What should we do at the draft this year?

Since our draft pick seems to be getting higher by the day :cry:

Let's think about something a little bit more enjoyable than how awful we're doing on the ice.

So what do we draft? I agree, to a certain extent, with the "best player available" strategy, but all things equal, what do you think we should get?

I think we need a defenseman. I don't konw how DeMarchi and Kadeykin are going to pan out, and we need more help on the blueline. I'd like to get a big guy who can skate well with a mean streak, but those usually go pretty early. We may need to trade up...

If no defenseman is available, I'd like to get a good skating center with size. Madden, Gomez, Parise, and Vrana are all well and good, but they're also under 6 feet tall. Victor Kozlov adresses that a little bit, but who knows how long he is going to be here...

While it is always fun to pick a guy listed as a skilled forward on draft day, I think we probably need to get a defensive defensman this year. We have a few projects left in the system, but no more sure-fire NHL defenseman.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if we took a goalie with our first pick because there is no way we can hang on to Ahonen (or Clemmenson) until Marty is ready to let him take over. Someone drafted within the next 2-3 years is more likely to take the torch from Brodeur 7-10 years down the line.

I think we should wait 2 more years to draft a goalie. That way Marty is 35, so the goalie will turn 20 when Brodeur is 38.

I say we trade up and take Cam Barker

I say we trade up and take Cam Barker
So...what do you plan on trading away?

So...what do you plan on trading away?
Probally our 1st this year and a decent prospect :dunno: Depends where we pick at

Barker could go top 5, I doubt our first straight up will do it. I haven't seen him play, but unless he drops far, we probably won't get him.

Ya he will definatly go top 5, but he is definatly what we need especially if we dont resign Nieder :/ I have that strange feeling that he will go to VAN in the offseason

After last year, I think the staff will be focusing on solidifying the defensive part of the system again. Vrana, Parise and Khomutov were great picks for the system and addressed the needs of adding forwards, centers AND offense all in one draft.

A few guys I wouldn't mind seeing the Devils take a look at...

Boris Valabik - A pipe dream for me... :bow:

Petr Pohl - Should go early second round. It'd be nice to pick up a dman with our 1st and deal for a 2nd to keep the forward corps fresh.

Johannes Salomansson - Would go first round but suffered a bad injury. Might be able to pick him up late 2nd (if we deal for a pick) or take a chance on him in the 1st round.

Alexei Yemelin - Great shot and would address system needs.

And a homer pick or two...

Jan Steber - Solid two way player with a nose for the net. Just played his first year of NA hockey in Halifax for a poor team and fared pretty well. Can kill penalties, play defense and help on offense when called upon.

Which forwards are RWs? Thats also a weakness I guess (you'd know better than I). Salomansson...::cringes:: that names brings up bad memories.

I say we will be drafting a dmen but we won;t need to trade up to get a potential franchise man. Thelen or Valabik may be available around our pick and both IMO have #1 writen all over them.

Valabik
Thelen
ONeill
Schultz
Sersen

All those guys could be possibilities

Like PEli I would like to get Salomansson if all else fails :)

Others I would like to get are:

Berti
Ladd - (possible if we keep falling) CSB is way off on him
Graham - Excellent size with good stats
Cabana - I'm higher on Cabana then most
Krejci - Small but dominating czech league

Id Love to see Drew Stafford end up in our sweator comr draft day. He really fits the big banging RW with skill mold that i think could really help the team down the road. He was really impressive in the WJC. However 2 things would have to happen for that. He would need to enter and forgo the rest of his NCAA career, and then he would have to fall far enough for us to get him. THe NCAA may pass a rules change that allows guys like Drew to enter and not lose their elidgeability, but dont bet on it.

Id Love to see Drew Stafford end up in our sweator comr draft day. He really fits the big banging RW with skill mold that i think could really help the team down the road. He was really impressive in the WJC. However 2 things would have to happen for that. He would need to enter and forgo the rest of his NCAA career, and then he would have to fall far enough for us to get him. THe NCAA may pass a rules change that allows guys like Drew to enter and not lose their elidgeability, but dont bet on it.
He could get drafted them slip into the CHL or play in the AHL.....I wouldn't mind adding him to the Albany prospect pile :)

Ya he will definatly go top 5, but he is definatly what we need especially if we dont resign Nieder :/ I have that strange feeling that he will go to VAN in the offseason

He's not an UFA.

