Comments on: Zajac gets contract extension: Eight years, $46 million

By: yitzchakinayev

yitzchakinayev — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:42:53 +0000

One of the best signings so far in the new year and whoever thinks otherwise should go see a doctor

By: yitzchakinayev

yitzchakinayev — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:40:37 +0000

Overpaid, looks like u don’t watch hockey or ur just an idiot

By: yitzchakinayev

yitzchakinayev — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:38:01 +0000

Your an idiot u know nothing about hockey do u even know who zajac is a quarter of the players u named aren’t even the same caliber as zajac and everyone ales gets paid a lot more than zajac he is a two way player he kills penalties he scores goals wins about 57% of his face-offs he plays on the power play he is a playmaker and he is a loyal player thats the full package and I’m glad they locked him up long term

By: yitzchakinayev

yitzchakinayev — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:32:06 +0000

outstanding center penelty killer playmaker and goal scorer every year zajac seems to be growing as NHL player every year he is the best center on this team and I’m glad Lou locked him long term a good sign for the devils and their franchise for years to come

By: yitzchakinayev

yitzchakinayev — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:30:30 +0000

i like this move by lou zajac is a loyal player and he gets it done on both ends of the floor he scores he passes he plays on the power play penaly kill he is their best center and he will be for years to come
Good move and glad to see travis in a devils uniform for a long time

By: yitzchakinayev

yitzchakinayev — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:29:14 +0000

i like this move by lou
zajac is a loyal player and he gets it done on both ends of the floor he scores he passes he plays on the power play penaly kill he is their best center and he will be for years to come
Good move and glad to see travis in a devils uniform for a long time

By: yitzchakinayev

yitzchakinayev — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:27:58 +0000

By: tcclark

tcclark — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 03:30:58 +0000

I’m not saying that, but you have to realize that a deal like this sets the bar unnecessarily high for other teams. At his best, Zajac put up similar numbers to Alex Burrows. Burrows is of course a better scorer, while Zajac sets up the play a little better. Regardless, they put up similar point totals (i understand Zajac is more than a scorer, but contracts are defined by quantifiable numbers). Burrows signed an extension before the lockout when salaries were supposed to be higher and yet his annual salary is 1.25 million less than Zajac.

Zajac’s salary will make it tough for the Ducks to resign both Getzlaf and Perry, who he currently makes more money than. Zajac makes the same amount as Mike Richards and isn’t nearly as good on defense. He has a comparable contract to Martin St. louis, Patrick Sharp, Henrick Zetterberg, and the Sedin Twins. In fact, his cap hit is almost the same as Johnathan Quick’s who also just signed a contract extension. Speaking of goalies, Travis Zajac now makes more money than Ilya Brzgalov and his albatross of a contract.

Zajac is good, but the amount of money the Devils just gave him will set asking prices for the rest of the league at a much higher rate. The Devils screwed everyone, not just Philly and Pittsburgh

By: thecheeman

thecheeman — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 03:00:04 +0000

Zajac is a low end first line center or a superb 2nd line center. It’s a fine deal.

By: thecheeman

thecheeman — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 02:58:34 +0000

Lou is putting together a team, not a fantasy roster. Zajac is that valuable to what the Devils do. Zajac’s going to play on that contract until he’s 36. Right now about 1/3 of our roster is at least that old. Brodeur, Hedberg, Elias, Salvador, Zidlicky, Zubrus, maybe Darche if he makes the team. Sykora was there last year. Zajac’s game isn’t based on blazing speed. It’s not a bad deal for the Devils and what they need. It’s not what he’d be worth to the Islanders, but it’s what he’s worth to them.

By: thecheeman

thecheeman — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 02:53:02 +0000

Lou should apologize for screwing the Flyers and Penguins then I guess

By: jimw81

jimw81 — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:04:37 +0000

first overpaid player in the new cba era

By: misterchainbluelightning

misterchainbluelightning — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:39:40 +0000

And also what you’re saying is Minnesota , now with Obamacare, is more like Canada than the rest of the USA. And you LOVE Minnesota right???? Great place to live is it not….being so similar with Canada and all….

