Why this years secondary could be better then the 2002 secondary

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Eagles offense

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Previewing the Eagles defense

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Most of the roster is already in place but they still need a few more pieces before they would really be unbeatable. Yes right now with this team they still would be the favorites despite an NLCS loss. I still think they are favorites because they will most likely not have the amount of injuries they had this year which hurt multiple guys toward the end of the year. Guys like Howard, Victorino, Utley and Rollins if healthy should all have much better years after a down year. But to seperate themselves more they need a few upgrades. They also need to get rid of a few guys like Blanton, Ibanez if they would pay 2-3 million for him, possibly Victorino if they could replace him in center with better offense, if the asking price is to much they should not resign Werth and either use Brown and a free agent right handed bat or make a trade for someone and not bring up Brown or put him in left and they should also let Durbin go because he will want to much money.

Starting Rotation- The H2O trio will all be back but after that there are questions. At least with them they are guaranteed to have the best top three in baseball. There is a possibility that they go after Lee but to do that they will need to move a few salaries and hope he will sign for 20-23 million per year for between 3-5 years. I think it is certainly possible because Lee wants to come back here if possible and Amaro knows he made a mistake by trading him. If he comes here this would be the greatest rotation ever. But besides him there are other options who are cheaper like, Hiroki Kuroda from the Dodgers who would be a very good fourth starter to go with the big three. He pitched to a 3.39 ERA despite only being 11-13. He would liekly be the best no.4 in the league and will get between 6-9 million per year. Other options include Bronson Arroyo, Justin Duchscherer and Javier Vazquez. There are also attractive trade options like Zack Greinke who is unlikely to come here becuase of the aksing price from KC. Another attractive option is Fausto Carmona from Cleveland who they could get for less then Greinke and has potential to be a top of the rotation starter who will not be as much money. But he only be good not great the last two years. That would be more then enough for what the Phillies need from him. Then there is Matt garza and James Shields who are solid middle of the rotation guys.

In the bullpen there are more questions after Lidge, Madson and Bastardo. Everybody else is a free agent. Baez, Durbin and Romero will likely not be back next season. It is possible one or two spots will be filled by minor leaguers if they are ready. They could also sign a free agent or two and maybe make trade Victorino for a reliever if they choose to replace him. There are plenty of options to improve the bullpen. Contreras is one guy they should keep for a middle reliever. For lefty relievers there is Scott Downs who would be a great set up man and lefty specialist who they will likely target, Pedro Feliciano from the, Arthur Rhodes and Jeremy Affeldt. They will likely add one of these guys, best if its Downs. Right handed options include Jacques Benoit a hard throwing right handed set up man from Tampa bay, Grant Balfour another Tampa Bay Releiver, Chad Qualls, Jon Rauch who could also close if needed, Takashi Saito, Jason Frasor and Rafael Soriano but he will likely want a lot of money and a closer role. So there are options in the bullpen and this area will have to be addressed.

The last need they have is outfield. It is likely that Werth will leave as a free agent so they will need a right handed bat for the outfield. They might just sign a cheap outfielder to platoon with Dominic Brown if they feel he is ready. Or they could make a trade if they find someone that they like. I think it would be better to give Brown one more year before he starts in the majors. One attractive option in free agency could be Cody Ross who could play right or left field and will likely command between 5-9 million dollars. If they can move Ibanez i think he can be a good addition to play left. He has good power, hits for decent average, can drive in runs and has a knack for clutch hits. He is also a better fielder then Ibanez. It is also possible that Victorino gets traded and then they would need to find a replacement for him. That would also likely mean that Werth could stay. A potential trade option could be Hunter Pence from houston who is a good all around player. It is likely that they would at least listen to offers for him. He is not to expensive and could play center or right and is a good fielder with power. I think that could happen because they also find ways to steal good players from Houston Oswalt and Lidge. 

If they address these three needs they should be considered favorites for next season as long as Rollins, Utley, Howard and Oswalt can stay healthy. This would easily be the most talented club with all of their core players in their primes and the best pitching in the league.

This off season will be interesting for the Phillies. There are a lot of questions about their own free agents and others. They have a few tough decisions on their own players including Werth and Durbin. Starting with Werth, Amaro said he would like to re sign him and they have the money but it could make it harder to sign others or improve other needs. He will be asking for a contract similar to what Matt Holliday got from San Fransisco. If they do re sign him they could move some other salaries to free up money like Blanton, Victorino which is unlikely or maybe Ibanez if they can find someone to take him. If he leaves which seems likely it could be difficult to replace him in free agency or by bringing up Brown who could need one more year before he is ready for the majors. They could make a trade for a big right handed hitter.

