Steve Kariya

Edler Statesman* · 09-20-2003, 11:36 AM

You all remember that Steve Kariya/Mikko Jokela trade a while back, well how's Kariya doing in your system?

I haven't heard anything from him.. but it looks like Burke won this trade. Jokela is developing amazingly and played an awesome exhibition game against Minnesota.

NJDevils#4 · 09-20-2003, 12:11 PM

I think the trade was made because NJ desperately needed offensive help in Albany last year. Lou basically knew he lost the deal, but we have so many young D this year, Jokela was just kind of an odd man out. I would love to see Kariya do well and eventually play in NJ, but he is just too small. He needs to put on weight and continue to develop, but it looks like he'll be a career AHLer. We'll see though.

Edler Statesman* · 09-20-2003, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJDevils#4

I think the trade was made because NJ desperately needed offensive help in Albany last year. Lou basically knew he lost the deal, but we have so many young D this year, Jokela was just kind of an odd man out. I would love to see Kariya do well and eventually play in NJ, but he is just too small. He needs to put on weight and continue to develop, but it looks like he'll be a career AHLer. We'll see though.

Thanks for that... yeah, New Jersey strikes me as a team with incredible defensive depth.. Jokela is like pocket change for Lamoriello

Edler Statesman* · 09-20-2003, 03:33 PM

The Canucks now have a fair depth on defense, I'd think he's 9th on the depth chart after Slegr (7th) and Mojzis (8th). He did play a game last year..

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/player...e?statsId=3255

5 minutes of ice time, 3 shots on goal, nothing of note. He was playing in Darren Langdon's skates though, since he was called up from the Moose on short notice and his skates weren't there when he got there.

Blackjack · 09-22-2003, 01:49 PM

Lol, I remember hearing that story. Anyway, when the trade first happened I think most Devils fans acknowledged that Lou had traded an NHL prospect for an AHL lifer. When you think about it, we already had Hale, Martin, Kadeykin, DeMarchi, Uchevatov, Cole, Giroux, and a couple others that were either above Jokela, or at least close to him. Mikko was seen as a guy with NHL upside, but it was just too crowded. I wouldn't be surprised if Lou traded Jokela for his own good, as he tends to reward his good soldiers.