for him when he stuck out his arm to hit Nielson. I was disgusted when the ref gave the Islander who was sticking up for his teammate an extra penalty for instigating. I might get ripped for this, and I know that Mottau is not known for being a dirty player but it was a dirty and dangerous player, but this is off topic and probably beaten to death anyway. That said, what you see is what you get with Mottau. He won't wow you with skating, and he's no wizard with the puck but he is solid in his own end and almost never gets caught.
C

28 Anssi Salmela 13GP 0G 3A 3P +3
Adding Salmela has been a breath of fresh air for this blueline. At least in him we have somebody thats not afraid to be creative. Instead of holding the puck in and always dumping it into the corner, Salmela has added some offensive flair to the blueline that it had really been lacking. I hope he keeps improving because he might have a long future with the Devils. Plus he's got a bomb of a shot, which is something we're not used to seeing on our bluelines.
B+

29 Johnny Oduya 20GP 0G 9A 9P +8
He's been our most consistent player outside of Zach, and that really says something considering Johnny was probably the most wildly inconsistent players last year. This year he looks like a new man, he's leading the rush, he's solid defensively, he QB'ed the powerplay, he has become a legitimate top four defenseman (maybe number 3) on any team, not just the Devils
A

I'll make it short for those who don't like to read and ****.

They're doing OK. They are beating the teams they should be beating, but are having trouble against teams that are better than them.

Simple as that. You suckers are getting your hopes up a bit tooooo high right now. Tonight they played well, but letting those 3 goals up the way they did was all kinds of ****ed up. Plus our offense has been clicking against teams with weak defense units, or they have Marek Malik... which just negates the idea of "defense".

A real test is Pittsburgh, followed by the Flyers. Even the Rangers will still poop on us...
What I would say as well. The Zubrus line played well tonight, but where were they before we starting playing the bottom five teams of the conference?

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s93/vagel117/Untitled-1-50.jpg

3 games in hand, 6 pt lead. Gimme 3 wins and I'll give us an A for winning through adversity.

Current grade: B-

Too many people riding the backs of other people from game to game. Can we just have a solid effort for 60 minutes top to bottom for a run of games and show me the 'machine' is back online?

Elias, Parise cannot keep this team going the entire season... especially without Marty. Forget serenity now - consistency now!

Vrana a D-, really?

and how can you give Brookbank a D? i hate the guy but hes been doing much better lately, especially considering hes playing out of position

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s93/vagel117/Untitled-1-50.jpg

3 games in hand, 6 pt lead. Gimme 3 wins and I'll give us an A for winning through adversity.

Current grade: B-

Too many people riding the backs of other people from game to game. Can we just have a solid effort for 60 minutes top to bottom for a run of games and show me the 'machine' is back online?

Elias, Parise cannot keep this team going the entire season... especially without Marty. Forget serenity now - consistency now!

I was looking at that last night. First, wow, didn't realize how many goals Boston scored, and second, we are only 6 games behind the rags even with all the injuries. I have a very good feeling right now, and hopefully they can continue to stay consistent when facing the better teams in the league.

On a side note, also looking forward to seeing a rested, mid-season form Marty in the playoffs.

A quarter has gone allready...

Only seems like yesterday that it was mid-summer and we were all clamouring for Hockey.

Keep in mind that the grades are essentially based on if the players have lived up to my personal expectations. A grade of "B" means that have met my expectations. Anything higher means they have exceeded those expectations and anything lower means they have not met those expectations.

Forwards:

8 Dainius Zubrus: 20GP 6G 8A 14P +7

Grade: B+

Zubrus has been a nice surprise this season. He has been very good in all ends of the rink and he is even contributing offensively. Who saw that 4 goal game comming?

9 Zach Parise LW: 20GP 13G 11A 24P +12

Grade: A+

Parise has been the Devils' best player this season and rarely takes a shift (let alone a game) off. Nothin else needs to be said.

11 John Madden C: 18GP 3G 5A 8P -3

Grade: D

He has been next to invisible out there and is really struggling defensively. I couldn't care less if he scored another point this season if he will improve on his defensive responsibilities.

14 Brian Gionta RW: 19GP 6G 11A 17P +8

Grade: C+

He has been fairly inconsistant this year. He started off extremely slow but has since put it together offensively. Will this continue? That's the big question. If it does, great - if not, trade?

15 Jamie Langenbrunner RW: 19GP 3G 8A 11P +8

Grade: D

Where is Scott Stevens when you need him? Jamie has been terrible this year from taking bad penalties to just downright poor play. I believe he is too slow to be an asset on the Parise/Travis line so I'm hoping that Rolston slides in there when he returns. I would like to see Langenbrunner be moved onto the Madden and Pandolfo line. They can all be invisible together.

17 Mike Rupp C: 20GP 1G 1A 2P +2

Grade: A-

Surprisingly, Rupp has been very good in his 4th line role. I was never a big fan of Rupp's but this season he has been as good as any fourth liner in the league. He hits, fights, and has a very good down-low game.

18 Nicklas Bergfors RW: 8GP 1G 0A 1P -1

Grade: N/A

He hasn't played enough games to warrant a grade and doesn't play enough minutes in the games he does dress for.

19 Travis Zajac C: 20GP 3G 11A 14P +10

Grade: A

Like anothe poster stated, what a difference a year makes. He has been the perfect compliment to Parise and has really had a great start to the 08-09 season. I couldn't be happier with the way he has been playing.

20 Jay Pandolfo LW: 20GP 2G 3A 5P -2

Grade: F

See John Madden, but worse.

22 Petr Vrana C: 14GP 1G 0A -4

Grade: N/A

Doesn't receive enough ice time to give a fair analysis.

23 David Clarkson RW: 20GP 5G 3A 8P

Grade: A

He has had his fair share of bad games but overall he has exceeded my expectations and is slowly developing a more well-rounded game. Hopefully this transition continues. He's been much better than I thought he would be this season.

26 Patrik Elias LW: 20GP 8G 12A 20P +5

Grade: B

Patrik has been good but could be better. He is supposed to be our most "skilled" player and until he starts producing like he is (on a consistant basis) he will not receive a generous grade from me. He has been good though, let me reiterate that.

