The Devils Have a Ton of Work Ahead of Them

This post may come at a surprising time for some, considering the Devils' season ended three weeks ago and the Kentucky Derby is today. However, this post spurned from playing NHL 14 seeing that the Devils are so bad. That and it's the two-year anniversary of Alexi Ponikarovsky's overtime winner in Game 3 against the Flyers. With that being said, let's dive into the off-season for the New Jersey Devils.

Jagr, DeBoer, and the Draft

These are the three positive things the Devils gong for them going to the post-playoff portion of the off-season. The first is the resigning of Jaromir Jagr. It was a no-brainer. He was the team's best player (at 42 years of age, which is sad, but I digress), and both he and Lou Lamoriello wanted him to be a Devil next season. This is different than other "over-the-hill" signings the Devils have made in the past. Jagr is still better than many players that are half his age in the NHL today. His work ethic and conditioning are unmatched, and that will hopefully rub off on the young guys that are coming up through the organization right now. If they adopt his good habits now, it will pay off hugely for them in the long run, and we could be talking about guys like Reid Boucher, Adam Larsson, and Eric Gelinas having long illustrious careers. For a team like the Devils that's in a bit of a transition period, it's never a bad thing to have a guy like Jaromir Jagr on the team.

Next is the return of head coach, Pete DeBoer. Let me start by saying, "Boy, people's memories are short." Apparently, a disappointingly large number of Devils fans have forgot that Pete DeBoer had us within two games of the Stanley Cup just two years ago. People also seem to also forget that we had two of the premier players in the league on the team as well in Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. So, when people wanted DeBoer fired this year, I was a bit surprised. It started to anger me once it became more fervent as the year went on. The fact that we were as close as we were despite the make-up of our roster should be a huge credit to DeBoer. When your best players are all 35+ year old Czechs, you don't deserve to make the playoffs (no disrespect meant to Jagr, Patty, and Zid). When your captain is the worst player on your team, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. And when you don't win a single shootout, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. However, the Devils were only eliminated just a few days before the regular season ended. Usually, all of the things I mentioned mean you're going to be one of the worst teams in the entire league. Instead, we challenged for the playoffs to just about the bitter end. Why did that happen? The only answer is coaching, which is why I have no idea why people want DeBoer fired. Not many other coaches would be able to get a team like the Devils even close to being competitive with circumstances like that. And when Jaromir Jagr endorses someone for head coach, you listen. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the man knows a thing or two about the game of hockey.

Third is the NHL Draft. Up until the Olympic break, I was hardly going to look at the draft because the Devils didn't have a first-round pick. Then, because Lou Lamoriello wins at everything in the end, Gary Bettman gave the Devils back their first-round pick. Granted, it's 30th overall and it can't be traded, but justice for Kovalchuk has been served. In the vast majority of drafts, the middle to the end of the first round is usually a toss-up as to what you get (1993 and 2003 being anomalies). You never know if who you're going to pick is going to pan out because they aren't considered "elite" prospects. The Devils have had some good picks in that portion of the draft (Parise, Zajac, and Gomez before has was terrible), so I'm hoping they can pick someone that will help us within the next couple years.

Marty

My thoughts on Martin Brodeur are this: I either hope he retires or is willing to accept a more backup-esque role with the Devils. Marty playing for another team is just wrong. I know Rangers and Flyers fans that agree with me on that, and they're the ones that hate Marty the most! I hope that he can realize that there is no market out there for a 42-year old goalie with a sub-.900 save percentage. His days as a full-time starter that plays 70 games during the season are long done. There's no team that needs him on their no roster. He's not going to go to a bad team just to hang on, but all of the Cup contenders already have an established starter or have a top-level prospect waiting in the wings. The last thing Marty needs to do is become the Brett Favre of the NHL. Preserve your legacy, Marty.

