New Jersey's Center Problem

Well this isn't even a problem, I am sure many other teams in the NHL would love to have this situation. What are we to do with all our centerman we are drafting. Parise, Vrana, Zajac, Khomutov, Foster are 5 NHL potential centerman. On top of that we allready have Gomez who is 24.

Parise only plays center so I will plot him in as a center for the future. Khomutov and Vrana have both played LW last year, Vrana due to injury to his shoulder (can't take faceoffs), and Khomutov due to depth at center on London. I thought Khomutov emerged defensivly as a winger, he didn't have near as many responsibilities as a center does.He does have the size needed to be an effective two way 3rd line center. Foster also played LW alot and actually tried out for the devils as a LW last year.

Would anyone argue to haveing our prospects play the following. Vrana and Foster as LW, Gomez as a RW and Parise, Zajac and Khomutov as centers.

I do know some of these players won't make it or will be shipped off in a deal.

I think Foster will be a LW if he ever makes to the big club. Zajac is still a good 3-4 years away from ever taking up a spot, so this might not be such a problem.......yet.

Right now, it appears as if Gomez will remain the #1 center, Madden will be the #3 center, and Hrdina will be the #4 center. While Hrdina CAN be the #2 center, he plays very well with his linemates, and he makes the 4th line more talented than any other 4th line in the league, IMO.

So the Devils are looking for a #2 center, and it is between 2 candidates, Kozlov and Parise. I thinK Zajac will be working with the Devils organization for some time, and Vrana can play LW. Foster is also a good candidate, but Parise definitely has priority over him.

I am hoping that Lou trades away Kozlov and allows Parise to try his luck on the scoring line. With parise and Suglobov, the Devils can possibly be the same four-line team that won the Stanley Cup in 02-03.

If we end up with a logjam at center, Gomez looked really good at RW a few years back until he broke his wrist.

We obviously drafted players that we thought were the best available, so I'm happy. They can always be used as assets in a trade.

There is another possibility. One or more of our centerman prospects could be dealt for other needs . . . possibily Nieds -- as in Rob Niedermayer. Just a thought.

I had thought of which guys from our deep pool of centers might be able to play on the wings. Vrana strikes me as a guy who would do well on the wing with his speed/skill package. I'd keep Khomutov at centre, just because of his size. Foster I could see moving to wing. I'd keep Parise, Zajac and Khomutov at center, and maybe move Foster and Vrana to wing, just like Jason suggested.

Any chance in hell at luring Demitra to NJ? Imagine Demitra, Elias and Parise/Gionta...wow...

Any chance in hell at luring Demitra to NJ? Imagine Demitra, Elias and Parise/Gionta...wow...

I traded Friesen and a medium-level pick for Doug Weight earlier today in Mizral's GM game. Weight is another playmaker I know. St. Louis is looking to dump salary, so it's not out of the question.

I had thought of which guys from our deep pool of centers might be able to play on the wings. Vrana strikes me as a guy who would do well on the wing with his speed/skill package. I'd keep Khomutov at centre, just because of his size. Foster I could see moving to wing. I'd keep Parise, Zajac and Khomutov at center, and maybe move Foster and Vrana to wing, just like Jason suggested.
I have my doubts whether Foster will even make it to the show, but Vrana I can see playing wing. LW is pretty deep to with Pihlman and Tallackson. Khomutov can play as a 3rd line center maybe? I know a few posters here are very high on him and believe him to be a top 6 kind of player, but we have enough depth to bump him into that position.

I have my doubts whether Foster will even make it to the show, but Vrana I can see playing wing. LW is pretty deep to with Pihlman and Tallackson. Khomutov can play as a 3rd line center maybe? I know a few posters here are very high on him and believe him to be a top 6 kind of player, but we have enough depth to bump him into that position.
Khomutov would be an excellent 3rd line center IMO. He plays much like Antropov. He was used on the PK and to shut down the 2nd line. He is getting the development that he would have gotten in New Jersey and at a much younger age.

There is no problem. Look back at the Devils going into the 1999-00 season. Rolston, Elias, Nemchinov, Holik, Arnott, Morrison, Brylin, Gomez, Madden, Sykora, Pederson. All started as centers. It's better to have to convert centers to wingers than wingers to centers.

There is no problem. Look back at the Devils going into the 1999-00 season. Rolston, Elias, Nemchinov, Holik, Arnott, Morrison, Brylin, Gomez, Madden, Sykora, Pederson. All started as centers. It's better to have to convert centers to wingers than wingers to centers.Absolutely. The hardest part about playing wing is not getting sucked down to low. Easy to fix though. Going from wing to center is like changing from a 200 meter sprinter to an 800 meter sprinter. So much more skating involved on the defensive end at center. It is far better to have a ton of centers rather than a shortage. Still, it wouldn't surprise me at all if one or two of them are moved for a defenseman or scoring winger.