Defense

2 Sheldon Brookbank: 11GP 0G 0A 0P +1

Grade: N/A

See Vrana and Bergfors.

5 Colin White: 20GP 1G 5A 6P +9

Grade: B-

Offensively and statisically, he's been great. That is a nice surprise. Defensively, his game has been very suspect. I've come to accept the odd mistake or "head scratcher" but I don't want to see them too often. I do believe, however, that gets the short end of the stick on here too often. He hasn't been great but he hasn't been nearly as bad as most of you think.

6 Andy Greene: 6GP 1G 5A 6P +4

Grade: N/A

He has only played in 6 games but if he returns and continues that torrid point pace then he's getting a big grade.

7 Paul Martin: 15GP 2G 5A 7P +2

Grade: B

I would like to see Martin contribute a little more offensively but he has been very good in both ends of the rink. I would accept a decline in his offensive production if it means an increase in his defensive responsibilities. He's been about as good as I thought he would be. Can't really expect too much more from him.

24 Bryce Salvador 19GP 1G 1A 2P -5

Grade: B+

I thought pretty highly of Bryce before we aquired him last year and although I think he has played well, I don't believe he should be a top pairing defenseman. He has been better than I thought he'd be but I'm still not convinced he can play against the leagues top forwards - even with Paul Martin as his partner.

27 Mike Mottau 19GP 0G 5A 5P +7

Grade: C+

Not quite living up to where he left off last season and right now, with a healthy roster, I would rather him up in the pressbox.

28 Anssi Salmela 13GP 0G 3A 3P +3

Grade: A

I had little to no expectations for Salmela comming into this season and really didn't know where he would fit although I did expect him to spend most of the season in the AHL. With that being said, I think he has played well and really worked his way into the top 6. I think he has a ton of potential and have thus far been really impressed.

29 Johnny Oduya 20GP 0G 9A 9P +8

Grade: A

I am a firm believer that he is turning into a top 4 defenseman. He has exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds this season - as most of you have said, its almost like it happened overnight. I hope that he can continue doing everything he has been doing so far.


Overall, our offense has been improved because our offensive players have had a very good start to the season. They have exceeded expectations and it shows. On the other hand, our "defensive specialtists" have had a horrible start to the season and it shows in our goals against and PK statistics.

If certain players can get back on track and we get a healthy roster, I believe we can be a team that can do some damage in the playoffs.

Langenbrunner: A+:):p:

the rangers are good, but they were playing better than they are capable of. they will come back down to earth, and are doing so rught now

we are going to be streaky until we get some consistency in net and a full line up, not marty yet, but the rest. i hope everyone realizes this. i am prepared to see us go on a 3 or 4 game losing streak again. we all know we cant keep scoring 5 goals a game. thats the only reason we won. unless we get some consitency in net, like mentioned before, our pk gets straightened out and we score atleast 3 goals a game, we are going to be streaky

marty must be so pissed right now. the poor ******* barely gets 2 goals for him just to get a win and clemmer and weekes are getting wins and still allowing 4 or 5 goals

Grade A

9 Zach Parise LW
30 Martin Brodeur

Parise's been a force.
Brodeur was playing great until the injury.

Grade B

7 Paul Martin
8 Dainius Zubrus C
19 Travis Zajac C
29 Johnny Oduya

Zajac's doing a lot of the little things that he wasn't doing last year.

Grade C+

6 Andy Greene
14 Brian Gionta RW
17 Mike Rupp C
23 David Clarkson RW
26 Patrik Elias LW
35 Scott Clemmensen

Clemmer's the big surprise.. exceeding expectations.
Rupp's been consistently solid.

Grade C

5 Colin White
11 John Madden C
15 Jaime Langenbrunner RW
24 Bryce Salvador
27 Mike Mottau
28 Anssi Salmela

Langenbrunner's been brutal with penalties this season.

Grade C-

1 Kevin Weekes
2 Sheldon Brookbank
18 Nicklas Bergfors RW
22 Petr Vrana C

Brookbank, Bergfors and Vrana haven't been given a lot of time, so I think this a fair rating based on what they've done in those minutes.
Weekes hasn't been the solid backup we expected.

Grade D

20 Jay Pandolfo LW

Pandolfo's not delivering on his big contract while his bread and butter, defence, has been average.

First line of statistics is current stats. Second line is what they're on pace for. Grades are essentially done by an expectations/results basis.


#2 Sheldon Brookbank
11GP 0G 0A 0Pts +1
73GP 0G 0A 0Pts

He can forecheck, apparently, which is his most noticeable attribute at the moment. A versatile player, he hasn't done anything to impress on either side of the puck or at any position. It's nice to have a fourth line that can check, but Brookbank brings nothing but hits to this team at the moment. C

#5 Colin White
20GP 01G 05A 06Pts +9
82GP 04G 20A 24Pts +9

Well, White is on pace for his best offensive season in his career, which is strange. He's also got a very solid +9. All of that said, the stats are deceiving. White has had some brutal takeaways that led directly to goals against. He's still a solid defensive defenseman, but he cannot be relied upon in late game clutch situations anymore. B-

#6 Andy Greene
06GP 01G 05A 06Pts +4
68GP 11G 56A 68Pts

Andy Greene is on pace for a PPG season? Yeah right... and yet he is. Perhaps the single most improved player at the beginning of this season, Greene was moving the puck better than we had any right to expect. That +4 is awfully nice to see. There isn't a lot more to say because he did only play six games before going down due to injury, but I'm looking forward to having him back in the lineup as soon as is possible. Inc.