By: misterchainbluelightning

misterchainbluelightning — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:37:37 +0000

But generalizations are are just that, and a correct one, so cool story on the state of Minnesota, in Canada it’s coast to coast and x10.

By: tcclark

tcclark — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:26:48 +0000

Massive overpay….. especially when numbers were supposed to come down. With the cap going down next year and guys like Claude Giroux and Evgeni Malkin poised to become free agents in two years, contracts like this make it even more difficult to sign players like Giroux and Malkin. If Zajac gets 5.75, Giroux and Malkin are looking at around 10 million per season. For teams that have Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, Brooks Orpik, and Kris Letang with contracts expiring at the same time, it becomes extremely difficult to keep your core in place, when owners and gms are throwing around a lot of money for conceivably less deserving players. Devils fans will argue that a lot of what Zajac does for the team doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but a guy like Malkin can say, “a 20 goal scorer is making 6 million. I score 40, so I should be making 12.” Contracts like this don’t just mess up your team, they raise the price on everyone else. This is a market setting deal. The Devils just F#^*ed a lot of other teams.

By: woodstakes

woodstakes — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:25:52 +0000

I disagree with the idea this is a ‘massive overpay’, is it a bit over what he should maybe be getting, sure. But its not an outlandish amount of money, the only thing that is maybe a bit much is the term. Same rate over 5 yrs would’ve been a little better imo. But having watched Zajac from when he was in college at UND and as much as I could in NJ one thing has never changed is he works his a$$ off. I agree with many of you that his point totals will probably go with just the fact that Parise is gone. However, if all things remained the same I think he would be getting better anyway. He’s a good 2 way center and if he would have hit FA he would have gotten at the very least what he is getting minus the term of course. Potentially he would have gotten more.

As for the idea that this board has all the ‘educated fans’ and that board doesn’t. There are idiots everywhere and trolls everywhere and well informed educated fans everywhere. Its up to you the individual to decide which of them each poster is. I have a feeling that misterchainbluelightning is swaying many of you in one direction or the other at this point.

By: 950003cups

950003cups — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:14:57 +0000

plus, one thing we learned about NTC’s is that you can persuade a player to waive it if you need to.

By: woodstakes

woodstakes — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:13:33 +0000

*Oh and before you shoot your ever so hurtful ‘homer’ statement at me. In case you missed it I said “.. those of us who grew up in Minnesota..” so will let you just ponder who my favorite team is.*

By: 950003cups

950003cups — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:12:36 +0000

I think it’s a fair deal. Zajac deserves it. Its not a lot to pay for a top line center.

By: woodstakes

woodstakes — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:11:14 +0000

How does one’s nationality make them more informed on… well, ANYTHING?? How about those of us that grew up in ‘The State of Hockey’? Where there is NOTHING bigger than hockey. Where we grow up playing on ponds and lakes? Your trying to tell me that if i’m from International Falls, MN I am less informed about hockey than the guy who grew up just across the river in Fort Frances? LMAO Now i’m just using Minnesota as an argument point, there are plenty of people around this country that know an awful lot about hockey. The passion of hockey doesn’t ask what nationality you are and in today’s world you can easily educate yourself on just about anything you want.

In short… your statements are ignorant!!

By: misterchainbluelightning

misterchainbluelightning — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:50:12 +0000

Oh Hope Lou also realizes the cap is going Down the next couple of seasons, again, what a mistake to commit a full NTC and the max 8 years to anyone who isn’t a proven star.

By: misterchainbluelightning

misterchainbluelightning — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:41:01 +0000

There’s a great conversation on the HFboards, you know, the place where hockey fans across the world chat about hockey. AKA the biggest hockey discussion in the world. Europeans, Russians, Canadians, Americans…and the debate is how much better is Zajac than Mikail Grabowski right now.
And it’s the same context as here….everyone who isn’t a Devils fan is wondering why this is a 8 year deal with a full NTC rather than a 4 and wait a see.
The vast majority calling it a bad deal while Devil fans are jumping for joy.