They also need to add a lefty reliever in free agency or two. There are a few options there like Affeldt from the Giants who could be a good fit, Pedro Feliciano from the Mets or maybe even Scott Downs who will be attractive to many others. My first choice would be Downs from Toronto who could be a good set up man or lefty specialist. Affeldt or Feliciano would be used strictly as a lefty specialist. They could also take a look at Balfour who is a righty from Tampa Bay. Durbin could be another option but he could get a bigger offer from another team.

Another need is back end of the rotation. They should strongly consider moving Blanton. Then they should move Kendrick either to long releif or minor leagues because he is not good as a starter. They should bring up Vance Worley who was solid in his two major league starts and could be a good back end of the rotation guy who will consistently keep them in games. Freeing up Blanton's 8 million and most likely losing werth could give them enough money to sign Lee. Romero's 4 million will also help. Lee has always wanted to be here since he left and according to an ESPN report he would prefer to sign here over New York or Texas even for less money. Amaro also knows he made a bad move by trading him and said they are not done looking for starters. Another report says that he is not sure he would sign with the Yankees who will likely offer him between 25-35 million per season. It could come down to the Rangers and Phillies if they clear up enough salary to do it. It could definetely happen but it will not be easy. If it did they would have Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels which could be the best playoff rotation ever. They also will need to add an outfielder if Werth goes and maybe replace Ibanez.

If Kovalchuk re signs that could make it hard for the Devils to re sign Parise next year. They will also have to give Zajac and Greene long term deals soon. This could be hard but it is possible to do it. To keep Kovalchuk now they would deal Salavdor's 2.9 million dollar cap hit and Zubrus's 3.5 million salary. Then they would have about 1 milion under the cap. Zach Parise will likely get twice as much as what he gets now. Zajac will also get a healthy raise and so will Greene. After 2011 Langenrbunner comes off the cap which will help and Arnott's 4.5 will come off the cap. Langebrunner will probrably leave and Arnott could also or re sign for about 3 million. The year after White and Rolston come off the cap which is 8 million and so does Brodeur but he might also retire or come back for one more year. After this year some of the young guys will likely be ready which will help. If signing Kovalchuk means Parise will leave is it worth it? 

Parise is one year younger then Kovalchuk. He is also a much better defensive winger and has developed excellent chemistry with Zajac. They have a lot of excellent young players which could give them an elite team for the future and he is the best one. Kovalchuk is a better offensive player but is that enough to re sign him an loss another elite players a couple of other role players. the difference offensively is not enough to sign him and potentially lose Parise. They could keep both if they could either deal Elias or Rolston which will be difficult. It could be worth dealing Elias because someone might take a chance because of his dynamic playmaking ability but he makes 6 million which could turn other teams off. Tedenby hopefully could be ready to take over for Elias soon if not this year. Kovalchuk has also not proved himself in big games or to be a leader which is a problem with giving him a big deal and losing others. It is still very possible he will.

It would be better to lockup Parise even if it means not re signing Kovalchuk. It is most important for them to lock up the young core long term. If they can do that and re sign Kovalchuk that would be even better. The young core of Parise, Zajac, Urbon, Tedeby, Josefesen, Volchenkov and others will be great for a long time. If they could keep Kovalchuk with them that would make it even better but that is hard.

If this year does not work out I think they should deal all the veterans that would waive their NTC's and free up cap room. It could be a good idea to trade Elias because he makes 6 million and they could also deal Zubrus and Salavdor because they are expendable and would give them over 6 million more. Then they could trade for someone like Bobby ryan or Neil from the Stars for another big scorer.

Bottom line- Parise is a better all around player then Kovalchuk and he is cheaper and younger so they should make sure they can re sign him before Kovalchuk.  

Assuming Kovalchuk comes back the Devils could have an elite offense. There are very few teams that can match up with them. Having Kovalchuk gives them two dynamic scoring. He would also give them two guys who can score 40 plus and put up at least 80 points. Guys like Zajac and Elias have the ability to score 30 plus this year. That would give them two lines with two guys that can score 30 or more. Arnott is also a very good pivot with a lot of size to get to the net. He is also a dangerous shooter who scores clutch goals. They also have a solid two way third line and a couple of very good offensive defensman.