#7 Paul Martin
15GP 02G 05A 07Pts +2
77GP 10G 25A 35Pts

The glue that holds our defense together, in some ways the decline of the Devils play was more evident when Martin was out of the lineup than when Brodeur is. On pace for his best statistical season since his rookie year, I still believe Martin has more points in him than we've seen on the ice so far in his career. He can improve yet. B

#8 Dainius Zubrus
20GP 06G 08A 14Pts +7
82GP 24G 32A 57Pts

If Zubrus continues playing the way he has the last three games, 60 points is not out of the question, and a 60 point campaign with physical play would make him one of the best top-6 forwards we've had to supplement Elias and Parise... well, ever. He's found his stride on this hockey team and his solid play no matter what role he's been put in is what's most impressive. He cycles, hits, carries the puck into the zone, and against Tampa started putting home chances. If he can stay on pace for the rest of the season, I'll be very happy. B+

#9 Zach Parise
20GP 13G 11A 24Pts +12
82GP 53G 45A 98Pts

Zach Parise is currently on pace for the greatest offensive season by a Devil of all time, surpassing Kirk Muller's 1988-89 and Patrik Elias' 2000-01. Being Zach Parise, and seemingly able to put up points and score goals out of his own sheer determination, he might actually have a shot at doing it. The anchor of the Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner line, Parise is the most important offensive cog on this team because he's demonstrated the ability to put up points no matter who he's playing with. A

#11 John Madden
18GP 03G 05A 08Pts -3
80GP 13G 22A 35Pts

Madden has been one of the more worrying members of this team so far, mostly because of the Devils PK stats. While the numbers he's on pace for are more or less identical to his 2006-07 and 2005-06 numbers, and thus can't really be complained about, the Devils PK is close to the bottom in the NHL and that is simply unacceptable. That said, the fall off in his numbers from last season was to be expected. C+

#12 Brian Rolston
04GP 01G 01A 02Pts +1
66GP 16G 16A 33Pts

I obviously can't give Rolston a grade yet, but when he was in the lineup he brought a different offensive dimension that this team has lacked since Arnott departed - a massive slapshot that comes off the stick of a forward. You notice him on the ice every shift. When he does come back our forward corps will become one of the deepest in the NHL. Inc.

#14 Brian Gionta
19GP 06G 11A 17Pts +8
81GP 25G 46A 72Pts

No, Gionta's goal totals aren't what they probably could be, but the forward who once had a season completely unable to make a pass that resulted in a goal has managed to do it in very pretty fashion a lot of times so far this season. Gionta is on pace for 72 points which would be his second best career marker after his 89 point 2005-06 campaign. If he continues playing with Elias and Zubrus, look for his goal totals to climb. A-

#15 Jamie Langenbrunner
19GP 03G 08A 11Pts +8
81GP 12G 34A 46Pts

To put it simply, Langenbrunner needs to start putting up more points. Last season he put up 41 points in an injury-shortened 64 game season. What is interesting is he's on pace to surpass last season's assist totals, it's Langenbrunner's goal totals that have fallen off. It may not sound like much, but I want to see a 50 point campaign out of Langenbrunner with 20 goals. It's certainly doable if he continues to play with Parise and Zajac - and if he can't put up 50 points with Parise and Zajac he needs to be taken off that line. C+

#16 Bobby Holik
05GP 0G 0A 0Pts Even
67GP 0G 0A 0Pts

Holik is Holik and we need him back. If you are wondering what to expect from Holik, go watch tapes from 1993-1996 or his last three seasons with Atlanta. Hitting, agitating, winning face-offs, planting himself in the crease on the PP and putting home rebounds. Whether or not he can still do it is a question, but that's what we need from him and that's what he should still be able to provide, albeit with somewhat neutered offensive production. Inc.

#17 Michael Rupp
20GP 1G 1A 2Pts +2
82GP 4G 4A 8Pts

Rupp is an ideal fourth liner. Physical, hits, fights, can score an odd goal, he's a great #12 or #13 forward. He's also demonstrated the ability to step up his game when called upon and play a solid defensive shutdown game, although not all the pressure was leveled on him. Think Mike Peluso, that's what Rupp does for this hockey team. He and Holik (and hopefully Clarkson, but we'll see) will make a kickass fourth line. B

#19 Travis Zajac
20GP 03G 11A 14Pts +10
82GP 12G 45A 57Pts

For Zajac, what's most impressive is everything that doesn't show up on the scoresheet. He's amazingly strong on the puck with a growing nose for the net (influenced by Parise, no doubt). His passing and defensive games have both grown exponentially since last season. The most impressive aspect of his game is his ability to hold and regain puck possession - in that way, he's sort of Zubrus like. He needs to start scoring more goals and I would like to see him reach 60 points this season. B+

#20 Jay Pandolfo
20GP 2G 03A 05Pts -2
82GP 8G 12A 20Pts

Jay needs to work on his bread and butter contribution to this hockey team - his penalty killing. It's been terrible and that is directly attributable to Pandolfo and Madden. His offensive numbers are what they should be, although if he doesn't break the 10 goal barrier it'll be the first time since 2002-03 that he failed to do so. To put it simply, I expect better from Pandolfo. D

#22 Petr Vrana
14GP 1G 0A 1Pts -4
76GP 5G 0A 5Pts

Vrana has shown absolutely nothing since his first game up. Granted, he hasn't had much opportunity to given his minutes and linemates, but he's been weak on both sides of the puck and would probably be best served by being sent back to Lowell along with Bergfors. I would be surprised if one of the two of them wasn't traded before the season is out. Inc.

#23 David Clarkson
20GP 05G 03A 08Pts Even
82GP 20G 12A 32Pts

Yes, David Clarkson is on pace for 20 goals. Has he been getting too much ice time? Maybe. But it's hard to argue with the fact that he's both solid defensively, managing to amass a +/- of even, has played well physically, and has picked his fights very well and won them when he had to. A 32 point campaign with 20 goals would be better than all but Randy McKay's 1997-2001 seasons, which were the prime of his career, and Clarkson is only 24 years old. A-

#24 Bryce Salvador
19GP 1G 1A 2Pts -5
81GP 4G 4A 8Pts

The primary shutdown defenseman on the Devils, Salvador has played reasonably well in that role. He deserves at least some of the blame for our poor penalty killing, and he's not a top-pairing shutdown defenseman, but he is a very good #3 defenseman. What should be worrying to Devils fans is that Salvador has not played a full season since 2000-01, where he managed 75 games. Salvador fulfills his function on the Devils, but we still need a defenseman to supplant him. B-