Addition by Subtraction

The Devils need to do this in the worst way possible, especially on defense. We have a ton of young talent ready to play everyday (Larsson, Gelinas, Merrill), and we need to trim the fat from our lackluster defense corps. I really don't care how it happens, but Salvador and Harrold have to go. There's no question about that. They are our two worst players on the team, not just defensemen. I'm not a huge fan of Mark Fayne, but he would serviceable as a 7th defenseman, not an everyday starter. Let Larsson, Gelinas, and Merrill play everyday. The transition to a younger defense needs to happen at some point. Why not now when we have capable young players?

At the forward position, less subtraction needs to be done, but Steve Bernier needs to go. He is borderline useless on this team. We already have two guys on this team that do his job better than he does in Ryane Clowe and Dainius Zubrus and they can score goals too. He is completely expendable. Now from there, I don't see much actual movement being made in terms of players leaving, but Tuomo Ruutu is an intriguing player. He has one year left on his current contract, so he could be traded away at some point. I would think the Devils would look to get picks or prospects for him if they did look to move him. However, he did play pretty well for us after he was traded, so I would be willing to see how he fits with us for an entire season.

Addition by Addition

The Devils need top-line scoring in the worst way. That was our biggest problem this past season, and it was readily apparent as the season was winding down. The Devils need to go after two of Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson, and Ryan Callahan. We can't afford all three, but we need any combo of the two. It sounds like Moulson may want to stay in Minnesota, but with the Wild looking like they're going to make a massive push for Vanek, Moulson may not be able to stay in Minnesota, thus allowing him to hit the open market. The Devils need both of them, but will probably only be able to get one of them unless some salary is moved in a trade. Ruutu, Clowe, or Ryder would be the most likely candidates for a salary-dump trade. Now, many people I talk to wonder why I mention wanting Ryan Callahan. Well, he's that two-way forward with a scoring touch the Devils always covet. Also, Lou Lamoriello loves trolling the Rangers and what better way to do that than signing their former captain. Vanek/Moulson and Callahan would immediately help this team offensively and give DeBoer a ton of flexibility with line combinations next season. Now that we have owners that aren't filing for bankruptcy, I hope they open the checkbook and make a splash come July 1st.

Since today is the Kentucky Derby, my pick is a trifecta box of California Chrome, Danza, and Chitu (5-4-13)

NHL Trade Deadline: My Thoughts

Another NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and this one was one of the most exciting in recent memory. There were so many big pieces in play, so many rumors out there, and so many teams involved. Since it's nearly 24 hours since the deadline passed, it's naturally time to look at the winners and the loser of the deadline (even though it takes a couple years to truly determine winners and losers of trades).

Winner - St. Louis Blues

Not to state the obvious here, but the Blues getting Ryan Miller makes them a serious threat in a very top-heavy Western Conference. No disrespect to Jaroslav Halak, but Miller has better than decent numbers on a team that's absolutely atrocious. People all year were musing on the thought of Ryan Miller on a Cup-contender. Now, we get to see that. Let's see if the Blues could live up to their now newly-raised expectations.

Loser - New York Islanders

Other than Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek was probably the biggest prize of the deadline. All Garth Snow did was turn Vanek into a mid-level prospect and a conditional 2nd round pick. Wait...what? That's it? How did the Islanders blow that? Islanders fans will probably point to the fact that teams were waiting for prices to go down on players like Vanek, Moulson, and Gaborik, but that's no excuse to not get a proper return for one of the biggest pieces in this deadline! If I was Garth Snow, I wouldn't have even traded Vanek for that package. I'd have waited for the draft when teams would want to trade for his rights because he is an unrestricted free agent and expected to be one of the top ones this Summer. Oh, Islanders...

Winner - Montreal Canadiens

Talk about fleecing someone! Montreal knows they won't be able to re-sign Vanek before July 1st, but they gave up almost nothing for an excellent piece. In the crowded Eastern Conference, this will help push Montreal into very solid playoff positioning. Look for Montreal to make some noise in the Spring now with Vanek in their lineup.

