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2009-10 Season Preview: New Jersey Devils

John Fischer — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:16 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The Devils hired a new head coach, plan to have a few faces on the team, and yet keep the core together for 2009-10. How well will they succeed? (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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At the start of every season for a team there are so many uncertainties that could make the difference between a successful and a disappointing season. In fact, we can save time by just listing what is certain that we will see from the New Jersey Devils:

The Devils will play 82 games, 41 on the road and 41 at home. There will be games where the Devils are the better team, and win. There will be games where the Devils aren't the better team, but find a way to win anyhow. There will be games where the Devils are the better team, but lose somehow (a bad break, a fatal error, etc.). There will be games where the Devils look terrible and deserve to lose.

None of that answers the real question: Given the current team, how well will the New Jersey Devils do in 2009-10?

Overview of Last Season

The Devils had a fantastic regular season and managed to prove that there is indeed life after Martin Brodeur. Martin Brodeur was sidelined for 4 months with a torn bicep injury that required surgery in early November. Yet, contrary to what one may have expected, the Devils didn't wilt with the loss of their legendary goaltender. They soared. Brent Sutter managed the team to play solid possession hockey en route to another Atlantic Division title and a 51-27-4 record, a franchise high for wins in a season. Not a bad mark to hit given the success the team has had since 1993-94. As with most successes, there is much credit to be given: Scott Clemmensen playing very well in Brodeur's absence; the excellent play of Brodeur before the injury and not skipping a beat when he returned; the emergence of Zach Parise as a top scorer; Patrik Elias, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Travis Zajac rebounding to put up some really productive seasons; and Paul Martin leading an unheralded defense.

The playoffs were not what one expected. The Devils drew the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. The series was quite tight series with each team trading off wins, with Brodeur and Cam Ward playing excellent in net as the only constants. Alas, the Devils couldn't build off the momentum after either one of their three wins. They paid for it as the team collectively collapsed under some bad breaks to blow a 2 goal lead in 80 seconds in Game 7 to take an early exit from the postseason.

Offseason Overview

Disappointment was the best feeling one could have after that Game 7. Such a great season was marred by an embarrassing playoff exit. This was the first major reason that, I think, drove the Devils management - Lou - to reconsider the team's plans going forward. The second was Brent Sutter ~~quitting on~~ resigning from the New Jersey Devils instead of fulfilling the last year of his 3 year deal with New Jersey, and signing with the Calgary Flames to be their head coach in late June. After a season where the Devils thrived on offense due to Sutter's system, the Devils had to find a new head coach in addition to dealing with the NHL Draft and the beginning of free agency.

So the Devils basically stood pat on July 1. Truth be told, the Devils didn't do nothing; but their major deals were to retain Johnny Oduya, Andy Greene, Brendan Shanahan, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, and Travis Zajac - all of whom received raises. It can be argued that the biggest move made in the offseason, however, was to hire Jacques Lemaire as a head coach. Lemaire initially made his mark as a NHL head coach with New Jersey back in the mid-1990s. He's best known for bringing back the Montreal Canadiens' "neutral zone trap" to the NHL and leading the Devils to be NHL contenders and their first Stanley Cup in 1995. Initially, the concern was - perhaps still is among some fans - that he would be a defensive minded head coach. However, training camp has revealed so far that he wants to more offense within the team and the first preseason game indicates that he is planning to tweak Sutter's system instead of starting from scratch.

Who's Out: Outside of Oduya and Shanahan, the rest of the Devils unrestricted free agents were left to pursue other offers. Brian Gionta? Off to Montreal. John Madden? Off to Chicago. Mike Rupp? Off to Pittsburgh. Niclas Havelid? Off to Finland. Barry Tallackson? Off to St. Louis. Kevin Weekes? Now off to the television studio. Bobby Holik? Off to his ranch in Wyoming, as he retired. The only restricted free agent to not return to the organization is Petr Vrana, who will play for Vitkovice in the Czech Republic; though his NHL rights are still owned by New Jersey.

