let’s see where to start:

1. Night in and night out Parise was our best and most dangerous forward (I love how six months ago I get killed for "reading off a stat sheet"… and now I get killed for not?

2. Andy Greene… I agree on… the kid has skills and ability… he will be better, but for whatever reason it wasn’t there this year, to me it seems more about confidence with him and keeping it!

3. Zajac… he’s the forward version of Greene and like I said… there’s nothing better or even with a better upside then Travis… and you can’t piss him away BECAUSE of that … he’ll improve…

4. Lou… yes it’s his fault the drafts didn’t pan out and his getting too cute with the Foster’s and Ahonen’s of the world bit us in the ass… but the Drury/Briere/Gomez players were NEVER coming here this year anyway… there was no real #1 defender on the market this year (when Sheldon Souray is the top guy, then you don’t shop!!)… same thing on the deadline front, we have NOTHING to offer…and we NEED our draft picks to GET MORE PROSPECTS!!!

5. Weekes being a waste of money is Brodeur’s fault… period!

6. I do agree Vrana could not have hurt to get some ice time in the playoffs…. he’d be better that that skating pile of AIDS (please Patty I need a pile of AIDS photo please!) called Asham! But this is how we work, when in doubt play the veteran unless he’s dead *eyeroll*

I’d love to see if we can dump Vi-Vi to some foolish team in the off-season.. but we’ll see…..

As for Zajac, I think you’re being way too optimistic here as well. The guy was a bum on the ice all year, that’s just the facts. I know he’s young, but come on. He missed key chances, he gave away the puck countless times, and whenever he has it he just looks weak. I’m not saying trade him – not yet – but he’d better toughen up over the off-season and gain some more meat. We need a center who can muscle the puck into the end, and all year the only one who did that is Madden. I’m anti-Elias as center, he has the hands of a winger. We need someone who can center our top line.

I really disagree with basically everyone about Andy Greene. Everyone says “Oh Lordy what an awful year he sucked.” Well yeah, that’s because he never played. Remember when we gave this guy serious ice time? Maybe it was just me, but I thought he looked like the next Paul Martin out there in the playoffs against the Lightning for example. This guy can seriously play if given the ice time. I think it’s really a crime that he didn’t get more, to make up for perhaps a bit of a slow start (didn’t the whole team of a slow start though?)

Weekes. I like him, I thought he looked decent when he played and I like the spirit he seems to have on the bench. But is the $2 million (or whatever it was we paid him) worth it for 5 games? I was at first skeptical of getting him, but then I decided that if we were going to actually, you know, play him and keep Marty fresh, then the idea of picking up a decent back-up was not a bad one. However, if we’re just going to let Marty play 81 and half games a year, why not just let some prospect play (Jordan Parise perhaps?) I don’t see the use in paying the cash for a back-up which won’t play in any significant number of games.

Finally, I agree that Sutter’s the man and will likely be a rock solid coach for us. I think however that you’re a bit too kind of Lou. I know you said that there wasn’t any real deals out there, but there was. Maybe there wasn’t any major deals out there that we were contenders in, but there was plenty of guys out there that we could have made a move to get but didn’t. I don’t know anybody in specific, but I just wish that he could have stepped up and gotten us something, anything to work with (Salvador seems to have been a decent free grab, but we need more from Lou).

Of course scoring opportunities for Red’n'Black usually go wide or hit the goalie in the chest. Somebody needs to show these guys that there is no hole in a chest protector that they can fit the puck through. I don’t think wholesale changes in the offense are needed… just the opposite, a little stability in the lines would go a long way. A scoring winger would be a Godsend, maybe Rolston or even Satan, but I think Zajak will get back on track, and Zubrus will be much better in his second year, (see Almo) and if these two can do a good job centering our top two lines, the scoring should come.

Asham is a definite goner, biggest disappointment of the year. And if Sarge has to go to make room for a younger talented player, then so be it, BUT… Pelley or Tallackson couldn’t replace Brylin on their best day and his worst, if they are the alternatives, then Sarge needs to get another year. He had an off season, no doubt, but I don’t think he’s quite finished yet.

Oh, and if Weeksie doesn’t get 10-12 starts, so Marty can stay fresh, there needs to be an investigation. Maybe a little more practice and a game or two a month off would be a better formula than no practice and play every game. Marty didn’t intimidate anybody this year like in the past.

Brian – Man, if we wound up with Stamkos, I think you might have to put Gary Bettman on suicide watch. Haha.

Steve – As far as Vrana goes, bringing him up last year would have probably been a moot point, I think. He wasn’t going to be a savior, and haven’t we all been saying that guys like Andy Greene probably needed another year or two in Lowell? Why rush Vrana? He’ll get his shot to impress in camp this year.

I personally am not that upset that they didn’t bring him or anyone up – it’s not like we had anyone lighting up the league down there that was clearly a big fish in a small pond.

1) All season long this team needed offense and what did Lou do at the break? He went out and obtained a walk year defensemen. This did nothing to address the lack of offense upfront and it weakened the team overall since we had to carry 9 defensemen.

The question I have to ask over and over was – If Lou couldn’t improve the offense via a trade, why wasn’t Peter Vrana recalled? Vrana should have been given a 5-6 game 15 minute a night audition for one of the top 2 center spots. We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If the Devils had to dump an Asham, Rupp or Rachunek in order to open up a roster spot you do it.

I still shake my head over this season.

Totally agree with you on Parise and Martin…along with Madden they were our best players all year.

Parise can get even better I think and become as good as Forsberg, Thornton, etc.

Martin didn’t turn out to be the offensive replacement for Neidermayer but I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. He’s a smart player and can see him as the captain one day.

As for Madden, he definitely deserves the Selke with another strong season. If Sutter continues the offensive forecheck I think he’ll have consecutive 20-goal seasons and will stay up there.

I do feel bad for Pandolfo, he was having such a great season and then he got injured. Those two were known for their D, it was nice to see them scoring at such a pace. I hope he can regain his touch for next yr.

Speaking about ufa’s, i’d love to get Hossa but I don’t see it happening with his personality. The Thrashers had him with one of the best forwards in Kovalchuk and rumors were he still wanted to go to a more offensive team. Devils can wine and dine him and even after last yr’s change in offensive style I don’t think he’ll come.

There are other guys to acquire and this is one of the deepest drafts in years…maybe we can even trade up. If only to get Stamkos!