New Jersey Devils: Key to 2014-15, Veteran Leadership

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/can-devils-win-with-a-lineup-of-senior-citizens/


TheHockeyNews- There is no truth to the rumor that the New Jersey Devils had extra defibrillators on hand when their players showed up for fitness testing on the first day of training camp today. But you can understand how these things get started.
When the Devils opened camp, they did so with a decidedly older bent to their roster of hopefuls. Among those who are in Devils camp this fall on tryouts are defensemen Tomas Kaberle and Mike Komisarek, centerScott Gomez, right winger Jordin Tootoo and left winger Ruslan Fedotenko. Combined number of NHL games last season: 89. Combined age: 171 years and 93 days.


Just to address this real quick…The writer of this article is a fucking dweeb. Either be funny or don't be funny. Don't spout out some haphazard joke about defibrillators you disingenuous fuck. Better pray I don't email this to Lou. You'll be sleeping at the bottom of the Hudson with bricks tied around your ankles. Seriously though, doubt Lou has email anyway. Strictly deals in the written or spoken word. That's how true gangsters do it. Can't have all that private information floating up there in the cloud. Fuck 'The Fappening'. If any of Lou's info gets out its gonna be 'The Whackening'. Anyway...

See that GIF. 42 years young, right in your mouthpiece. Whatever, so the Devils average age is 51 and change. That doesn't change anything. We have entered the Schneider era, and by all counts are looking at a 72 win season. Gotta account for the 10 shootout losses. Jagr easily has 80 goals in him. 67 points his first year in the system? Expect him to easily double that. I'm taking him first round of my fantasy draft and Schneider 2nd round. Impossible to lose with those two.

I have seen a lot of armchair GM's making comments on the Devils bringing in some wily veterans for camp. My response? Who cares. Chances of any of them making the team are slim, and on the off chance they do, it means they outperformed the players in front of them. If anything, it's ironic. Remember that 7 year monster deal the Rangers gave Scott Gomez? Well, if he didn't get bought out about 5 years ahead of time it would be expiring this upcoming summer. Gonna be kind of fun to push him back out the door into Lafayette Street traffic when he gets cut.

Do people forget Petr Sykora? I'm not saying every camp tryout turns into a 20 goal contributor for a Stanley Cup finalist, but I'm not saying they don't. The Devils have accepted what they are; An older team with little young depth up front, and a lot of defensive prospects. Regardless of their old age they have a style and a coach that gets the most out of its' players. People forget that with very little talent the Devils were a handful of shootout losses away from the playoffs. Bad luck doesn't strike like that twice. All we need to do is get in the playoffs and face a bunch of backup goalies, including Fleury, and were off to the finals again. Sound familiar Rangers fans?

Sidenote: Shout out to Dan Girardi. I wouldn't have been able to live in a world where the Rangers were Stanley Cup champions. Thanks for saving me from a pool of my own blood, one turnover at a time.

The fact is that the Devils are better, talent wise, than last year. They have opened up some room for promising young players on the blue line. Also, once I run Michael Ryder over with my car, there will be a glaring hole at right wing to fill with a younger player. The point is, while not in the best spot age wise, the Devils don't rebuild. That's for the birds. Give me a GM that is going to try to win every season 100% of the time. 

When it comes down to it, anything can happen in the playoffs, and what's the one thing you need in the playoffs? Oh, thats right…Veteran leadership, and according to the AARP cards, we've got it by the dozen.

Vintage. The plaid shirt tucked into the jeans,and he threw the blazer on top? Classic herb move. He's seen here promoting his book "Selling The Dream: How Hockey Parents and Their Kids are Paying the Price for Our National Obsession".

 It should be called "Selling my Soul: How Hockey Parents and Their Kids are Paying the Price by Looking at My Wardrobe"

P.S. Spread the world, Ken's a communist hockey hardo...

It's great that TSN has five channels now, but why is the Seattle-Green Bay game on four of them?

— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) September 5, 2014

…..and the only person in the world that likes the spin-o-rama

Shootouts have become a goaltending competition. Banning the spin-o-rama gives goalies an even bigger advantage.

— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) September 11, 2014

I would expect nothing less.

What the fuck you just say to me Ken?