Loser - Philadelphia Flyers

It wouldn't be a trade deadline without a couple of head-scratching deals from Paul Holmgren and company. A mid-level defensive prospect, a 2nd rounder AND a 3rd rounder for Andrew MacDonald? I don't know about that. That's seems like quite a haul for someone is no better that average. Granted, that could be just because he was on the Islanders. We'll see if being in Philly helps him any. The Flyers did recoup a 3rd rounder by trading Andej Meszaros to Boston, but it may as well be a 4th rounder because Boston is one of the favorites in the East and will probably go deep into the playoffs. Sometimes, I don't know if Paul Holmgren understands what his job actually is.

Winner - Hockey in Florida

The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning made out like bandits during the deadline. Roberto Luongo goes back to Florida for almost nothing at the end of the day (no disrespect to Jacob Markstrom and Shawn Matthias). Luongo finally gets his wish to be out of Vancouver, and Mike Gillis will probably be on the chopping block this offseason. He has traded Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider for a total of a 1st round pick, Jacob Markstrom, and Shawn Matthias. That's entering Mike Milbury territory. Further up North, Tampa sent their captain to the Rangers for their captain, a 1st rounder in 2015, and a conditional 2nd rounder in 2014. The condition is that if the Rangers make the conference finals, that pick turns into a 1st! I don't care what kind of sentimental value Martin St. Louis holds in Tampa, if Glen Sather is going to let you fleece him like that, you pull the trigger. Sure, Ryan Callahan probably won't re-sign in Tampa, but this pick has the potential to net Tampa TWO 1st round picks. Good work Stevie Y.

Loser - New York Rangers

I really do wish the Rangers would stop trading for non-Devils that I like and thus forcing me to hate them. However, if they absolutely have to do that to me, I'm glad they're going to mortgage their future and make themselves look foolish. Ryan Callahan AND a 1st round pick AND a conditional 2nd round pick that could potentially turn into a 1st rounder? I hope Lou Lamoriello never finds what Glen Sather is smoking. I wish the Rangers would take a lesson from their neighbors up in the South Bronx. Mortgaging your future and signing over-priced stars is not how you gain long-term success.

Winner - Social Media Jokes

Dan Ellis was traded from the Dallas Stars to the Florida Panthers for Tim Thomas. His return to Florida means the return of the glorious hashtag, #DanEllisProblems. NHL Twitter fans, rejoice!

Losers - Michal Neuvirth, Rostislav Klesla, Torrey Mitchell, Chris Stewart

They were all traded to Buffalo.

And finally...

Winners - New Jersey Devils fans and Lou Lamoriello's legacy

I would be remiss to not mention the excruciating saga that was the Martin Brodeur trade rumors. The scene at Prudential Center on Tuesday was like nothing I had seen at a regular season game in a few years. Anyone at that game that owned a Martin Brodeur jersey was wearing it. The "MARTY!" chants were as loud and as frequent as 1st round playoff game. The energy and emotion the Devils played with showed they really wanted that game for Marty because they, like the fans, had no idea what was going to happen by that time tomorrow. Roll into it the fact that that game was crucial in the playoff race, and you have the recipe for an awesome atmosphere. But the fact that Marty was not traded was the biggest relief for all Devils fans. The idea of Marty playing in another jersey makes Devils fans sick to their stomach. We're all grateful that Lou decided not to trade the greatest goalie of all-time. Forget the "business" part of things, not trading Martin Brodeur was the RIGHT thing to do. I don't care about what we could have gotten for him, nothing would be able to replace what the New Jersey Devils organization would lose in trading him. Lou Lamoriello also saved his legacy by not trading Marty. Had he pulled the trigger on a deal, Lou would forever be remember as "The GM that traded the greatest goalie of all-time." Even though Lou has all of these awards and accolades, that would have shot to the top of his resume and stained it. Marty is were he belongs and everyone associated with the Devils can breathe again.

Awful Contracts Are Awful

I know the 2014 World Cup draw just happened and I will get to that soon enough. For now, I'm going to be a xenophobic American and talk about things happening in our country.

