Devils GM speaks to the press
In the middle of his offseason vacation Devils GM Sylvanfan was tracked down by CPHL hall of fame reporter Francis Dohbiggen. As usual the Devils GM loves to sound off and Dohbiggen was able to extract the following information.
FD:
Syl what are your thoughts on what has transpired thus far in the CPHL playoffs?
Syl:
Well I'm not that surprised on how things have played out in the Gretzky. The Thrashers have been unreal all year and the Rangers were red hot down the stretch so them being in the final certainl isn't a big surprise. The Bruins had a lot of injuries so their loss didn't surprise me once the series began and it was evident that the Bruins were icing a team that looked like a pre season game. I did think briefly that the Canes could go on a bit of a run against a Lalime-less Thrasher team. But I forgot that Cheese has connections to the Ukranian maffia and that they pretty much control all CPHL betting, and that they are influencial. Of course being Ukranians they fail to realize that having Cheese win all the time makes their betting ring very predictable and isn't as profitable as it would be if they'd let someone else win. Mind you a lot of their Ukranian clientale hasn't figure that out yet so it's still a pretty lucrative operation.
FD
Aren't you of Ukranian heritage too?
Syl
Yes, what are you getting at.
FD
Do you place bets with their betting ring
Syl
If thats how you're going to act this interview is done.
FD
Awwww come on Syl, I'm just trying to get a story here, as a journalist it's my job to uncover the truth. I need to let the people know if you're betting on the CPHL.
Syl
BS, you're job is to write fluffy stories that sell newspapers. Guess what the Internet is making you obsolete. I suggest you start a blog, and sell advertising or else you and your fat wife and kids will starve.
FD
Okay enough of the insults lets get back to the interview here.
Syl
Probably a good idea if you don't want to go home with a broken nose. Where were we?
FD
I asked you about the CPHL playoffs you told me about the Gretzky, what about the Howe?
Syl
Well that one has had some strange results for sure. The first round went pretty much as I thought it would.
FD
You thought the Wings would beat out the Preds?
Syl
Yes, they went into the playoffs without a lot of depth and inferior goaltending and Detroit had beefed up. So yeah I thought Detroit would take them out.
FD
Did you think Detroit had a chance against your old Oiler team?
Syl
No, not at all that one really shocked me. The Wild taking out the Flames surprised me a bit, but nothing like that Oilers/Wings series.
FD
Why didn't the Oilers get as far as you took them last year?
Syl
They didn't have the same depth, and they still don't have that top end defenceman. Last year I had 8 defenceman and 14 forwards that I could use on a regular basis. But in the end I lacked the top end guys for the final series. This year they had some top end guys up front, but they were too thin on the backend, and didn't have the horse. But I still thought they were good enough to get to the Cup without too much challenge. But they're still pretty young and will only be better next year.
FD
Whats up with the Devils these days anything?
Syl
Not a great deal, our main focus right now is the draft and targeting a few potential UFA players. We have a barebones type roster in place at a salary number we're comfortable with. We still have a few RFA's to work out deals for, but I'm confident we'll get those deals done quickley in the offseason.
FD
How do you think the Devils will fare next year?
Syl
Hard to say, it will really depend on what type of oppurtunities present themselves once this season ends. With a few CBA changes coming it's hard to say right now. My early inclination is that no team is going to have to hold a player sell off, and that most teams will have the ability to add a UFA or two under the cap. So given those circumstances it's going to be really hard for the Devils to push forward. But whatever we do, we'll make moves that make sense and push us forward and help us become the type of organization that consistantly makes the playoffs and competes for the Stanley Cup.
FD
Finally, whats your CPHL Stanley Cup prediction?
Syl
Thrashers beat the Wings in 5.
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