The top lines nicknamed ZZ pops is developing into one of the games elite lines. They are great offensively and also very strong defensively. Zajac is developing into one of the better two ways centers like Mike Richards and Johnathan Toews with more size and he is bigger. Parise is known mainly for being a 40 plus goal scorer and putting up 80 plus points but he is also a good defensive winger that can kill penalties. He has the speed to burn defenders and he can also score with his tremendous shot and is not afraid to get in front despite his small frame. Jaime Langenbrunner is also a solid two way winger who can score between 20-25 goals and is also a smart player. He can play in any game situation.

The second line is just as good offensively if not better. Arnott is a key addition because of his setup skills, size, shooting ability, experience and defensive ability. He is dangerous on the power play at the point or down low or at the side. When he gets time he can score with a big shot or create chances for dynamic wingers like Kovalchuk and Elias. Elias will have to move to the right side this year. He still can score 30 or more when he is healthy for a full year. He still has excellent playmaking ability, good speed, a strong shot, moves and chemistry with Arnott. I think he could thrive with Arnott at center and Kovy on the left. Kovy is the total package on offense and could really benefit from the new system and offensive coaches. His career high in goals in 52 and he has a realistic shot at matching that and putting up 90 plus points. He is an excellent power play point man, with a great shot and has excellent skills to beat defensman one on one. Elias and Arnott could be the guys he needs to reach his full potential. Last year most teams were using their top defensive pair against the ZZ pops line which will make this line even more dangerous.

The third line has good two way ability. There is still a question of who will play center for this line. there are a few good prospects who the Devils think are ready. Adam henrique or Jacob Josefsen are the most likely to fill the role. Both have solid two way ability and could be ready for this role this year. If one of them is they will have three very strong lines. Rolston and Clarkson are good fits for the wing spots. Clarkson has improved a lot and has good scoring ability as a power foward who also does the dirty work by crashing the net. He is also good defensively and is willing to drop the gloves. I think he has 20 plus potential if he stays healthy this year. Rolston is also a solid all around left winger even though he is overpaid. He can play the point on the power play and has a tremendous shot and good passing ability. His shooting ability is a good fit to Clarksons skills and one of the centers passing ability. He should also score 20 plus goals this year and he is defensively responsible. Both Henrique and Josefsen have good playmaking skills and passing ability along with a solid two way game. This will be a very good line if one of them is ready.

 On the bluelines Andy Greene has improved a lot all around the last couple of years. He will be the other point man on the PP. He has a chance for 40 or more points and 10 goals. He also has good puck moving skills. There are also a few of good rookies who could be the fourth defensman and the second puck mover that will put up points. Eckford or Urbon could both be that guy. The Devils think they are ready.

If they develop a second puck mover who can put up points and a third center they will have a top five or six offense with their new offensive system.  

The atlantic division has three very good teams and there are a couple of other strong teams in the east outside of the atlantic division so it could be hard to decide who the early favorite is to go to the cup. The Devils have a very good shot at getting to the cup if Kovalchuk comes back. They added some other upgrades this off season offensively and defensively.

The addition of Johan Hedberg could also help a lot because he could play about 15-20 games of year and give them a chance to win in those games. That was a problem in the last few years because brodeur was wearing down in the playoffs from playing 75-80 games in the regular season. If they use hedberg this will help a lot for Broduer in the playoffs. They now have the best all around goaltending in the league.

 On defense they added Anton volchenkov who is an elite shutdown defensman with an intimidating presence. Henrik tallinder is another very good shutdown defensman to play with Volchenkov. That easily makes up for Martin defensively and the improvement of andy greene and development of one of the rookies if it happens will make up for his offense. Volchenkov and Tallinder will greatly improve the penalty kill. Andy Greene will give them a very good all around defensman that will play in all game situations and paly the point on the power play. They will still need one of the rookies to develop this year and they expect it to happen. There are a few that have very good all around ability and could develop into a top four defensman. They also have good depth with colin white and Matt Corrente. if they can pickup Randy jones for the league minimum that would be good because he would add depth and puck moving ability. He can also play point on the power play and has good passing ability.