10 years, $240 million

(Photo credit: Google Images)

So much for my sentiments that no one would give Robinson Cano a ridiculous contract and he would end up with the Yankees on a more "reasonable" deal. The Seattle Mariners have proven to the baseball world that they haven't learned at all from the terrible contracts that have come before this one. Even though it's not the biggest contract in history, it may be the worst. Think about it. Cano will be 41 at the end of the deal. By the end of the fifth year, Cano probably won't even be half the player he his now and this contract will look like more of a joke than it is already. Also, Jay-Z is Cano's agent. How the hell is he going to market Cano in Seattle? Take a look at this observation: Yankee attendance when Cano was the lone star for most of the season because everyone else was injured was abysmal. If he can't put fans in the seats in New York, what makes you think that he can do it in Seattle? He's not that electric, charismatic figure that draws people to games. This entire contract has "mistake" written all over it. But, not for the Yankees. For once, WE DIDN'T shell out the worst contract of the offseason. Now, we can invest that money in pitching which we so desperately need now. However, I have to do something that I hardly ever do.

It pains me to say this, but now I have to concede to my friend in our five-year long argument on which second baseman was better; Chase Utley or Robinson Cano. It was never-ending, and we would talk in circles because it was really six of one, half-dozen of another. Until now... I have to give Utley the upper hand once and for all. This contract proves it because it shows that Chase Utley played for the love of the game and Cano plays for the money. I would rather have someone on my team that plays because they want to win, not just cash checks. In 2007, Chase Utley got 7 years for $85 million when he was in his prime. Cano and Utley are the two best second baseman of this generation. What does Cano bring to the table that makes him worth $155 million more than Utley in his prime? If you find out, let me know because I got nothing.

7 years, $59.5 million

(Photo credit: Jeff Orlando)

I would be remiss not to bash the New York Rangers and their horrible spending habits. Apparently, a goalie that has no cups, only one Vezina Trophy, and is being outplayed on some nights by his backup is worth nearly $60 million dollars. Henrik Lundqvist is about as overrated a goalie as you can find. Everyone has all of these great things to say about him, yet he has nothing to backup all of the praise. To put things in perspective, Martin Brodeur, the greatest goalie of all-time, TOOK A PAY CUT IN HIS PRIME in order to allow Lou Lamoriello and the Devils to go out and build a winning team around him. I don't even think Brodeur EVER made even $7 million per year at any stretch in his career, let alone $8.5 million. I understand that the cap is going to be going up a lot after the huge TV with SportsNet in Canada, but investing that much money in a goalie is always a huge risk. Just ask Mike Milbury. For those that may not get that reference, Milbury was the GM that give Rick DiPietro the 13-year deal that almost crippled the franchise (among other boneheaded moves he made). I can't be mad at Lundqvist for signing that deal. Hell, I would too if I was him. You have to wonder if the Rangers' front office doesn't remember their string of horrible deals, or if they're just total fools.

Jacoby Ellsbury To The Bronx

7 Years, $153 million

That's the contract that Jacoby Ellsbury gets to trade in his beard and the red "B" for a clean-shaven look, pinstripes and the interlocking "NY." When I first heard that the Yanks got Ellsbury, I was ecstatic! I had always hated Ellsbury when he was with Boston, but that was mainly because he always killed us in the field, on the base paths, and at the plate. That's what Ellsbury will bring to this club. He's always in the neighborhood of a .300 batting average, so he gives us a great bat. Ellsbury has always been lauded for his elite speed. He went 52 for 56 last season. Let that marinate. That's an incredible amount of steals, but the efficiency is even more impressive. With both Gardner and Ellsbury, the Yankees now have a one-two punch on the base paths. He's also one of the best defensive center-fielders in the game with a Gold Glove to his credit in 2011. So, on the surface, this move is awesome for the Yankees. Then, you see the contract numbers...