#26 Patrik Elias
20GP 08G 12A 20Pts +5
82GP 32G 49A 82Pts

Elias is on pace for his first 30+ goal season since 2003-04 and his best overall performance since his return midway through the season in 2005-06. As we all know, Elias is a streaky player - but his best performance tends to come in the second half of the season, not the first. Unlike Parise, Elias is highly dependent on his linemates and if Brian Gionta can keep putting up points and Dainius Zubrus can keep doing his Jason Arnott impersonation, that line could end up being the Devils best offensive unit since the EGG and A-lines. A-

#27 Mike Mottau
19GP 0G 05A 05Pts +7
80GP 0G 21A 21Pts

Mottau has been a good bottom pairing defenseman, as seen by his solid +7. He moves the puck very well and has improved in that department. His skating is still suspect, but his solid passing skills compensate for that weakness. I'm very content with Mottau as a bottom pairing or #7 defenseman as he lacks noticeable weaknesses and never feels like he's a weakness on the ice, but he also lacks upside - Mottau isn't a game changing defenseman on either the defensive or offensive side of the ice. He's simply competent, which is what he should be. B

#28 Anssi Salmela
13GP 0G 03A 03Pts +3
75GP 0G 17A 17Pts

Salmela grows increasingly more comfortable the more time he spends on NHL ice. Offensively his game might be the best one we have on the blueline in terms of sheer talent, but that comes with downsides when it comes to his defensive play. But he's physical, at least on occasion, has a monster shot from the point, and most importantly, he's improving. For someone I had absolutely no expectations for coming into pre-season, to someone I predicted a 30 point campaign for coming out of pre-season, Salmela is more or less on pace and has lots of room to grow as the season continues. B

#29 Johnny Oduya
20GP 0G 09A 09Pts +8
82GP 0G 36A 36Pts

Oduya is on pace for a 36 point season, which is remarkable in its own right. But besides that, he's been incredibly solid defensively and one of the key sparks that creates transition offense, both with his passing and especially with his skating game. There's not a whole lot else that needs to be said except that it's Oduya who's the Devils #2 defenseman after so far this season, not Salvador or White. A



#1 Kevin Weekes
06GP 2W 0SO 2.86 GAA .903 Sv%
25GP 8W 0SO 2.86 GAA .903Sv%

He's been solid, despite giving up some soft goals. His Sv% is pretty good, but the story of the three goaltenders is all in their GAA. So far Weekes has been #3 amongst Brodeur, Clemmensen, and himself. B-

#30 Martin Brodeur
10GP 06W 2SO 2.16 GAA .916 Sv%
41GP 24W 8SO 2.16 GAA .916 Sv%

He was playing great, like Brodeur always does, until he went down with injury. Hopefully he'll return sooner rather than later and be the same old Brodeur when he does. A

#35 Scott Clemmensen
06GP 03W 0SO 2.60 GAA .909 Sv%
25GP 12W 0SO 2.60 GAA .909 Sv%

Clemmensen has been solid - just look at his Sv%. Yes, his GAA is considerably worse than Brodeur's, but that's to be expected. What we need from him is to just continue being solid and giving the offense a chance to win each game. If he can do that, we'll make the playoffs and be sitting pretty when Brodeur is ready to take the reigns back. B

Time for a comparison/reality check to our predictions too.

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=545506
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=408860
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=539955

and for the record:

Well if we're gonna play the predict the points game... I'm in.

Parise - 41g - 33a - 74 pts
Rolston - 32g - 38a - 70 pts
Elias - 26g - 44a - 70 pts
Gionta - 33g - 27a - 60 pts
Langenbrunner - 19g - 27a - 46 pts
Madden - 23g - 21a - 44 pts
Zubrus - 15g - 26a - 41 pts
Zajac - 15g - 25a - 40 pts
Holik - 14g - 22a - 36 pts
Pando - 16g - 18a - 34 pts
Clarkson - 11g - 15a - 26 pts

Here's their actual "pace" numbers currently.

Zach Parise - 52g- 44a- 96 pts
Patrik Elias - 32g -48a -80 pts
Brian Gionta - 24g -44a -68 pts
Dainius Zubrus - 24g -32a -56 pts
Travis Zajac - 12g -44a -56 pts
Jamie Langenbrunner - 12g -32a -44 pts
John Madden - 12g -20a -32 pts
David Clarkson - 20g -12a -32 pts
Jay Pandolfo - 8g -12a -20 pts
Mike Rupp - 4g -4a -8 pts

This has us on pace for 232 goals this season, my prediction was 245 not counting defense, which I probably would have put down for another 15 goals or so. I overshot, but missing Martin, Greene, Rolston, and to a lesser extent Holik could have made up that difference or at least a large chunk of it. Can we play the "Bolts" every week? :sarcasm:

Forwards

8 Dainius Zubrus C
I love this guy. He's fast becoming one of my favorites on the team. He increases puck possession for every line he's played on this year. If he can pick up garbage goals with more consistency, he'd be in A range. Grade = B+

9 Zach Parise LW
The offensive MVP of the team. Elias might have more skill, but he relies on his linemates. Parise can create chances for himself. Chemistry with Zajac is only a plus. Grade = A


11 John Madden C
He's having a down year, especially on the PK, but at least some of that is due to Pandolfo dragging him down. Grade = C+

12 Brian Rolston C/W
Got injured right when he started finding a role on the team. Incomplete

14 Brian Gionta RW
Even when fans were complaining about his supposed lack of production, he was among the team leaders in points, while playing a solid 2-way game. And now his goal scoring has finally come. Grade is hurt by too much perimeter play early in the year. Grade = B

15 Jaime Langenbrunner RW
"Captain Hook" has been a bit of a disappointment this year, but he hasn't been as bad as everyone thinks. He's a career 50 point player who is good at cycling. Needs to tone down the bad penalties, though. Grade = B-

16 Bobby Holik C
Incomplete

17 Mike Rupp C
I want to have a reason to play Vrana or Bergfors over Rupp, but the sad thing is, he's been far more consistent than they have been. Developing into the perfect 4th liner. Grade = B

