Devil's Advocate
Some insight on Stefan Matteau of the New Jersey Devils
by David Pavlak on 08/15/12 at 02:05 AM ET
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Below is some different information that was out then when the Devils were looking at Stefan Matteau prior to the draft. Matteau signed on Tuesday to an entry level contract and will be playing for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL next season.
Kirk Leudeke of the New England Hockey Journal describes Matteau as “a rugged power forward who has a big shot and plays a hard-nosed style, his skating needs work and he racked up a lot of penalty minutes over the course of the last couple of seasons (140 in just 46 USHL contests). Like his father, Matteau doesn’t possess a lot of flash, but he plays a gritty north-south game and can crash the net effectively. In 18 USHL games, he tallied six goals and 10 points. He protects the puck well and isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty.”
Shane Malloy from the Art of Scouting says, “He is a shoot first player and would be better suited on the wing where he has less defensive responsibilities and more opportunity to use his power game. He skates well for size and he should not have any troubles keeping up to an NHL pace once he finishes developing. He is solid defensively while showing hustle and determination chasing down and battling for loose pucks. He is the type of second line complimentary player that every organization is looking for and is a playoff style player.”
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New Jersey Devils still facing money woes
by David Pavlak on 08/14/12 at 01:37 AM ET
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From Tom Gulitti’s Fire and Ice blog:
“Although an Aug. 14 deadline for the Devils to settle their $77 million debt is looming, it is expected that the team’s lenders will remain patient while waiting for managing partner Jeff Vanderbeek to complete the refinancing of that debt and the restructuring of the ownership group.
Indications are that Vanderbeek will not settle the debt before Tuesday’s deadline. That would allow the banks to force the team into bankruptcy, but a source confirmed the lenders are not likely to do so.
A source said Vanderbeek has already worked the debt down to less than $35 million and raised roughly half of that remaining figure, leaving him needing about $18 million more to fully cover what the team owes the banks. If the lenders were to push the team into bankruptcy, they would likely recover much less than that. That gives them every reason to give Vanderbeek the time he needs to raise the rest of the money the team owes.”
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Tags: jeff+vanderbeek
Jon Merrill to return to Michigan
by David Pavlak on 08/02/12 at 03:44 PM ET
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The New Jersey Devils highly touted defensive prospect, Jon Merrill, has announced recently that he is going to return to Michigan to play his junior year of hockey.
“I’ve talked to him all winter and spring,” Red Berenson said to Mike Vorkunov of the Star Ledger. “I think based on this year he knows that he needs another year. Another year in college would be really good for him. He needs a breakout year.”
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Tags: jon+merrill
Shoud the Devils target Shane Doan?
by David Pavlak on 07/27/12 at 10:16 PM ET
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With Rick Nash signing with the New York Rangers and Alex Semin signing in Carolina, two of the top offensive free agents are officially off the market. With the Devils losing Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild, do the Devils need to bite at the chance to sign Shane Doan if he decides to leave the Coyotes?
Filed in: New Jersey Devils, | Devils Advocate | Permalink
Tags: shane+doan
On Cam Janssen’s Radio Interview
by David Pavlak on 07/14/12 at 12:00 AM ET
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I’ve been listening to Cam Janssen’s radio interview and reading responses and reactions for most of the day, and since I have a minute to sit down outside of a work, I want to throw my two-cents into the ring.
It’s pretty easy to sum up what Janssen said: idiotic. I don’t personally known Janssen and how he acts on and off the ice, but he certainly did himself no justice after this interview went viral.
Filed in: New Jersey Devils, | Devils Advocate | Permalink
Tags: cam+janssen
Who gets to wear the C in New Jersey
by David Pavlak on 07/05/12 at 11:19 PM ET
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The dust is settled, Zach Parise, captain of the New Jersey Devils, has officially gone home to play hockey with the Minnesota Wild. You can’t blame the guy for wanting to go home and play in front of his family. It’s a decision that a lot of hockey players wish they had the opportunity to make, but it never arises. There is no reason for Parise to become a villain in New Jersey. But with his departure, the Devils are left without a captain. Who will be the player to step in as captain and try to continue to push the success that the team experienced last year?
Filed in: New Jersey Devils, | Devils Advocate | Permalink
Tags: adam+henrique,
adam+larsson,
ilya+kovalchuk,
patrik+elias,
travis+zajac,
zach+parise
Welcome to Plan B
by pcoffey on 07/05/12 at 01:12 PM ET
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On the day after Zach Parise went home to Minnesota with enough cash to choke a horse, the New Jersey Devils are left to wonder how the team will perform minus its captain.
Yes, the loss of Parise is disappointing, but it is far from a death sentence. Imagine how much worse it would all seem if Parise had opted to go across the Hudson to the Rangers on down the Turnpike to the Flyers or across I-80 to the Penguins in Pittsburgh. That would have made it all the worse for Devils fans.
GM Lou Lamoriello spoke of a Plan B during a media conference call Wednesday to discuss Parise’s departure. Lamoriello was typical Lamoriello, admitting disappointment, but not deviating from his usual understated approach. He has been through this before and knows that despite the initial letdown, there are always remedies to any problem.
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Devils Move On To Stanley Cup Finals
by David Pavlak on 05/26/12 at 01:53 AM ET
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What a game.
With a 3-2 series lead, the Devils literally tried to throw everything they had at the Rangers to finish this series off in front of their home fans. After dropping a 2-0 lead that they gained in the first period, the Devils were able to pull through with a 3-2 win in overtime. The Devils will now move on to face the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, as they search to bring the Stanley Cup back to New Jersey.
Filed in: New Jersey Devils, | Devils Advocate | Permalink
Tags: ilya+kovalchuk,
martin+brodeur,
ryan+carter,
stephen+gionta,
steve+bernier
Where Has Elias Been?
by David Pavlak on 05/19/12 at 11:22 PM ET
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There are only two things that have been lacking in this series between the Devils and the Rangers: consistent scoring by the Devils, and the play of Patrik Elias.
Through 15 games in the playoffs, Elias has managed to score three times and add two assists. The past five games he has no points and no assists and is a -3.
Filed in: New Jersey Devils, | Devils Advocate | Permalink
Tags: patrik+elias
Devils and Rangers Battle For A Trip To The Stanley Cup
by David Pavlak on 05/14/12 at 06:06 PM ET
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Beginning tonight the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers will begin a seven game series to determine who will be representing the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams have had to overcome a great deal of adversity to get to this point, and with the Stanley Cup being so close, it is nothing less then heartbreak to have to go home at the conclusion of the series.
Filed in: New Jersey Devils, | Devils Advocate | Permalink
Tags: adam+henrique,
pete+deboer,
zach+parise
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About Devil's Advocate
I am an all around NHL fan. I love to watch Atlantic Division, and root for the Philadelphia Flyers. Just because I cheer for the Flyers, doesn’t mean I don’t keep up with the other teams in the division, specifically the New Jersey Devils. Devils Advocate will provide you with the most important Devils news, filled with my opinion about the selected topic.
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Email: pavlakd@rider.edu
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