Post by jon on Dec 8, 2015 23:07:47 GMT -5
It has been a surprising few months for the New Jersey Devils organization and their fans. After a very difficult season which saw the team finishing 25th in the league with a mere 78 points – their worst season since 1989 – many expected the Devils to look to the future, trade away its aging core and start from scratch. Instead, newly hired general manager Jon Bold decided to take the exact opposite approach, gaining important assets in should propel the Devils in one last attempt at glory before a rebuild becomes unavoidable.
"It was a difficult decision to make, really." said Bold about his choice to go short-term instead of long-term. "I took a little while to assess the team's strengths and weaknesses. We already had a good core, I thought, a good bunch of veterans with a good head on their shoulders. Most importantly we have a terrific goaltender who's in his prime at this very moment in time, and those are hard to find. Deep inside I had that feeling that this core could compete, that something could be done that wouldn't need years and years to come to fruition. Yet I was on the fence about which way to go."
The moment that finally convinced Bold to target an immediate challenge was during talks with fellow manager Pepsi Cola of the Boston Bruins.
"It's funny 'cause Pepsi and Me, well, I mean the Bruins and Devils were kind of in the same situation at that moment, when you think about it. Both teams had a star goaltender a solid core and a decent amount of good prospects, but not enough top talent to mount a challenge before the core players start fading, and not enough in the way of prospects to rival teams such as the Oilers, Coyotes and Sabres in the long run. We both were standing at the same crossroads, so to speak, and that's how he and I became natural trading partners."
The Bruins' manager had first inquired about the services of Kyle Palmieri. The talks would soon go completely elsewhere.
"At that time the plan was still to go for youth, stick to a long-term plan. Names like Darnell Nurse and Jakub Zboril popped up. And then Cola switched his focus on Pavel Zacha. The guy was without a doubt our best prospect and I didn't think I wanted to trade him, but my motto is no player ever is untouchable, and a good manager always listens to and considers every option. But trading my most promising youngster meant a move for the present, it meant I was mounting a challenge. And then the names of Bergeron and Krejci popped up."
Soon after one of the biggest deals of the off-season was concluded. David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron and Darnell Nurse were coming to New Jersey, whilst Pavel Zacha and a first round pick were heading out. The move, however, did not spark the team into a strong start to the season as would have hoped Jon Bold. The Devils would go 3-7-2 to open the season.
"I think it was a mix of adapatation and bad luck. New general manager, new head coach, many new faces. It took a while for our players to get comfortable. A couple of goaltenders stood on their heads against us early in the season, it's not as if we really got dominated in any games. It was frustrating, but we stayed confident that we could turn things around."
And turn things around they did. The Devils have since gone 6-1-2 as Cory Schneider stepped up his game and the offense finally started clicking. Also helping were the reinforcements manager Jon Bold brought to the team when he traded, once again, with Pepsi Cola in a move that would bring Torey Krug to New Jersey in exchange for prospect Kevin Fiala (who himself was acquired in the preseason for the services of Patrik Elias). Not to go unnoticed either are the steady performances of veteran defenceman Kris Russell, whom the Devils got in the off-season for Jiri Tlusty. Still unsatisfied with his team's blueline, Bold would then package young defenceman Adam Larsson along with a 3rd round pick to the struggling Chicago Blackhawks, receiving all-star blueliner Brent Seabrook in the trade.
"I think those moves really solidified what was at first a very shaky blueline and really helped with the team's turnaround. The forwards now feel more free to go on their business and apply pressure, resulting in more goals, and Cory is also much more confident between the pipes. I'm happy with where this team is going right now."
The manager went on to say he was satisfied with the roster and was done with his shopping. But if one thing has become apparent this season, it's that the Devils and their manager Jon Bold aren't afraid of welcoming the unexpected.
"It was a difficult decision to make, really." said Bold about his choice to go short-term instead of long-term. "I took a little while to assess the team's strengths and weaknesses. We already had a good core, I thought, a good bunch of veterans with a good head on their shoulders. Most importantly we have a terrific goaltender who's in his prime at this very moment in time, and those are hard to find. Deep inside I had that feeling that this core could compete, that something could be done that wouldn't need years and years to come to fruition. Yet I was on the fence about which way to go."
The moment that finally convinced Bold to target an immediate challenge was during talks with fellow manager Pepsi Cola of the Boston Bruins.
"It's funny 'cause Pepsi and Me, well, I mean the Bruins and Devils were kind of in the same situation at that moment, when you think about it. Both teams had a star goaltender a solid core and a decent amount of good prospects, but not enough top talent to mount a challenge before the core players start fading, and not enough in the way of prospects to rival teams such as the Oilers, Coyotes and Sabres in the long run. We both were standing at the same crossroads, so to speak, and that's how he and I became natural trading partners."
The Bruins' manager had first inquired about the services of Kyle Palmieri. The talks would soon go completely elsewhere.
"At that time the plan was still to go for youth, stick to a long-term plan. Names like Darnell Nurse and Jakub Zboril popped up. And then Cola switched his focus on Pavel Zacha. The guy was without a doubt our best prospect and I didn't think I wanted to trade him, but my motto is no player ever is untouchable, and a good manager always listens to and considers every option. But trading my most promising youngster meant a move for the present, it meant I was mounting a challenge. And then the names of Bergeron and Krejci popped up."
Soon after one of the biggest deals of the off-season was concluded. David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron and Darnell Nurse were coming to New Jersey, whilst Pavel Zacha and a first round pick were heading out. The move, however, did not spark the team into a strong start to the season as would have hoped Jon Bold. The Devils would go 3-7-2 to open the season.
"I think it was a mix of adapatation and bad luck. New general manager, new head coach, many new faces. It took a while for our players to get comfortable. A couple of goaltenders stood on their heads against us early in the season, it's not as if we really got dominated in any games. It was frustrating, but we stayed confident that we could turn things around."
And turn things around they did. The Devils have since gone 6-1-2 as Cory Schneider stepped up his game and the offense finally started clicking. Also helping were the reinforcements manager Jon Bold brought to the team when he traded, once again, with Pepsi Cola in a move that would bring Torey Krug to New Jersey in exchange for prospect Kevin Fiala (who himself was acquired in the preseason for the services of Patrik Elias). Not to go unnoticed either are the steady performances of veteran defenceman Kris Russell, whom the Devils got in the off-season for Jiri Tlusty. Still unsatisfied with his team's blueline, Bold would then package young defenceman Adam Larsson along with a 3rd round pick to the struggling Chicago Blackhawks, receiving all-star blueliner Brent Seabrook in the trade.
"I think those moves really solidified what was at first a very shaky blueline and really helped with the team's turnaround. The forwards now feel more free to go on their business and apply pressure, resulting in more goals, and Cory is also much more confident between the pipes. I'm happy with where this team is going right now."
The manager went on to say he was satisfied with the roster and was done with his shopping. But if one thing has become apparent this season, it's that the Devils and their manager Jon Bold aren't afraid of welcoming the unexpected.