Who's In: The New Jersey Devils only made signings for depth. They added goaltender Yann Danis, brought back former draft pick forward Ilkka Pikkarainen from Finland, and signed two-way deals with defensemen Rob Davison and Cory Murphy along with some minor-league specific moves (e.g. trading Tony Romano for Ben Walter). The lack of activity was a clear sign that the Devils intend to go with a "youth movement" to spark the team overall, and to keep the overall salary cap low when the cap goes down next season - something that Lou is confident will happen.

Three Team Strengths

Chemistry - While the Devils lost a number of free agents, the core really is still the same. When Patrik Elias is healthy enough to play, they will have 5 of their top 6 forwards available - and the sixth may be Brian Rolston, who was on the team last season. The entire defense from last season returns for a third season. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the blueline to work even better as a unit now that they have been working together for so long. There may be open spots of the team, but the main parts of the team that won 51 games last season remain.
Coaching - Jacques Lemaire may have a reputation for defensive hockey and the trap. But he's publicly stated that he wants "a little more offense" than what the team was doing under Sutter. Based on the first preseason game, I felt the team played similarly to how Sutter had the team play. A few tweaks here and there, of course. And that's the strength. Lemaire is smart enough to know that the Devils don't need to be taught a completely different system or force square pegs into round holes. He knows what the organization wants and demands, he knows what the players can do, and he has responded accordingly.
Goaltending - Martin Brodeur is still one of the best goaltenders in the world today and he's completely healthy. I'm confident opposition forwards are already trying to figure out how to deal with it. Yann Danis did a fairly good job last season on an awful Islanders team and looked good in his first preseason game with New Jersey. Really, there's no reason not to be confident in this goaltending tandem.

Three Team Weaknesses

Depth at Center - Travis Zajac had a great 08-09 season and will continue to improve. At least, I expect him to improve. Dainius Zubrus may not be a good second line center, but he showed he can play the center position well enough and he's good on faceoffs. Beyond that, the Devils are hurt here by not replacing John Madden. Lowell's Rod Pelley is expected to be on the team (and was tipped by Lou as his replacement back in July, who knows if that's true now) but his lack of experience is a cause for concern. There were plans of Elias playing center yet again, but that's not happening because he had recent surgery to remove scar tissue from his groin. So Elias is now out for 3-6 weeks. The Devils have some options to get a fourth center on the team, but even then they will have to hope no other center gets injured.
Special Teams - The Devils power play wasn't so bad last season at 18.9%, but they only scored 48 goals in 5-on-4 situations (1 of 8 teams to score less than 50) and the majority of those goals came from either Parise, Elias, or Rolston. The penalty kill was poor, finishing with a success rate under 80%. The Devils will do well to improve the power play; but the penalty kill was surprisingly porous despite the Devils' normal commitment to defense.
Offense...from the Defense - Paul Martin was the only defenseman to put up more than 30 points last season; Oduya led the blueline in goals scored with 7 and shots on net with 108; and the defensemen combined for 3 power play goals. None of the Devils' top 6 can be considered as a true offensive defenseman and it showed when Brent Sutter used 1 defenseman on a power play (and sometimes, none at all). Cory Murphy was signed to help out on that front, as he put up 15 points in 25 games - 4 goals and 6 assists on the power play. He may be a specialist at best, though, so it'll still take a team effort to provide more points from the point.

Player Mentionables

Most Important Player: In most seasons, the answer to this question is normally Martin Brodeur. But last season proved that success doesn't rely entirely on Brodeur's shoulders. Don't get me wrong, I'll happily have Brodeur in net anytime. It's just that I think Zach Parise is the most important player for the Devils' offense and for the team. Parise broke through last season and his goalscoring and play making abilities made opposing defenses crazy and ensured success for the Devils more often than not. Parise led the team with 45 goals - a total that included 8 game winners, 3 overtime goals, 14 power play goals last season. He's pretty crucial, and what's more, he has the skills to prevent from being a one-year wonder (like Brian Gionta) since his game is so dynamic. It's not that he'll crash the net and put in a rebound, but he can also fire from mid-to-long range, set someone up from the side, and beat defenders for loose pucks all game long.

As the team's best offensive weapon, he'll need to continue to put up points at a similar rate next season to give the Devils the best chance of success. When Lemaire is saying you can't sit on a lead anymore in this league; that means the best defense is a good offense. Otherwise, the Devils' offense will be significantly weaker and the team will suffer for it. As a result, Parise is crucial to the team's success this season.