18 Nicklas Bergfors RW
Complain about ice time all you want. The fact is that his only goal was a bad angle shot where Zubrus did all the work. If you can't stick with the team when it has this many injuries, there is a problem. Grade = D

19 Travis Zajac C
Continuing to develop his two-way game and now sees significant time on the PK. Great chemistry with Parise, and getting better at passing. His shot is terrible though, and he might be the last forward other than Pandolfo that I want to see on a breakaway. Grade = B+

20 Jay Pandolfo LW
What happened? Seriously? Jay always relied on outworking the other team and he just doesn't seem to do that anymore. One example - Kozlov's goal off the faceoff when Jay didn't tie him up. That would have been bad for a rookie, let alone a former Selke finalist. Big contract syndrome? Grade = D

22 Petr Vrana C
Better two-way game than Bergfors, but not much else. Grade = C-

23 David Clarkson RW
I have a love/hate thing with Clarkson. I couldn't stand him at the beginning of the year, but he's been playing much better lately. His play on the cycle, and the general chaos he causes really helps set the tone in a lot of games. Using his teammates much better than he did at the beginning of the year (which isn't saying much). First eighth of the year = C-. Second eight of the year = A-. Overall (weighted for improvement) Grade = B.

26 Patrik Elias LW
The most skilled player on the team is finally playing like it again. Elias has always been a player who needs to be put in the right situation to succeed, and it looks like he finally has it. I thought he got his game in order while playing with Madden. Since being put back in an offensive role, he's exploded. He currently sits at exactly 1 point per game, and he should surpass that if the Z-line stays hot. Grade = A-

Defensemen

2 Sheldon Brookbank
I like him a lot better as a 4th line forward than a dman. I think he's horrible at a dman. His passing grade is mostly based on his time up front. Grade = C+

5 Colin White
Sadly, he'll never be the same player he was before the eye injury. At his best, he's a solid, physical dman and a leader on the team. At his worse, he makes mistakes that cost the team goals. Sadly, the eye injury has led to many more mistakes. Despite the fact that he still brings a lot to the table on the physical end, he's now so mistake-prone, I think he's an overall detriment to the team. Grade = C-

6 Andy Greene
Slow start, looked great for a few, then got injured. Incomplete

7 Paul Martin
For my money, the second most important player on the team after Brodeur. Elias and Parise can each rely on the other when one is off, but there is no replacement for Martin's overall defensive play. Already a defensive stalwart who relies on his stick and smarts, he is really learning when to step up offensively, as well. Still has the occasional miscue (failing to block Prospal's pass last night), and that's the only thing keeping him from getting the full A. Grade = A-

24 Bryce Salvador
A great partner for Martin. Provides the physical edge to go along with Martin's stick skills and smarts. Never afraid to get nasty or even drop the gloves if the other team is getting too rough with Martin. Makes the occasional bad decision and needs to get better on the PK. Grade = B+

27 Mike Mottau
The defensive version of Rupp. On paper, I want to find someone better so he can be put in the press box. But he just keeps playing solid hockey and is developing into a solid bottom-pairing guy, despite his lack of footspeed. I honestly feel more comfortable with him out there than White. Grade = B

28 Anssi Salmela
I LOVE what I see from him. He has real potential to be our powerplay quarterback, something I don't see from any other dman on the team. Needs to get better in the defensive zone, but hopefully that will come. Grade = B+

29 Johnny Oduya
Oduya's improvement continues. The best skater among the defensemen. He stays on his feet, and his hockey sense is worlds better than it was even last year. Oduya is now a legit second pairing skating defenseman. Grade = A-

Goaltenders

1 Kevin Weekes
I have not been impressed by Weekes at all. Maybe it's been I hate his Gigueresque style, but I really don't feel he has given the team much of a chance to win. Grade = C

30 Martin Brodeur
Was looking good before he got injured. Grade = A-

35 Scott Clemmensen
I did not expect him to outplay Weekes, but that is what happened. Sometimes victim to bad goals, but that is to be expected by a career backup/AHLer. Still, he's been the guy who has given the team a chance to win games in Marty's absence. Grade = A-

I don't understand some of the low Elias grades. I swear, he could have a 100 point season and people would give him a B- for not getting 40 goals.

I don't understand the C for Elias, Salvador, and Salmela... all have done at worst a B in my opinion.

Time for a comparison/reality check to our predictions too.

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=545506
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=408860
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=539955

and for the record:



Here's their actual "pace" numbers currently.

Zach Parise - 52g- 44a- 96 pts
Patrik Elias - 32g -48a -80 pts
Brian Gionta - 24g -44a -68 pts
Dainius Zubrus - 24g -32a -56 pts
Travis Zajac - 12g -44a -56 pts
Jamie Langenbrunner - 12g -32a -44 pts
John Madden - 12g -20a -32 pts
David Clarkson - 20g -12a -32 pts
Jay Pandolfo - 8g -12a -20 pts
Mike Rupp - 4g -4a -8 pts


Hmmm. I'm way off on Madden, Rolston is injured, close on Gionta, off on Langs, very close on Rupp, off on Clarkson which balances with Langs, way off on pandolfo, very close on Zajac and off on Elias. Underestimating Parise.

Overall: C
Right in the middle of the pack. With no Marty, if we can stay in the 5-8 slots, I'll be somewhat pleased.

Pissing-me-off-because-of-horrible-inconsistency: A
I know we have had injuries up the waaz, but it seems like we score 4 or 5 goals one night and are struggling to score a single goal the next. If Elias-Zubrus-Gionta can keep it going (and we are talking about our 3 most streaky players here), that would be a huge boost.