(Photo credit: Google Images)

Seven years? Really, Hal? Guess the $189 luxury tax threshold has just been shot to hell, and thank God if that's the case. Last year was one of the worst years I've ever seen from the Yankees since I had starting following baseball (yes, I know the late-80 and early-90s were worse, but I'm only 24). There was no excitement around this team all last year. It's almost like the fans knew the team was going nowhere, and it sure showed in attendance numbers. I can't tell you how many Yankee games I watched and wondered if I was watching a Yankees game or a Rays game. There was no one there! You'd have to think that improves this year. Anyway, back to the contract. This is another one of those "if he stays healthy" type of deals. I have a very current one to compare this to; Ryane Clowe's deal with the New Jersey Devils. He got 5 years/$24.25 million and the first thing I said when I heard about that deal, "It's great if he's healthy." Has he been healthy? No! They never are when you sign them! Clowe has barely played this season. I'm always incredibly wary when one of my teams signs an injury-prone player. The only solace I can take out of his injuries is that one could have been avoided and one was an accident. In 2010, he suffered broken ribs after running into a teammate in the field. In 2012, he had a right shoulder injury from a having a fielder land on him while sliding into second. So, it isn't a string of muscle tears and non-contact injuries. I guess that's a positive. IF ELLSBURY STAYS HEALTHY, we should get four to five years of elite CF play, which is all I'd have signed him for.

Outfield Shift

Brett Gardner was our center fielder for most the year last season because Granderson was hurt. Conventional wisdom says that Gardner shifts over to the cavernous left field of Yankee Stadium and Ellsbury will patrol center. The only question is right field. Alfonso Soriano could shift to right, but he's never played there as a pro and he doesn't have a right-fielder's arm. If they decide to shift Soriano over there, runners are going first-to-third on him regularly. What I hope they do is go out and get another outfielder with a better arm than Soriano and make Soriano a full-time DH. I would love for the Yankees to go after Shin-Soo Choo, but I don't know if they would be willing to pay what he would be looking for. This probably means one or both of Ichiro and Vernon Wells are probably not going to be re-signed. Even if the Yankees decide moving Soriano to left is going to be their plan, the outfield is going to be above average defensively. I'm very excited about that, because that could save us some wins during the year. But as with every signing the Yankees make, the question that is asked is...

What does this mean for Robbie Cano?

(Photo credit: Google Images)

Now, the fact that the Yankees gave Ellsbury seven years means that they can't give Cano less than that. You can't justify signing someone from another team for a longer term than a star player on your own team. So, that basically means that Cano (if he re-signs with the Yankees) is going to get no less than a seven year deal, which would make Cano 38 years old at the end of said contract. Yikes... Those last two or three years will be rough then if that does happen. I still think he ends up with the Yankees, though. It's mainly because no team is going to give him the money he wants and the Yankees seem to be kicking the $189 million limit to the curb. I could see a scenario where the Yankees match an offer a team makes as long as it's not completely absurd. I'm just glad the Yankees aren't currently negotiating against themselves in this case, but who knows really? They could be and we just just don't know it because nothing is publicized. Even with the money the Yankees have invested in Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury, I still think that Robbie Cano will end up signing a deal that will essentially make him a career-Yankee. It looks like the rumors of a $300 million spending spree this offseason were true.

Fantasy Baseball Trade

These guys are trading unis. (Photo credit: Yahoo! Sports)

In a move that feels more like a trade that's made between two buddies in mid-July when they're gearing up for a fantasy baseball playoff run, the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to swap star players. 2B Ian Kinsler heads North to the Motor City while Price Fielder now gets to crush balls in the hitter-friendly Ballpark at Arlington. I think all baseball fans were shocked at the deal when it was announced. Any time teams trade star players, it always generates a ton of buzz. Now that the dust has settled, however, you can see that this trade actually makes sense for both sides.

For Detroit, this gives them a ton of monetary flexibility. Fielder was to be owed $168 million over the next seven years. The Tigers are sending over $30 million to help offset the cost of the trade. Texas will then pick up the rest of the tab, a cool $138 million. Kinsler's contract is more manageable in comparison at $62 million over the next four years. So, the Tigers save $76 million over the next four years. That should turn out to be huge for them going forward because Cy Young award-winner, Max Scherzer, is a year away from free agency and I'm sure Detroit would love to keep him there past this coming season. Miguel Cabrera is also nearing the end of his contract (2015), and this move allows the Tigers to keep both of their stars that are nearing the end of their respective deals.