On offense if Kovalchuk returns he could lift them into the top five in goals scored because he will likely flourish in the new system. Elias, Arnott and Kovalchuk will be a dynamic line. Arnott will benefit from the skill and playmaking ability of Elias and Kovalchuk. Elias has a good chance too score between 27-32 goals this season if he stays and and his playmaking abililty will also help kovalchuk get even more chances. He has the ability to score between 45-50 in this system with this line and Arnott will also be dangerous with his size, passing ability and shooting ability. The best thing about this line is that it is there second line and teams usually match their top defensman up against Parise and Zajac. Parise, Zajac and Langenbrunner have developed great chemistry together and are a potent combination. Parise has great speed, shooting ability and moves which make him a 40 plus goal scorer nd he is not afraid to get to the front of the net which helps Zajac who has improved every year. He is a very good all around center with very good passing ability, playmaking skills and he can also score goals. He has a shot too put up 80 points and 30 goals this year. He is also very strong defensively and can kill penalties. Jamie Langebrunner is another very solid all around player who scores and a lot of clutch goals and works well with Zajac and Parise. Even though his captain ability has been questioned he still steps up in big games and can score 20-27 goals per year and is a solid passer. He is also defensively responsible and can kill penalties. I think he is a good fit on this line. On the third line they will have Rolston who is a solid two way player and has a big shot. he is a solid third line left winger. He could have a good year if one of their rookie centers is ready to produce and a couple of them could be. If they can find someone with good size, passing ability, defense and some scoring ability this be a dangerous line. There are two guys who could fit the need as a good all around two way center. David Clarkson is developing into another good two way foward who is willing to do the dirty work in front of the net. He is also a solid power foward. Having him in front of the net is important and will hav plenty of chances with Rolston because he will get a lot of rebounds and is difficult to move. This will be a very good two way line as long as one of the centers is ready.

The special teams will also be very good this year. On the power play they will have Andy Greene and Kovalchuk on the point with Parise, Zajac and Elias. This could be a deadly first unit. The penalty kill will also be much improved with the additionaadditions of volchenkov and tallinder. Volchenkov is one of the best penalty killers because of his tremendous shot blocking skills, one on one ability, crease clearing ability and strength. Tallinder is also a very good shot blocker, good skater and can clear the crease with great size. They also have some good penalty killing fowards like Parise, Zajac, Arnott, Langenbrunner and Clarkson.

Other teams who will be tough-

Penguins- They have two elite scoring centers who will always give them a dangerous offense. They do lack strong wingers to play with them. Crosby still has the ability to make them better. Jordan Staal is also a key player with his elite two way skills. They also improved their defense by adding Paul Martin who is a solid all around top four defensman. Michalek is also a good shutdown defensman to play with Orpik. They now have a very strong top four on defense but they lack a power play quarterback which could be a problem unless Martin can fill that role effectively. He was mediocre in that role for the Devils. They also have a good goalie in Marc andre Fluery. They will still be a contending team although they have some holes.

Flyers- They have the best defense in the league assuming Pronger comes back fully healthy. That could be a big problem if he is not 100%. he is a workhorse who plays all situations for them and if he can not comeback fully healthy it will put a lot of pressure on guys like Timonen, Coburn and Mezarjos. They are also counting on Mezarjos too upgrade the third pair but he has really struggled defensively the past few years. On offense there are also a couple of questions. They are counting on Zherdev too perform to his potential which he is yet to do. They also need Leino to perform for a full season to make up for the loss of Gagne. But they do have a couple of rising young players like Claude Giroux who was strong in the playoffs and Van Reimsdyk who struggled but they are counting on him. If Zherdev and leino do not perform they could have downgraded the offense. The goaltending is always going to be a problem until they find a no.1 guy. Boucher is too inconsistent and Leighton is unreliable. It could be tough for them too get back to the cup if Leino, Van Reimsdyk and Zherdev struggle because the goaltending is to iffy. Their main question is Pronger. If he is fully healthy they will be dangerous.  

Capitals- They have the best offense in the league. Ovechkin is the best pure goal scorer in the league. Backstrom is also an elite scoring center who makes ovechkin even more dangerous. Backstrom and Ovechkin could be the best one two in the league and on the second line they also have semin who is capable of scoring 35-40 goals per year. Mike green is also the best offensive defensman in the league. Even with all of this offense they still have a few questions. They lack a shutdown defensman which was a problem in the playoffs last year. They do have a couple of rising defensman who could be shutdown defensman but they might not be ready yet. The goaltending is also shaky. They will always be a contender as long as they have their offense intact and if they develop a shutdown defensman they will have a good shot to win the east.