He's not an UFA.
hes a RFA but im not sure if well qualify him :(

Scott Niedermayer at $4 million? Yeah, I think we'll qualify him. ;)

Scott Niedermayer to get a multi year contract and will be the next Captain of the New Jersey Devils when Stevens retires... Niedermayer will remain a NJ Devils for life just like Daneyko did...

Considering that we need a franchise defensemen ASAP do any of you think that instead of trying to draft one(who will take years to develope) we could possibly get one that's already in the NHL. Perhaps get Klesla for Gomez and prospects. We have Parise who could come in and replace Gomez, and we get a potential # 1 defensemen. Columbus gets a guy to play with Nash and Zherdev and they could use their draft pick to draft Barker to replace Klesla.

Considering that we need a franchise defensemen ASAP do any of you think that instead of trying to draft one(who will take years to develope) we could possibly get one that's already in the NHL. Perhaps get Klesla for Gomez and prospects. We have Parise who could come in and replace Gomez, and we get a potential # 1 defensemen. Columbus gets a guy to play with Nash and Zherdev and they could use their draft pick to draft Barker to replace Klesla.

I didn't get this post initially, so came back after spending some quality time with the hookah and it made even less sense. I'm not sure if that reflects badly on you or on me, so I'll play it safe and say you.

OK, that was a blatant lie. I've been up for 45 consecutive hours, spent some quality time with the hookah, and now I'm blasting Accept's "Balls to the Wall" on the suite stereo system.


















And your post still baffles me.

OK, that was a blatant lie. I've been up for 45 consecutive hours, spent some quality time with the hookah, and now I'm blasting Accept's "Balls to the Wall" on the suite stereo system.


















And your post still baffles me.

It really all depends on what kind of hookah. For instance, if it were a regular flavored tabacco hookah that you smoked, then maybe you are right(but probably still not). However, if you added that "special ingredient" to it then I say make sure you trust the source as there was this one time I was in a hookah bar in the village and I ordered one with the "special ingredient" and lets just say in retrospect, due to the events occured in me soon after, I don't think that was the purest of speciments.

Clearly we should try to find another Parise in the low 20s. :joker:

We need to restock in net. If Schwab retires, we will have Marty, 32, Clemmensen, 27, Kostur, 24, Ahonen, 23, and Jason Smith, 19, who we drafted with the last pick in round 6 last year. We have to worry about UFA and waiver status on several of these guys, so we likely will need to sign someone just to meet next years goaltending needs. We have nothing in the bank for the future.

That said, this still isn't a 1st round need. So I'd say defense is the biggest need right now.

In the case of NJ they don't get the "best player" they get players that are good and fit into thwe system that they play. In the case of this years draft i think that NJ will take a Defence man. The cupboard is alittle dry for really good defence man in the Jeresy system. In the case of baker i don't htink that Nj will trade up to get him. Trade up to 17th to get Zack (last year) is alitlle differnt then trading up to the top 5-10.

Short of finding Parise-II ;), I'd go Dman in the first and grab a goalie on the first day... staying within the BPA mantra if a higher talent inexplicably slides to a Devils slot.

prediction-Lou will trade our 1st round pick to washington for 2 early second rounders.

prediction-Lou will trade our 1st round pick to washington for 2 early second rounders.
I actually wouldn't mind that....the draft is so deep in terms of dmen you could actually pick a good dmen early 2nd round along with a good forward....then leave the 3rd round pick for a goaltender. We will also get compensation for Nieuwendyk...maybe a 3rd/4th rounder so meh.

Considering that we need a franchise defensemen ASAP do any of you think that instead of trying to draft one(who will take years to develope) we could possibly get one that's already in the NHL...
Maybe we'll get lucky and some team with a real stalwart defenseman will tamper with one of our forwards.
<(-:**

prediction-Lou will trade our 1st round pick to washington for 2 early second rounders.


Good call, I wouldn't be surprised by that at all.

prediction-Lou will trade our 1st round pick to washington for 2 early second rounders.



Also in return Lou and the Devils should get defensman Brendan Witt. ;)

Also in return Lou and the Devils should get defensman Brendan Witt. ;)

-sigh-

Let's draft another d-man. Next year we go goalie.