By: bcjim

bcjim — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:28:23 +0000

Has Lou gone mad?

Massive overpay.

End of story.

By: 950003cups

950003cups — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:27:03 +0000

Holik doesn’t like the Devils and has trashed talked players from Brodeur to Parise to Kovalchuk. Zajac was actually the ONLY player he had good things to say. This guy led the Devils through 3 series and a comeback in the 4th series. He has great vision, knows the system perfect, and performs in clutch situations. He’s not being over paid. Over paid is what Parise is getting.

By: misterchainbluelightning

misterchainbluelightning — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:16:45 +0000

Bobby Holik another overpaid player, said something like that about a teammate? Well that sure does hold weight…..

I’ll repeat for the clueless
5.75m per year when he’s 32, 33, 34, 35 years old and if Zajac is STILL the Devil top 2 centers by that time, the Devils have been doing something wrong. If Zajac is still a top 6 forward in those years, the Devils have been doing something wrong. And it includes a NTC? Are you serious? Someone everyone forgot how John Ferguson fared with that in Toronto?

There’s no convincing bubble-dwelling know-nothings from Jersey about anything.

You fools will get your education halfway through this deal.
5.75m over 8 years for a playmaking center coming off injury that literally would be 3rd line in Van, Det, Pit, Philly and maybe even the Rangers.

And look how happy the Devil fans are, lmao
Buffoons

By: 950003cups

950003cups — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:07:25 +0000

If Zajac wasn’t inked. He would have been signed fast for more. For that numbskull who pasted comments from “Top rated comments from those Canadians” who he’s never met.

how about a guy who always trash talks the Devils for some reason? If Bobby Holik said “Zajac is the Towes of the East” would he be considered someone who knows a thing or 2 about hockey?

Because he did in fact say that.

By: misterchainbluelightning

misterchainbluelightning — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:00:45 +0000

Huh?
Fact: Canadians know more about hockey than Americans
The fact that I’m a Red Wings fans somehow change this fact?
What a moron you are, you enjoy 8 years of being trapped with a player getting paid like a 70 point boarderline All Star, when in fact he’s a half a point per game player, coming off an injury where his play took a step down and has never had a 70 point season in his life.

Leave it to the Devils to do something stupid like this and raise the bar for every other 2nd line player in the league.

Accept the fact that this Canadian Red Wings fan since the 80′s has a clue about these things and you’re some clueless Devils homer who will be crying about Zajac in 4 years.
STUCK with his and that contract till he’s 35
LMAO, yup you enjoy that.

20 goals 40 assists for 5.75m, and locking into that with no hope to escape for 8 straight.
Hillarious

By: martysbetter

martysbetter — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:52:29 +0000

Hahaha wait wait wait, so after all this “Canadian Hockey” superiority complex you’ve been spewing…..you’re a Detroit Red Wings fan.

See yourself out.

By: misterchainbluelightning

misterchainbluelightning — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:47:02 +0000

Oh more facts for you Devil know-nothings
Zajac would be a 3rd line Center in Det, Pit and Philly and probably a few other teams.

By: misterchainbluelightning

misterchainbluelightning — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:45:35 +0000

When everyone is done voting and the top comments all say the same thing, yup it means something as long as it’s not political.

Everyone and their dog are LOLing at your Devils for making a lucky to score 20 a 8 year offer with a no trade for 5.75 per year.

EVERYONE how know ANYTHING about hockey, thinks your team just made a stupid mistake and is a text book example of why you can sign all the CBA’s you want but it will never stop GM’s from being stupid and spending too much money on boarderline players.

Again you Devil homer with zero objectivity. You be sure to be here in 4 years so we can LOL about how pathetic it is that the Devils are STUCK with over-paying a 2nd line center for 4 more years.

Im a Red Wings fans btw, Your team is a sack of garbage compared.