Player with the Most to Prove: Brian Rolston signed a 4 year, $20.25 millon deal in the summer of 2007 with the intention that he would an immediate significant contributor to the offense. Instead, he suffered an early injury, and ended up contributing only 15 goals and 32 points - his lowest totals since 1999-2000 - from the third line after said injury. Now that Brian Gionta is signed to Montreal, there is at least one spot for a top 6 winger available. Rolston will almost assuredly get the chance to play on an offensive line and attempt a comeback season. I'm expecting him to do that and replace Gionta's numbers in the process, and he's himself told the media that he's looking to rebound from last season. Now he just has to do it. Keep an eye on him.

Player who will Breakout in 2009-10: While multiple previews are tipping David Clarkson (and I don't disagree), I'm going to through some respect and high expectations to Johnny Oduya. Since coming to the NHL from Frolunda after the lockout, he has risen from a third pairing defenseman to be Paul Martin's defensive partner. He's pretty good at moving the puck, but his positioning and awareness in his own zone has improved by leaps and bounds over the years. He's not an offensive powerhouse, but he's improved his point totals with every season in addition to his defensive play. Now that he's guaranteed to be a Devil for another 3 years, I think the best is yet to come from Oduya - who is still only in his fifth season in North America professional hockey.

A Bold Prediction of a Depth Chart: This is a guess at a depth chart, assuming all players are healthy. I emphasize guess due to the ongoing training camp, along with injuries making a difference. So don't write these down in pen just yet.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner
Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - David Clarkson
Jay Pandolfo - Dainius Zubrus - Brendan Shanahan
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond - Rod Pelley - Ilkka Pikkarainen
Extras/Could Make Team: Nicklas Bergfors, Vladimir Zharkov, Patrice Cormier, Tim Sestito, Matt Halischuk

Paul Martin - Johnny Oduya
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Bryce Salvador - Andy Greene
Extras/Could Make Team: Cory Murphy, Jay Leach, Rob Davison, Matthew Corrente

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

A Bold Prediction

Predictions are risky by their nature. The unknown could strike at any kind and throw all hopes and predictions into doubt: a series of massive injuries, an unforeseen incident or problem wrecks the team internally, or even a string of bad hockey games. So many uncertainties can cause problems. Or even bring fortune, like a player unexpectedly becoming a regular producer or blowing out a rival when they least expect it. Again, the list of what is certain is far shorter and doesn't really tell us much about what a team will do in the future. Still, I think based on past history and what we do know about the team, we can make a decent attempt at a prediction.

As I've told Wyshynski, when asked for a "testimonial" for his preview, this is a franchise that has missed the playoffs exactly once and has the second best combined record in the NHL since 1993-94. The core of the team is back, Martin Brodeur is healthy, and so far, it seems that Lemaire really is just tweaking Brent Sutter's system. No, this team probably won't match the 51-win season last season unless they go some torrid streaks in 2009-10. Yes, there are still issues the Devils still have to address. Yes, the other teams in the Atlantic/East/League have made big changes that may make things harder for the Devils. But again, that core has been through a lot over the years and they know how to handle adversity. The history and the core lead me - and perhaps you - to be bold and confident in the Devils' chances this season.

So let's be bold and confident. Not only will this team definitely make the playoffs; I'd be shocked if they finish by more than 10 points behind the Atlantic Division winners. I'm predicting that the Devils finish second in the Atlantic and fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Given that I've been going through and criticizing other Devils previews, I fully invite you to tear this apart as you see fit. Feel free to leave any other comments you have about this preview and where you think the Devils will finish in 2009-10 - or just vote in the poll. I thank you for reading this preview and your continued readership.

Poll

Where will the New Jersey Devils finish in the Eastern Conference in 2009-10?

1st Place - Atl. Division & Conference Winner

21 votes

2nd Place - Atl. Division Winner

26 votes

3rd Place - Atl. Division Winner

30 votes

4th Place - ILWT Prediction

27 votes

5th Place

17 votes

6th Place

14 votes

7th Place

2 votes

8th Place

3 votes

9th Place or Worse - Out of Playoffs, Specify in Comments

11 votes

151 votes | Poll has closed

What Do You Think of the New Jersey Devils' Summer?

