Quoting: NJDevils1317
I think it would be easier to deal AJ than it is to deal Tatar is the main reasoning there. I just can't get behind AJ...he started hot and went ice cold the rest of the year when not with Mercer and Bratt. I don't love Tatar either, but just for that reason I think he stays. I could see flipping him with Boqvist.
As for Zacha, I'm not going to try and say he's worth much more than two thirds....if you want to keep him over Boqvist, fine, but I'll take what I can from him and push more younger guys that need to fight to keep NHL jobs. I hate the excuse of keeping someone in the lineup because they earn more. Give me fights with Foote coming up or Wood moving up and Greer taking that 4th line spot. I'm tired of the culture of guys being complacent.
Kuokkanen showed nothing last year, Greer was outstanding in the AHL and earned a shot.
Sure, AJ would be easier to deal than Tatar due to cap and money owed but at this point in time he's likely the better player as well.
Kuokkanen is a sophomore that had a hard time with injuries.
At 24 he still has a lot more room to develop, giving up on Kuokk now would be nothing if not premature.
Who's making the point that players should keep their spots due to big wages?
I certainly wasn't. Seems like a terrible idea to me.
The reason I'd have Kuokkanen, Zacha and Johnsson on the roster over Greer, Foote and Blackwell is that the former are a better group of players than the latter.
Devils have a higher chance in winning / making the playoffs with them.
The 3rds, the 5th and the 6th does in no way make up for that drop in quality.
Nor does it make up for how weak this forward group would be if two injuries were sustained simultaneously.
fwiw I'm a big believer in Foote but I do not think he'd be ready for a full time job in the NHL in October.
And like you said, Greer was great in Utica, would love to have him back in the minors and to be 2nd or 3rd forward to call up from there.
Putting him as the 13-14th forward is just needlessly risky.