Ray Shero said it bluntly when introduced as general manager of the New Jersey Devils this past week.
“Goaltending and defense can only take you so far,” he told reporters on the day he succeeded the legendary Lou Lamoriello.
This week’s fan feedback question was: Does the hiring of Shero as GM change the Devils and will it make them more formidable to contend against?
It’s not an easy fix in New Jersey given the club’s previous ownership and financial issues, which harmed the franchise during free agency and in trying to re-sign its own talent — Zach Parise comes to mind.
It’s unknown whether Shero will have more bucks available to him that Lamoriello under co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer.
Shero built some outstanding teams in Pittsburgh that should have won multiple Stanley Cups with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury. All they had to show for it was one Cup.
Most NHL observers feel the talent Shero amassed should have resulted in three. As dominant as the Penguins were during one regular season after another, they came up woefully short too often.
Shero reiterated several times this week that the Devils need to change their organizational philosophy from defensive-oriented to scoring more goals. He stressed offense.
The Devils were historically rooted in defense for generations, the result of having Marty Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and a trap-style of hockey.
Funny thing is, if you take the Devils’ current group on defense and combine it with the Flyers' forwards, then mix in goalies Steve Mason and Cory Schneider, you’d have a roster far closer to being a Cup contender that what either franchise currently possesses.
Shero made several big trades in 2008 and 2009 that brought the Penguins Pascal Dupuis, Hal Gill, Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz, who all had a significant impact on Pittsburgh winning the Cup in 2009.
Shero's win-now philosophy extended into 2012-13 in a series of trades that depleted some of Pittsburgh’s young talent and draft picks.
The most notable trades that didn’t result in a Cup were sending San Jose two second-round picks for Douglas Murray near the 2013 trade deadline, and trading two prospects and a first-round pick to Calgary for Jarome Iginla days later. The Penguins lost in the conference final that spring.
Shero had absolute authority to make personnel moves in Pittsburgh. It will be interesting to see if Lamoriello, who says he is conceding control to him, allows Shero the same latitude he often exercised at the trade deadline.
Flyers fans feel that Shero squandered an abundance of riches in Pittsburgh and didn’t do enough with the talent he had.
Things figure to be different in New Jersey — at the outset, anyway.
Here are some of your Twitter responses to the question of whether Shero's hiring will make the Devils a more formidable foe for the Flyers:
@HankHillFan: Nah, he is Ruben Amaro of NHL, ruining a core he was gift wrapped.
TP: Amaro had more aging veterans.
@JeckoRob: Long-term yes, but not in the next 2 seasons.
TP: Much like the Flyers, the Devils do not represent an easy, short-term fix.
@THOMPUCKS: Doesn't NJD still have some financial issues?
TP: Yes and new ownership has been quiet this week.
@buddyspitz Can't see this as positive change. Gifted with the greatest head start possible in Pittsburgh and regressed each year. Similar to Amaro.
TP: Could have won in 2008 and once more after 2009.
@Lancecote: No. But their cap room will be down to $2.75 by September.
TP: Devils have 13 unrestricted free agents this summer, so there’s cap money to play with.
@BSliceManDice: I’d be more than surprised (baffled even) if the Devils got even close to getting a wild-card spot next season. #noleadership
TP: Flyers are in that same lifeboat right now and no captain at hand.