The Devils should be considered the early favorite because they have the best goaltending, improved defense and a very strong and deep offense. The only questions are whether or not they play Hedberg to save Brodeur for the playoffs and whether a rookie is ready to develop into the third line and center and second pair defensman. They think they have prospects who are ready to do it. If one of them is not ready they might have to make a trade to acquire a center or defensman. If Kovalchuk stays they will also have to clear cap space. The most likely players to be traded are Zubrus and Salvador. He is likely to stay. He would make the Devils the most complete team in the league. The only players who have injury concerns are Elias and Volchenkov. Elias has had a couple of long term injuries and Volchenkov is often battling minor injuries. If they are healthy the Devils have the best all around team in hockey with an elite core group which features two 40 plus goal scorers, Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, an elite shutdown defensman, Anton Volchenkov, a very good all around top center, Travis Zajac and an all time great goalie in Martin Brodeur.  

If Kovalchuk was to become a free agent it would hurt in multiple ways. They would not nearly have the offensive depth and skill they would have with him in the lineup. It would also leave defenses with the opportunity to give Parise and Zajac more attention. With Kovalchuk they would have two dynamic lines. They also would then have too move Clarkson or rolston on the second line.That would mean the third line would also be weaker.

It still is unlikely that he does leave because he wants to be a devil for ever and they want him. If he stays which seems likely they will have a great chance for the cup.

I think the Devils have the second best defense in the division and maybe in the conference. Last year they were a mediocre defensive team but in the regular season Brodeur was able to make up for it. In the playoffs the defense was terrible and brodeur wore down from playing 78 games in the regular season. But this year should be different. They added a very good back up goalie so they can limit brodeurs workload to about 70 games at most. Then he will be a lot stronger in the playoffs. If they can keep him to 65 that would be best. They can still win the division with him playing 65 or at least get the 4 seed. It is more important to have him fresh in the playoffs. On defense they also got stronger defensively but lost some offense with the loss of paul martin. They also two shutdown defensman in Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder who will finally give them a top shutdown pair which they have lacked since stevens, rafalski and neidermayer. Anton Volchenkov is one of the elite shutdown defensman who is a great shot blocker and is adapt at clearing the clear and has an excellent physical presence. Henrik Tallinder is also very strong against top scorers and has a lot of size and skating ability. On the second pair they have vastly Andy Greene who has a very good two way game and puck moving ability. He can play in all situations and is very good on the power play because of his passing ability and he can also score some goals. He can also play against top six scorers for 20 plus minutes per night. The fourth defensman will likely be colin white who is solid defensively but is on the decline. He is solid defensively and has good size but does not produce offensively and makes 3.5 million per year so he could be traded. Then they would turn to one of the young players. If they could find a way to add another defensman which will be tough like Kaberle or hopefully Brent burns they could be as good as philly. The flyers are right now a little better then the devils defensively because of Pronger and solid depth if Mezarjos performs the way he use to. If he does not they will also have some questions because Coburn is incosistent but performed in the playoffs and Carle is also inconsistent defensively. The penguins also improved defensively with the additions of Paul Martin and Zybnek Michalek. They also lost Gonchar which will hurt offensively and the power play a lot. They will count on paul Martin to replace him as the power play quarterback. He is not a natural power play quarterback but has solid offensive skills. He is a very good passer and puck mover. He is also solid defensively but not spectacular. Michalek is a very good shutdown defensman like Volchenkov. He will likely be paired with Brooks Orpik as their top shutdown pair which is very good. They are close to Volchenkov and Tallinder and Pronger and Carle. On their second pair they will have Martin and Chris letang which is a solid second pair with good all around ability. After the Devils, Penguins and Flyers the Rangers lack a shutdown defensman to go with Mark Staal and lack depth while the islanders lack a strong defense. The rest of the conference is not as strong as the Devils, Penguins and Flyers defensively. In the west the Blackhawks kept their whole defense together and still have the best blueline in the NHL. Then detroit is also very strong with Rafalski and others. The devils have a top five blueline and the best goaltending which will kept them as an elite defensive team. They are just behind the Flyers and blackhawks but not by much.

If the devils got sykora cheap he will give the devils more offensive depth if he is healthy. Elias already said he wants him back. If they do get him the A line could reunite and still be a great line together. They also could put sykora with Clarkson and find a center. If they put him with elias and arnott then they could put kovalchuk with clarkson which could be good because he would be the only dynamic player on his line with two other lines featuring very skilled scorers. The problem would be that they would need another center. If sykora is healthy i think the best fit would be with clarkson becasuse kovalchuk with elias and arnott would be an amazing line. he would give them more versatility and depth which is always good. he is still a good scorer when healthy which he showed in the last two years before the injury.