Forwards

8 Dainius Zubrus C
The Stats : 20GP 6G 8A 14P +7 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 25G 33A 58P
The Word : Zubrus has done a little bit of everything in the first 20 games. He's played all 3 forward positions and played in almost every situation. Zubrus struggled early in the year with finishing chances and racking up points, but has seemed to find his offensive game with Elias and Gionta. A newfound offensive game with a physical style could bold well for Zubrus and the Devils. A great game tonight, now needs to find more consistency in the points department.
The Grade : A- Agreed with that just different grade for my personal bias and the aspects of his game that have been priceless (backchecking, forechecking, puck control, snowing goalies)


9 Zach Parise LW
The Stats : 20GP 13G 11A 24P +12 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 53G 45A 98P
The Word : Team MVP at the moment and what SHOULD be a first-ballot All-Star (but won't be). Easily one of the best offensive draft picks we've ever had.
The Grade : A+

11 John Madden C
The Stats : 18GP 3G 5A 8P -3 ~ On Pace For : 74GP 12G 21A 33P
The Word : I was convinced that he wasn't playing particularly well and he did have some games where it did show, but overall I think Madden is actually suffering from his linemates, especially in the few games prior to his injury. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt here.
The Grade : B-

12 Brian Rolston C/W
The Stats : 4GP 1G 1A 2P +1
The Word : Please don't ruin our chemistry. :cry:
The Grade : Inc.

14 Brian Gionta RW
The Stats : 19GP 6G 11A 17P +8 ~ On Pace For : 25G 45A 70P
The Word : He's picked up his play but right now I cannot help but call a spade a spade and say that this is merely a streak he's riding. When you consider how poor his play was all season long until maybe 2 weeks ago I can't give him too much credit.
The Grade : C+

15 Jaime Langenbrunner RW
The Stats : 19GP 3G 8A 11P +8 ~ On Pace For : 12G 33A 45P
The Word : Everyone expects a bit more from the captain, and rightfully so. Point production isn't terrible, but could be much better considering who he has been play with. Has taken too many dumb penalties, but has been quiet in that department in recent weeks. Play is getting better, however, which bodes well
The Grade : C-

16 Bobby Holik C
The Stats : 5GP 0G 0A 0P E
The Word : I still say we didn't need him, at all.
The Grade : Inc.

17 Mike Rupp C
The Stats : 20GP 1G 1A 2P +2 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 4G 4A 8P
The Word : As a 4th liner he's been progressively better, without question. He's deserving of the role he has on this team and that's just that.
The Grade : B

18 Nicklas Bergfors RW
The Stats : 8GP 1G 0A 1P -1
The Word : Would have been nice to actually see him play instead of waiting for him to step on the ice like some ****ing weirdo's in the woods waiting to catch a glimpse of bigfoot. I refuse to grade him based on the neglect he received while being up, he doesn't deserve the disrespect.
The Grade : Inc.

19 Travis Zajac C
The Stats : 20GP 3G 11A 14P +10 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 12G 45A 57P
The Word : Broke out of the Sophomore slump, his sessions with Parise prove his determination to be a bigger part of this team, it's paid off for both players I think. He's made better decisions with the puck and has been skating very well compared to last season.
The Grade : A-

20 Jay Pandolfo LW
The Stats : 20GP 2G 3A 5P -2 ~ On Pace For : 82 GP 8G 12A 20P
The Word : Needs improvement, will be calling your parents to let them know. Man the **** up.
The Grade : D- (minus for the penalty shot)

22 Petr Vrana C
The Stats : 14GP 1G 0A -4 ~ On Pace For : 57GP 4G 0A 4P
The Word : He's still lost out there and it's not helping that he's not getting much of a chance to play despite the fact that we're missing so many guys and now is a prime opportunity to let your young guys get the games in (See: Philly the season before last)
The Grade : Inc.

23 David Clarkson RW
The Stats : 20GP 5G 3A 8P E ~ On Pace For : 82GP 20G 12A 32P
The Word : He's improved over the past few weeks which has been surprising and great as well. He still needs to learn basic hockey mechanics like skating, passing and everything besides toe-drags and wrap arounds.
The Grade : C

26 Patrik Elias LW
The Stats : 20GP 8G 12A 20P +5 ~ On Pace For : 82Gp 33G 49A 82P
The Word : Has suffered this season largely from just bad luck (which I know a thing or two about) and not from a lack of hard-work or really an inability to score. Hopefully the black cloud is gone.
The Grade : B+

Defensemen

2 Sheldon Brookbank
The Stats : 11GP 0G 0A 0P +1
The Word : The fact he's transitioned from D to FW is worth giving some credit to him for, but overall he's still the same player, with the same number, but in a different position.
The Grade : C+

5 Colin White
The Stats : 20GP 1G 5A 6P +9 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 4G 21A 25P
The Word : He's been better but still not that great, but I also don't feel like you can expect much more from him either.
The Grade : C+

6 Andy Greene
The Stats : 6GP 1G 5A 6P +4
The Word : Really can't wait to get him back in the lineup although it's going to be hard to believe he'll pick up where he left off. I'm willing to grade his 6 games because he was involved enough to earn it. However, he's still only a mediocre defenseman that really needs to get bigger and/or stronger.
The Grade : B


7 Paul Martin
The Stats : 15GP 2G 5A 7P +2 ~ On Pace For : 62 GP 8G 21A 29P
The Word : Play is consistent. Developing better offensive game. I still think the best is yet to come
The Grade : B+ Agreed.

24 Bryce Salvador
The Stats 19GP 1G 1A 2P -5 ~ On Pace For : 78GP 4G 4A 8P
The Word : Steady as they come. Fights, hits, and moves the puck pretty well for a stay at home guy. Still could contribute better to the PK.
The Grade : B Agreed

27 Mike Mottau
The Stats 19GP 0G 5A 5P +7 ~ On Pace Fore : 78GP 0G 21A 21P
The Word : He's played mostly well but still lacks the full compliment of an NHL players skillset (regardless of HOW good or capable) doesn't belong in the league, but we're gonna have to deal with him anyway.
The Grade : C

28 Anssi Salmela
The Stats : 13GP 0G 3A 3P +3 ~ On Pace For : 53GP 0G 12A 12P
The Word : His improvement since leaving for the minors is visible, without a doubt, that shot of his will be an asset to this team in the long run, just needs more control and better placement/control. Defensively he's still a liability sort of but he is still adjusting to NA play not to mention the Devils ideology. I have full confidence that he will be a key cog in our organization in the near future. (maybe not this season though)
The Grade : C+