For Texas, this gives them power-hitting lefty they needed in the their line-up. They have a formidable lineup now with Fielder and Adrian Beltre patrolling the middle. Sluggers love playing in Texas, and Prince probably won't feel any different with his new home being more conducive to the long ball compared to the cavernous Comerica Park in Detroit. By moving Kinsler, the Rangers have finally relieved the logjam in their middle infield by freeing up second base for their hot-shot prospect, Jurickson Profar. Profar was always mentioned every time the Rangers were mentioned in trade rumors because Kinsler was a mainstay at second for the Rangers. Now that he's not in Texas any more, Profar should slide into the starting role. The reason I say "should" and not "will" has to do with the most talked about free-agent on the market this offseason.

This guy. (Photo credit: New York Times)

You can't talk about the MLB offseason this year without mentioning Robinson Cano. So naturally, as soon as this deal goes down, the next thing out of the analysts' mouths is, "How does this affect both teams in the Robbie Cano sweepstakes?" In my opinion, it takes both teams out of it. For the Tigers, they have their second baseman now in Kinsler. He's one of the best in the business. The Rangers are now out of it because they can finally let Profar fill that void Kinsler left at second and become a full-time major league player. There's just one catch there, though. Let's say the Rangers still want Cano. What do they do with Profar? I think then what you see is the Yankees do a sign-and-trade with Cano to get Profar from the Rangers in an equal, if not bigger, blockbuster deal. I know the Yankees have kicked the tires on just about every free agent out there this offseason, and no disrespect meant to Brandon Phillips, but the Yankees need to start building for the future. If Cano does leave, I hope the Yankees go with the sign-and-trade route to land Profar so he could play second in the Bronx for many years to come. At the end of the day, however, I think the Rangers hold on to Profar and they don't pursue Cano.

The Devils Are Frustrating

Over their last two games, the New Jersey Devils have scored a whopping zero goals. Yes, the Devils have been shutout two games in a row. Remember when the Devils used to be on the opposite side of that? I remember that fondly, and it feels like a long time ago. Rational Devils fans have always known this kind of season was going to come at some point. Marty is in the twilight of his career, our traditional offensive powers are old, and it's time to transition to more young players up and down the roster.

As bitter as we are, we do miss Parise. (Photo credit: Google Images)

That all being said, I still didn't think that our record would be this bad at this point of the season. It's become painfully obvious from an offensive standpoint that we definitely miss both Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. On the defensive side of things, Pete DeBoer needs to keep letting the young guys play. It's unfortunate that Jon Merrill got injured in his first game in New Jersey because we have such high hopes for him. However, there is no reason not to continue playing Adam Larsson and Eric Gelinas. They have played well despite the team's record, and they'll only get better the more that they play. Luckily, goaltending isn't really and issue. Cory Schneider just got healthy again and Marty has played pretty well in his absense, all things considered. You can't really expect the goalie to bail you out EVERY night when your team is not scoring. But right now, it's the offense of the New Jersey Devils that needs help.

Devils fans are bitter about Zach Parise leaving, especially the irrationally passionate one like myself. However, if Zach Parise somehow came back to New Jersey, we would all welcome him back with open arms and root for him like it was 2012 all over again. With Ilya Kovalchuk, I don't know if any Devils fan will ever welcome him back after how badly he screwed us over for this year. That being said, there is no doubt that we as fans miss his offensive prowess; this team could definitely use some of it right now. I bring up these two guys because it speaks to a much larger issue for the Devils that's starting to become more and more pronounced as the years have gone by, and it has nothing directly to do with the players on the ice.

If you know my love for the Devils, then you know that Lou Lamoriello is my idol. If I ever become a general manager (which is looking less and less likely by the day, but that's a whole different story), he is who I want to model myself after. However, for all of Lou's strengths, his weaknesses are KILLING the Devils right now. His biggest weakness is apparent total lack of a willingness to negotiate with star players during the final year of their contract. At this point, saying that we've lost star talent doesn't suffice. We have been HEMORRHAGING talent in the last decade.

