GDT: New Jersey Devils @ Florida Panthers - 6:30 PM (Game 5)

[vonbonds]

Fayne is the prototypical fly under the radar guy because of his demeanor and unspectacular yet solid play. Fans calling him out are retarded.

[Clarkson Falls Down]

Sal has blown him out of the water in this series, yet he's poised to be the one on his way out, unfortunately.

I'd send Volch packing to Siberia if I could so Sal can stay, but I prefer to not have both on the team. And with Tallinder coming back and some good depth in the minors (would like to see Harrold re-signed as the 7th and spot forward), there's not a lot of room.

[Darius Dangleaitis]

Well Kovy, if you're really 110% (which I don't buy), you better show it tomorrow.

No one on that Florida defense is good enough to shut him down. Jovo circa 2001 might have been able to slow him down, but no longer.

[Devilsfanatic]

Campbell is a better defenseman than he gets credit for.

[Clarkson Falls Down]

Campbell is a better defenseman than he gets credit for.

I agree. He was ragged on purely for his contract. Not great defensively, but above average for sure.

[Darius Dangleaitis]

I really want to see Urbom stick in the fall, but I don't think there will be room. We could use his offensive abilities and combo of size and mobility.

[Darius Dangleaitis]

Oh sure, Campbell is fine, but against these odds, if Kovalchuk is good to go, there should be nothing holding him back from taking over this game offensively.

[Devilsfanatic]

I agree. He was ragged on purely for his contract. Not great defensively, but above average for sure.

At two million cheaper, he's at a bargain. I think he's a Rafalski.

[Vinnie]

[Clarkson Falls Down]

I've been really big on Fayne and funny thing I've noticed is that people I talk to online (here/HF) all feel that Fayne is a good and very underrated defensemen, but the casual fans I talk to think he sucks

What fully sold me on him aside from liking him on the ice was at one of those meet/greets a few months ago and Fayne was just a really solid guy, the guy you can sit down and have a beer with and not have the conversation die off

Because, and this is true of a lot of posters over at that other place, people don't watch or don't know how to watch defensemen. They see big hits and big slap shots and think that's what every guy is supposed to do. That's what people loved about Stevens, but truth is he was so much more than that.

And while NSP's whole Vishnevsky thing was epic at the time, the funny thing was that there were a lot of posters who thought that he was actually a good defenseman. Why? Because he threw big hits. But he was the worst positional defenseman that I've ever seen in my time watching the Devils.