29 Johnny Oduya
The Stats : 20GP 0G 9A 9P +8 ~ On Pace For : 82GP 0G 37A 37P
The Word : I don't even think I've said "****IN BAMBI!" once this season. That's enough for me. :laugh:
The Grade : A-

Goaltenders

1 Kevin Weekes
The Stats : 6GP 2W 3L 2.87GAA .903SV% 0SO
The Word : This is what happens when you rot on the bench for an entire season. He's been great sometimes and other times looks like a deer in headlights.
The Grade : C

30 Martin Brodeur
The Stats : 10GP 6W 4L 2.16GAA .916SV% 2SO
The Word : Does it matter at this point?
The Grade : Inc.

35 Scott Clemmensen
The Stats : 6GP 3W 2L 2.60GAA .909SV% 0SO
The Word : He's not a great goalie but somehow he's been getting the job done quite a bit and saving **** that I didn't know he was capable of saving. Meanwhile, he lets in horrible soft goals that most NHL-level goalies would typically stop 9 times out of 10. I have more faith in him leading our team right now honestly.
The Grade : B

Alright here goes nothing....sorry if this is longwinded, I'm bored, wide awake, and have been drinking a bit....so at the very least this may be entertaining.

Coach - Sutter

If he can pull away from the lottery machine and keep at least one line together (which he has been doing lately), we'll be alright. With all the adversity he's faced: losing both big free agent acquisitions to injury, the face of the franchise, and having to call up half the Lowell squad to fill in for the rest of the injuries, it's amazing he hasn't completely snapped and sent a bench or two into orbit. He's done a great job keeping cool under fire but I would like to see and hear more from him both on the bench and in his PC's; but that's not gonna happen since that's not really his style. People have been harsh on his treatment of the youngins like Vrana and Bergfors, but I think he's got the right mindset in not putting them where they don't really belong for too much time, i.e. the fourth line, and is making them earn their minutes. Just look at Salmela, he's working to earn his time and despite some boneheaded plays, he's found a spot on Sutter's good side, perhaps the rest of the younger guys will take that as a hint.
Grade: B

LW - Zach Parise - 20GP, 13G, 11A, +12, 2PIM, 3PPP, 1GWG

He's a stud, hardest worker on the ice at all times, I'm not gonna say anything no one else hasn't said, so that's that. He's the freakin man and I will be thinking of the Islanders again this Thanksgiving for bestowing the awesome gift of Zach upon us.
Grade: A+

LW - Patrik Elias - 20GP, 8G, 12A, +5, 14 PIM, 2 PPP, 2GWG

Patty's done a great job all around, it's obvious he's teaching Zach a lot, he's got hands down the most creative offensive mind on our squad. I, like everyone else, am very happy to have the old Patty back after what was obviously a very long battle, he needs to keep doing what he's doing and they need to keep that fifteen pound letter C off him, who know an A was so much lighter?
Grade: A

RW - Brian "Mighty Mouse" Gionta - 19GP - 6G, 11A, +8, 1PPP

Gio started very slow, but it's apparent it clicked that he's in a contract year about a week ago. I'm glad he decided to ditch the notion that he was the second coming of Stephane Richer or Alexander Mogilny and went back to his pain in the ass ways of being a fly on the **** that is the oppositions goaltender. His home is the crease, the nickname of Mighty Mouse if more than fitting, he's pound for pound one of the toughest guys in the league, but he also makes a living off the table scraps of others by knocking in rebounds and getting those garbage goals. He also made a home on the power play, I forget how many goals in his career year were on the PP but it was a ton, unfortunately Sutter seem to think Clarkson filled that role better early on, but correct me if I'm wrong but he's gone back to Gio on the PP again with Elias and Zuuub, he needs to amp up his PP production and just stick to driving to the net and being a general pain in the ass.
Grade: C+

C - Travis Zajac - 20GP, 3G, 11A, +10, 12PIM

Trav is doing well, but he still has a ways to go, it's a lot of fun watching him and Zach on the same line but he's obviously not as mature as Zach is and still makes a lot of mistakes. However, he's been stellar on the faceoff lately, something we've been lacking severely.
Grade: C

C - Dainius "Zuuuuub" Zubrus - 20GP, 6G, 8A, +7, 35PIM, 1PPP, 1GWG

Wow, 35 penalty minutues? Really? Oh right, 15 was for that fight against the Rags and him losing his jersey, dumbass. Anyways, it's tough to knock Zuuub after today's showing, but overall he's been lacking that scoring touch and that ability to finish, before today of course. Today was a huge glimmer of hope for him and should give him a huge boost of confidence, I just hope this doesn't mean he won't score again til January.
Grade: B-


RW - Jamie "Captain?" Langenbrunner - 19GP, 3G, 8A, +8, 20PIM, 1GWG -

The all present play killer who cannot hit the net to save his life. Jamie gets a lot of flack around here and it's well deserved, I still think the only reason he got the C was so he could mouth off to the refs and not get in trouble for it, anyone remember before Sutter got here how many unsportsmanlikes he got for speaking his mind to the ref about a call? Captains are allowed to argue to a degree, so there ya go, slap the C on the loudmouth on the ice and avoid a handful of unnecessary penalties. He's self described as "soft spoken" (just do that stupid "Think you know Jamie?" contest) in the locker room, he's not putting up numbers, so you know it's not because of his leadership by example or speech. People will say he constantly works hard on the ice, and yes he does, but much like my beloved Philadelphia Eagles who march 70 yards flawlessly downfield only to throw a pick in the endzone, Jamie will help cycle the puck, dig it out from the corner, make a nice play on the point to keep, only to fire that **** wide and ricochet out of the zone, make some stupid blind pass that leads to a turnover and an odd man rush, or just fire it into the crowd. I don't know what he needs to do to get his game back on track but he best figure it out quick.
Grade: D+

D - John "Johnny" Oduya - 20GP, 0G, 9A, +8, 4PIM

Holy christ on a stick what a pleasant turnaround. I've gone from saying 'GODDAMNIT ODUYA!!" fifteen to twenty times a game to about once or twice if that! The kid figured it out! I think we can thank Larry and Paul for that one, Larry for the poise, Paul for the puck movement. He's not trying to do too much, but knows when he can take a chance, more importantly he's not finding himself out of position and even more importantly, he's not taking penalites! 4 minutes this year, on pace for 16. Last year he had 46, year prior 61, that's a good downward trend.
Grade: B+

C - John "Mad Dog" Madden - 18GP, 3G, 5A, -3, 10PIM

Editor's note: I left off here last night, and started tonight at around 11...

