I think CBJ matches that just to save face

No point, you still dont make the playoffs.

This is not a very good team.

The Winnipeg teams Laine were on had much more talent and couldn't win.
Ristolainen might be the worst defenseman in the league. He is awful. I would take Subban 100X out of 100. All he does it try to level people and he missed 80% of the time and puts hiself out of position.
You are trading a serviceable overpaid 2nd pairing Dman for a terrible overpaid 3rd pairing DMan and you are giving up a 1st and 3rd. Yuck.


Dougie hamilton needs a market that doesn't really care about hockey.

Why not sign Hoffman - who will do the same thing as Laine at half price. Score some goals and play zero defense.

Hirschier is a stud, why pair him with someone who doesn't play the game right. He production would plummet or stagnate due to having to cover for a rookie and a pigeon.

Don't hire him Fitz

You're so correct on so many things and then you have to do Dougie like that. Man, that could've been a really good comment if you didn't follow that dumb, baseless narrative. He was incredible in Boston AND Calgary - neither of those teams should've moved him

Tom Fitzgerald please don't hire him

that offer sheet is a joke. Devils shouldn't be giving up their 2022/2023 first for anybody let alone one-dimensional Laine who just had an awful year

LINES CHANGE EVERY GAME, WHO IS NICO PLAYING WITH NOW ? KEEP HIM WITH ZACHA BRATT ....
RISTO AND PK ARE BOTH GERRING MOVED AT DEADLINE ANYWAY UNLESS RISTO FIGURES IT OUT HERE.
KEEP MIKE HOFFMAN'S CRAZY WIFE AWAY FROM JERSEY

First off you could probably get Risto for the Isles 2nd and a +
I disagree he is that bad, he's been put in a position since he was drafted to be overplayed in the lineup. He's a R2. Not being a munchkin on D woudl be a nice change. I like that he's nasty, we dont have enough of that. Its a better option than a Tennyson, Carrick etc
With PK either being exposed or moved at the deadline, the hole on RD is worse. Risto is a UFA after next year, if he fails or wants to go elsewhere move him too at the deadline.You have no one on the team or in the pipeline at RD.
Still need a sniper though, the Cs need wings now while your grooming the Holtz Mercers and young guys who played this year. Its not a short cut, so dont want to hear it., have to grow the team, its got a great base to start with!
Laine move just not feasible, your better off packaging prospects and picks
Halak is not a bad idea, though he has looked bad while playing us. Holtby is $1M and 1 addl yr. They want to move on since they seem to be ok in G

"Hamilton needs a market no one cares about" I woudl argue that NJ location wise is in the middle of the universe, in the hockey world he can wander without being mauled, much like Carolina. Its actually a great fit. If the museum thing is true, live in nyc and take the PATH to Newark or stay in Hoboken to go to Manhattan

I guess the point is you'd be moving Risto for a 3rd if he doesn't figure it out (which he won't - he's played 500+ NHL games. so moving him for a 1st seems like a bad idea. Subban is a better player. I get the contract, but if you're talking next year's deadline - I think the Devils would be better off eating Salary and moving subban for an asset.

As for the forward group. Laine would be the 2nd best forward. That is not a good recipe for winning. He was the 5th best forward on Winnipeg and they couldn't win.

NY/NJ is a tough market to play in for any sport. Fans are passionate and pay attention. It's not so much about him being recognized outside the arena. It's about what the media and press is saying. Dougie has a bad game in Carolina and they are like "whatever, we have quirky celebration, yay!" Feels like the difference between playing College football at BC or Alabama. Stage is much bigger in Alabama.

I don't know, maybe, I am wrong, but I see him playing in a less passionate hockey market. Doesn't make him a lesser player.

Jersey is about the same (unfortunately). Its hardly the fishbowl of Tor/Mtl/Minny & Win (lesser)

If your not the
Tier 1 Yankees, Jets/Giants, NYRs
Tier 2 Mets, Knicks, Nets, Isles
Tier 3 Devs
I think a lot of it is geography in this area compounded by the cache of the team/name and how they have been in recent history

Laine - wouldn't touch him anywhere near that price
Risto - last guy we need...wouldn't give a 7th for him

This is the opposite direction we should be going.

I still think Tier three in NJ is about three tiers ahead of Carolina, Nashville, or some of the more non-traditional markets. It's changing, but Brodeur, Stevens, Verbeek, McLean, Muller, Elias created foundational pieces. I mean Eric Staal and Justin williams are good players, but not the same.

He just seems like a guy who would rather be in that situation than driving to dinner and hear someone rambling on about if Dougie is "soft"

Reilly Walsh, Quenneville and Case Mccarthy, thats it throughout the whole program! a RHD with size who plays big min for 1 yr is, at a min what we need. Stop with these Carrick-type plug stuff
They are going to run this good goalie into the ground with this crappy hodge podge soft d