FanPost

The Andy Greene Issue




The Devils defense is rough, but help is on the way! Both Ty Smith and Jeremy Davies look like they will be NHLers at the LD position. Add in Will Butcher, and that is potentially not a bad left side of the defense, especially if the right side can make up for any possible defensive shortcomings.

However, determining what to do with this position for next year has to be an issue for Ray Shero. Obviously, Ty Smith would greatly help the team and should be on the NHL roster next season. Waiting on Jeremy Davies is also a serious concern - letting him play out his senior year at Northeastern next year is likely to leave him making a different choice for his first NHL team; however, he may not be interested in signing now if there isn't even an NHL spot available to him to fight for.

So what's the problem? You have Butcher, Smith, and Davies playing the left side, with Severson, Vatanen, and Santini on the right. The problem is with Andy Greene, who presently happens to be the Captain of the team.

I really like Andy Greene. He is such a great story of perseverance, and he has been a great Devil over the years. He has been undervalued his entire career by anyone who wasn't a Devils fan. And yet, things would be so much simpler if he was not under contract for one more year.

Because Greene is the Captain, it would be absurd to scratch him. That makes things very difficult for next season - and even more so if the Devils want to re-sign Mueller. Additionally, because he is the Captain he is not allowing for another player to be Captain who probably makes more sense in that role.

Greene has declined in the past couple of seasons, but I am not suggesting he isn't better than two rookies. But because of the way timing has worked out, I cannot help but think Greene retiring or being traded this offseason would be for the best for the New Jersey Devils.

Would be interested to hear others' thoughts.

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