He's had a rough start, our penalty kill sucks something awful (27th in the league), he's lost that breakaway ability, but one thing about him is he doesn't make any glaring mistakes. He's also continued to fill the shutdown role rather well (10th best in the leauge for shots allowed as a team), he just needs to get his offensive groove back.
Grade: C

RW - David "Bambi on Ice" Clarkson - 20GP, 3G, 5A, -3 -

Another pleasant surprise this year, he's playing very solid hockey (minus the Ranger game and the Dallas game when he tried to get Avery to fight), he's proven he's got more moves than the wraparound and toedrag and is continuing to work hard along the boards and in the corners. What he needs to do is learn how to skate, Lou, please play matchmaker, track down Nancy Kerrigan or Christy Yamaguchi and hook David up!
Grade: B+

[B]D - Paul Martin - 15GP, 2G, 5A, +2, 1GWG

Paul is an easy one, look what happened to us when he got hurt, and looked what happened when he came back. When out of the lineup we couldn't find our way out of our own end to save our lives, when back we move the puck with relative ease up the ice. He's got offensive ability and a good hockey sense. Our best Dman hands down.
Grade: A

D Andy "Come back soon please" Greene - 6GP, 1G, 5A, +4

From what little we've seen, he's got potential, another Martin in the making with his offensive ability. Need to see a lot more of him before passing judgment, but he'll be a welcome return when healthy.
Grade: Incomplete

D - Colin "Arrrrgh" White - 20GP, 1G, 5A, +9, 16PIM

Yeah I tried not to make an eye joke, but couldn't resist, Arrgh is apropos because he also makes you yell it on many occaisons. He's puck handling leaves something to be desired, he can't hit the net from the point for ****, he doesn't seem to be taking as many dumb penalties, so hopefully he keeps that up.
Grade: C

LW - Jay Pandolfo - 20GP, 2G, 3A, -2, 4PIM

It's tough seeing Jay with a minus rating, our penalty kill like I mentioned with Dog is pitiful, and he apparently forgot how to score goals. He really needs to step it up.
Grade: D

D - Mike "Man Club" Mottau - 19GP, 0G, 5A, +7, 11PIM

I gotta say, I haven't noticed much of Mottau this year, and that's a good thing for a defensive defenseman. He can hit the net from the point, that's a major plus as well as his ability to keep the puck in on the blue line. Not a bad start for Mikey, hope he keeps it up.
Grade: B

Bryce "Guns of the Navarone" Salvador - 19GP, 1G, 1A, -5, 20 PIM,1GWG, 1OwningofJackman

Paul Martin is our best offensive defenseman, Slavie is our best defensive defensemen, he don't take no **** from no one, punishes people in the corners, and is usually pretty sound positionally. Plus he's emerging as our best fighter. To think people thought 2.9mil was too much!
Grade: A

C - Mike Rupp - 20Gp, 1G, 1A, +2, 36PIM

Rupp is Rupp, nothing more, nothing less, probably our best hitter and not a bad fighter as well. He's showing a lot more offensive creativity despite not having quite the skill level to do it, hopefully he'll keep up the good work.
Grade: B

LW - Peter "4:00TOI" Vrana - 14GP, 1G, -4, 2PIM
Not much to say as he's banished to the far end of the bench and the occasional stint on the fourth line or penalty kill. From what little I've seen of him, he's got the skills just needs the confidence, unfortunately he's not going to build that doing what he's doing now.
Grade: Incomplete

D - Sheldon "I play winger too" Brookbank - 11GP, 0G, 0A, +1, 18PIM

Not much to say about him either, although he's been fun to watch as a fourth line forward. Makes a lot of boneheaded plays, hopefully he'll snap out of that, but my guess is when Greene comes back, he's gone.
Grade: C-

D - Anssi Salmela - 13 GP, 0G, 3A. +3, 4PIM

Don't have much to say about him, he gambles a lot, when it works it's great, when it doesn't I want to throw a beer at him. He does a nice job moving the puck around from the point, something that'll help in the future on the PP, right now I think he's fighting with Brookbank for the last spot when Greene comes back, hopefully he gets it.
Grade: B-

G - Kevin "The Perpetual Backup" Weekes - 6GP, 2-3, 2.87GAA, .903Sv%

You can't help but feel bad for Weekes, he got it rough as filling in for Marty right away, but the team didn't help by hanging him out to dry with penalty after penalty and 1 goal performance after 1 goal performance.
Grade: B

G - Scott "Our New Starter" Clemmensen - 6GP, 3-2, 2.60GAA, .909Sv%

Clems been on a roll, hopefully he can keep it up but we'll have to see if he can keep it up as a number 1 goalie, he's had the benefit of offense from our offense.
Grade: B


Overall, the fact that we have a winning record without Marty is amazing, we're in 6th in the East, have scored the 4th most goals in the East, with all the other injuries to us, that's just unreal. Yes we've had streaks of dismal awful ugly hockey, followed by the exact opposite. Bottom line is we need to ride out the storm, we continue to do that, we'll be okay. Special teams really leaves something to be desired though.

Overall Grade: B

overall id give the team a B and thats good without marty.

Alright here goes nothing....sorry if this is longwinded, I'm bored, wide awake, and have been drinking a bit....so at the very least this may be entertaining.


cmon - no nickname for Salmela?

I stopped reading there. :p:

cmon - no nickname for Salmela?

I stopped reading there. :p:

Ha yeah I didn't want to go with the obvious one, and I really just had writer's block on him.

I feel uncomfortable grading them right now. i honestly cant give a fair grading without them playing better teams. i think once the injuries slow down and stop (besides broduer) i can truly analyze this team, but before then, i can only wait and hope for the best. i think i might actually wait until this team plays the Raggots again, then they can prove to me that they can come over adversity as a team.