Assuming Kovalchuk works out a deal with the Devils they would have addresed all of their needs except for one. They would then have an elite top two lines and 3 very good top four defensman and an all time great goalie. They still need another top four defensman with offensive ability and very good puck moving ability. If they traded for Kaberle or Brent Burns they would have one of the best all around teams. If they were going to do that they would have to clear some cap room which could be hard to do. They have Salvador who makes 2.9 million, Zubrus who makes 3.5 million, Rolston who makes 5 million which may be hard to move, White who makes over 3 million and Langenbrunner who makes 3.2 million but likely wont be dealt. The best options would be to deal Salavador, Zuubrus and white. If they could also deal rolston that would help a lot. They will also have to save some to re sign Parise, Greene and Zajac. That is why it could be better to sign Joe Corvo who would give them an excellent power play quarterback who can play a second pair role for less money. They will likely be able to move salvador, Zubrus and possibely white and there has been talk about moving rolston. If they get one of these three defensman they will have a great blueline with a some of the most skilled offensive players in the league.

They will have a core group featuring Brodeur, Parise, Zajac, Kovalchuk, Volchenkov and Tallinder which is an elite cast. They also have very good key role players like Elias, Arnott, Andy Greene, possibly Corvo or Kaberle or Burns,  Clarkson and Langenbrunner. 

On offense the will have Zajac, Langenbrunner and Parise on one lines which worked very well last year and on another they will have elias, arnott and Kovalchuk which should be another dynamic line. That means defenses cannot just load up on parise and zajac if kovalchuk can fit with the devils. They just need another defensman to go with greene who can contribute a lot on offense. I think Greenes point total with go up this year and will be a better all around player.

On defense they have Anton Volchenkov who is a great physical shutdown defensman and Tallinder who is a very underrated defesnive defensman with excellent size and skating ability. they also have andy greene who is a very good puck mover with all around ability and can play power play and match up with top six fowards but will need someone else to play with him. That is why Corvo could be a good fit if kaberle and Burns are to expensive.

In goal they added Hedberg who is a very good backup goalie who can play some games to save brodeur for the playoffs.

The re signing of kovalchuk for 17 years could either be a great move or a terrible move. If he can get use to the system and still be the same player it will work out very well but if not they are stuck with him for 17 years. If he plays up to expectations the devils will have an elite offense and will go deep in to the playoffs. If not the devils will be less likely to contend for the cup. They will now have a 40 goal scorer on two lines with him and parise. He will play on a line with Elias and arnott. If Elias is healthy that could be a dynamic second line. He will also help the power play. He will play on the point with parise, Elias, arnott and either Greene or zajac. The devils will also have to dump sone salary because he puts them over the cap. A few options are zubrus who I hope they move because he makes 3.5 million per year and produces nothing, Salvador who makes 2.1 per year, white if he would waive his no trade clause who makes over 3 million per year and rolston who makes 5 million per year. Langenbrunner is also another possibilty. This move gives the devils an elite core which features brodeur, volchenkov, parise, zajac, kovalchuk and Elias which should contend for a cup. I think it will work the way the devils expect it to.

If the Devils were to trade for Tomas Kaberle it would give them one of the elite bluelines in the league. Last year their defense was mediocre and could not match up against the flyers top fowards in the playoffs. Paul Martin was counted on with Andy Greene to be a shutdown pair against top lines. They were not able to do that. Martin is at best a solid no.2 defensman with some offensive upside and Greene is a very good second pair defensman but not a top guy. With the additons of Henrik talllinder and A train they will now have a top shutdown pair to match up with top scorers but they only provide minimal offensive production. Volchenkov is a no.1 defensman who is the best shot blocker in the league and Tallinder is an underrated defensman with very good defensive ability and leadership. He will also add some more size with his 6 foot 4 frame which was lacked in the last few years. If they do add Kaberle he will give them a power play quarterback with elite offensive skills which they have lacked since rafalski and neidermayer. A top four of A train, Tallinder, Kaberle and Greene is as good as any. They would then have two very good puck moving defensman who can control the game and two big shutdown defensman with size and toughness. Kaberle and Greene would be a very good second pair on defense with good all around ability. He will also help the offense with his passing abilty. That would help scorers like Parise, Elias and Zajac get more opportunities. He could also give them a very strong power play which would feature Parise, Elias, Zajac, Arnott and Kaberle on the top unit. If they were to get him it would take giving up a first round pick and Zubrus with one of their young defensman. It is worth it because they would have a team that is ready to contend for the cup and win in the playoffs.

Devils off season options 2

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Devils off season options

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