Careful, Lou. Your weaknesses are showing. (Photo credit: NY Daily News)

Some of the guys we've let go haven't looked like bad decisions (Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, David Clarkson). However, we lost Zach Parise solely because Lou didn't feel it was necessary to negotiate during the season. Oh? Because I'm pretty all Zach wanted was Lou to talk with him during the season to get the deal done. How many times does he have to say to the media that he wants to stay in New Jersey for you to get the hint, Lou?! He'd still be a Devil if Lou had come to him after Thanksgiving and told him he wanted to get an extension done, but can't possibly be bothered with in-season negotiations. I can't blame him for the Kovalchuk fiasco, there was really nothing he could there without making that situation worse than it already was. I remember thinking that losing Paul Martin wasn't going to be so bad, but I kind of wish we had him now.

Lou also can't seem to ever manage the salary cap. I don't understand some of the contracts he gives out. They always seem like they're either too expensive, too long, or both. He also mismanages the prospects. Yes, I'm talking about Adam Larsson again. I'm sure you're all tired of hearing me talk about him, but the kid needs to play if he has any hope of turning into the defenseman we all know he could be. And it's not only the mismanaging of prospects, it's also drafting the wrong kind of prospects. I wish Lou and co. would stop drafting guys who project to be third line checking forwards! You don't have to draft those guys! They're available every year in free agency, usually on one-year deals! Start drafting guys with offensive talent. We need to fill the farm with guys that can light the lamp on a semi-regular basis. Outside of Reid Boucher, who else in the minors has any sort of offensive touch? If you're struggling to find an answer, that's totally normal. People have been saying that Pete DeBoer needs to be fired. It's not his fault. We've seen what he can do with a legitimate hockey roster. We just need to get the proper players in place, and that responsibility falls on Lou.

Rutgers' Issues Are Two-fold

So, two weeks ago when Louisville lost to UCF, that put Rutgers right back into the race to win the AAC. But as we all know, when Rutgers can control its own destiny is when they are at their worst. Remember what happened last year? We had the Big East in our grasp and we lost two crucial games to Pitt and Louisville, thus ending our chances to win the Big East and go to our first ever BCS bowl. It happened once again with the humiliating loss to Houston last week. We're now behind the 8-ball once again thanks to Gary Nova. How many times is he going screw us? Almost every time he has an opportunity to be great, put his demons behind him, and take the next step in becoming a great quarterback, he falls flat on his face and drags the entire team down with him. Quite frankly, its not fair to his teammates. We have guys all over this team who have NFL potential. It's not like Nova doesn't have any weapons to help him succeed. Our offensive line gives him the protection he needs, we have a very skilled group of receivers, our running game is one of the best in the league, and our defense (last week notwithstanding) keeps us in games when the offense is struggling. It's gotten to the point where he has become THE reason we're losing football games.

However, reports have surfaced that head coach Kyle Flood is going to start giving Chas Dodd first team reps in practice. Because we all know how well that works for a head-case quarterback (see also: the circus known as the New York Jets before this year). For me, now another issue begins to creep into the back of my mind. Can Rutgers win anything substantial with Kyle Flood at the helm? I used to think this was solely a Gary Nova issue. Now, I'm not so sure. I understand that the players on the team love Flood, and that's great. The problem is that he's not getting the job done as a play-caller when it matters the most. Runs and three-yard passing plays when we have seven or more yards on third down, not targeting Brandon Coleman enough, and playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win. That last one burns me so much! I think the last time Rutgers stepped on a team's throat was against Louisville in 2008 when we won 63-14. We'll get a lead, then Flood decides to go conservative with the offense. I've seen him do this in the second quarter sometimes! It's getting to the point where I no longer think we'll be able to succeed in the Big Ten with Kyle Flood as our head coach. He's a great guy, but I don't know if he is the coach we need to take that next step. I think it's time for Rutgers to go out and get a big-name coach for this team so we can finally take next step as a program.