Opportunity for a good start?

A quick look at the Devils' early season schedule shows that they play seven of their first 15 games against teams that missed the playoffs in 2008-09.

Does this represent an opportunity for them to get off to a good start? Maybe.

There might be another adjustment period to another new coaching staff, so, perhaps, playing against lesser opponents will make that adjustment a little easier. It will certainly be a better way to start with a new coach than two years ago when the Devils played their first nine games under Brent Sutter on the road.

Of their first 15 games of 2009-10, the Devils play Tampa Bay twice and Florida, Atlanta, Buffalo, the Islanders and the Senators once each.

Their other nine games are against the Philadelphia, Rangers (twice), Washington (twice), Pittsburgh, Boston and Carolina (which returns to Prudential Center on Saturday, Oct. 17, so you won't have to wait long to hear talk about Game 7 of the 2009 conference quarterfinals).

***

There's still no word on Rob Davison, though, as I mentioned last week, I know the Devils were talking to him.

Also, no news on Brendan Shanahan.

But there were some requests for a new post, so I tried to give you something on a slow summer day.

Some of you have some good questions in the comments in the previous post, but there is plenty of time to answer them before training camp opens on Sept. 12 (Rookies on Sept. 8). Players are going to be less willing to give out their numbers if I call them for every little question during the summer.

Some of them will probably be showing up early to skate before camp opens. I'll try to get them then.

Comments

[pando20rules]

Thanks TG!!!

[Steven]

TG, what is the latest on Lou trying to bring in a center for the 2nd or 3rd line?

[TG]

Patience. I've said before the center situation is something that could run into training camp or beyond.

[Tom]

TG, is the development camp open to the public?

[Mhowitzer]

TG...good post, thanks!

In response to what you said that "easier" start might work against us were we to come out of the gate slow.....starting off against those teams and loosing most of them could really hurt us in the weeks after. with that said the playoff teams we are to play arent exactly the easiest in the bunch either....we shall see though....

you know we have dominated the regular season so regularly that i wouldnt mind to see us squeek in the playoffs this year and turn it up a notch at that point

[Scratch]

OK, I'm taking bets now...how many times will someone ask if development camp will be open to the public? Tom gets a pass cause he was first... But I'm guessing between now and the time devolopment camp actually starts the question will have been asked between 15 and 20 times...

[RickyM2]

I'm not so upbeat about looking at those teams as "teams who missed the playoffs" Most of the teams have restructured, and we all know what the islanders added all across the boards.

I'm sure their fans are saying "hey, we got the devils coming up, they lost all their players from last year" Although, we also did some restructuring, we're not looking great on paper.

Not saying that we wont do great. We have a great chance to "Rock our Red/White" through 3 rounds of postseason.

[Tom]

Scratch, I did that purposefully. It amuses me how many people asked about the rookies camp. Unfortunately only the people who post here get the joke, my wife looked at me like I was crazy when I tried to describe why it was so funny.

And also, the camp question will come up at least 50 times. Bank on it.

[SonicDude]

good start...perhaps...but i am struggling mightily with how Lou has done next to nothing to improve this team for the upcoming season.

Even if we get a second line center -- and id like to think lou is working on that, at least -- what ever happened to filling the need for a big d-man with snarl? we cant place that burden on corrente.

it almost seems that lou is looking at the bad economy and decline in season ticket sales and pocketing the gionta and madden monies for ownership, including for himself. i hope he proves me wrong.

[Mhowitzer]

RickyM2, i agree

we cant expect ottawa to be out of the playoffs for too long and NYI did improve all around...Tampa and Florida arent push overs either....we could expect carolina, NYR, and Boston to be weak and we'd probably be just as far off as ottawa and florida

[Scratch]

LOL Tom, I thought you were serious, like here we go...haha, yeah, you're probably closer on your estimate of 50...

[njdevsfn95]

hey, who knows what made the Devils open a prospects scrimmage to the Public.

in 2005 there was the awesome "Red v White" game at South Mountain Arena. it was a fundraiser for the park system. Cam Janssen fought Sean Brown in that game, if i recall correctly

it would be nice if the Devils opened something like this up at training camp again. so maybe they saw all our questions on "opening prospect camp" and though, "Hey, maybe our fans would like this."

so: TG, will training camp be open to the public?

;) hahaha

[Pearl Jammed]

Scratch i think if were gonna make a bet like that we need to specify, if its just straight up how many times its asked, or how many people ask it, because there are some posters that will ask it repeatedly.... also the bet should be an Over/Under bet....

and my bet is over 50.... WAY over 50!

[Canadian Devils Fan]

Davison .. wow.. He barely played in Vancouver and when he did he was bad... Cmon Lou you have lots of money under the cap...

[Tom]

We could put together a whole betting line. Like over/unders on how many times Zubrus is involved in a imaginary trade proposal.

[Lucifer's Truth]

Rob Davison is a skating minor penalty wating to happen. There is no need for him unless he would like a career in the AHL.

[Scratch]

Yeah PJ...I was thinking how many times it's asked, not matter who asks it. I'm starting to re-think my original estimate, with a little over a month to go, unless people start asking just to be annoying, realistically, maybe 25 to 30 times...that could go up depending on how many times TG mentions the camp however...

[Jason]

http://twitter.com/andystrickland/status/2791934273

[Scratch]

Jason, that's a few days old now...nothing has been confirmed

[Pearl Jammed]

you maybe right scratch, but i will stick with my over 50 bet :)

[JJ]

Sonic how do you figure that the team is pocketing money? We have been one of the highest salary teams in the league since Vanderbeek bought the franchise. Use your head, it's not hard to figure out that a trade is coming. Even if we break camp with what we have (which is doubtful), we are essentially the same team minus Gionta. Madden was expendable imo and I'm willing to bet that Bergfors will score 15-20 if he's on a line with Elias. Even if we signed Gionta for just $4m/yr we would have no cap room for the center we NEED NOW because next year we'd lose Martin since most are estimating that the cap is going down about $3m next year. With around $42.5m already committed next year we have to sign Martin & Clarkson (around $6-7m total sound fair?) that'll put us around the $50m mark with a $54m cap, so what exactly would you have liked Lou to do? I know it's slow right now but before you go jumping off bridges can we wait until the opening day roster is set?

[Jason]

I don't need "confirmation". It's like when you watch a guy cross the finish line first in the Olympics and they tell you "this finish is unofficial." TG and the rest of the media can sit around and wait for confirmation. We got Davison.

[V]

I see Championship Plaza construction is underway. Does anyone know if there is a site that shows the master plan for the area around the Rock?? I think I remember that there is supposed to be a park going up in front and a walking bridge from train station to the park. Is there a site that shows all this? Thanks.

[Scratch]

Jason
Now that's a statement.

[J-L]

Bergfors will be traded before camp starts. Just a gut feeling.