John Fischer — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:07:07 -0000

Free agency frenzy took place on July 1, a seemingly long time ago now that it's September 3rd. The summer may be over and so the Devils head into training camp with many changes in their roster. Going into training camp, the Devils have their defense, their goaltending, and their core still intact. I think the biggest loss won't be Brian Gionta, but John Madden as the Devils are now quite thin at center and you may have to pencil in the relatively-inexperienced Rod Pelley to fill in a big, big hole on the third line.

Now, the offseason isn't technically over yet, as the regular season starts in October. The Devils can still sign and trade players at any point in 2009. Moves can still be made. The roster is definitely not set and with the number of players who are still free agents (e.g. Manny Malhotra) as well as teams who are near or over the salary cap (e.g. Vancouver), I can imagine that there will plenty of action should Lou want to get involved. With a little over $5 million in cap space available to New Jersey, they have the room to sign another player or take on salary in a trade.

Overall, when looking back at the posts I made after a signing, I made a point of it to looking back at the polls asking for your reaction to the signing as well as comments. While the Devils lost 8 players to free agency and 1 to retirement, followed by the lack of action on July 1, your comments and the poll results indicated a positive reaction to most of the deals. I think this largely because the Devils were able to re-sign Johnny Oduya and Travis Zajac, two players that I think were important to retain. In my opinion, the only signing that garnered the most negative reaction was Ilkka Pikkarainen and that may be more confusion than anything else as well as frustration at the lack of other activity on July 1 by New Jersey.

So that being said, I would like to know your opinion about how the Devils did this past summer. Time has past and so the initial "gut reaction" won't be a factor. The poll is looking for your overall feeling; hence, it is an arbitrary rating. Given the reaction to the individual signings at the time, I expect it to be positive - but, as always, I'm willing to be proven wrong. If you have a more specific comment - praise, complaints, criticism - please bring it up in the comments and let's discuss the matter. After the jump is a quick summary of the Devils' current cap situation, all the moves the Devils made as well as who's released.

New Jersey Devils Total Salary as of Sept. 3, 2009 per CapGeek: $51,620,833

Available Cap Space: $5,179,167

Players Out: John Madden (UFA -> Chicago); Brian Gionta (UFA -> Montreal); Mike Rupp (UFA -> Pittsburgh); Niclas Havelid (UFA -> Linkoping HC in Sweden); Scott Clemmensen (UFA -> Florida); Barry Tallackson (UFA -> St. Louis); Kevin Weekes (UFA); Petr Vrana (RFA -> Vitkovice in Czech Rep.); Bobby Holik (Retired)

Players Re-Signed (Links to ILWT Post about Signing unless otherwise specified):

Johnny Oduya: $10.5 million for 3 years - Reaction from Comments: Positive.

Andy Greene: $1.475 million for 2 years - Reaction from Comments: Positive.

Travis Zajac: $15.55 million for 4 years - Poll Results: 49% love it, 40% like it, 7% on the fence, 1% don't like it, <1% hate it.

Brendan Shanahan: $1 million for 1 year - Poll Results: 45% love it, 45% like it, 6% on the fence, 2% don't like it, <1% hate it.

Patrick Davis: $522,500 for 1 year, Source: CapGeek.

Players Signed:

Ilkka Pikkarainen (Reaction from Comments: Confused/Underwhelmed) - Salary per CapGeek: $500,000 for 1 year.

Yann Danis: $550,000 for 1 year. - Poll Results: 57% like it, 24% on the fence, 9% love it, 5% don't like it, 2% hate it)

Cory Murphy: Two-way deal, $500,000 for 1 year per CapGeek (I got the salary wrong in the initial post) - Poll Results: 39% like deal, 32% on the fence, 19% love it, 5% don't like it, 2% hate it)

Minor Player Deals: Conditional pick traded to Edmonton for Tim Sestito; Rob Davison, Ben Walter, 6 others signed for Lowell.

New Coaches: Jacques Lemaire and Mario Tremblay (assistant); John MacLean named head coach of Lowell

Poll

On a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), how would you rate the New Jersey Devils offseason?

5 - I love what the Devils did this summer!

1 votes

4 - I liked most of the deals the Devils made; they had a good offseason.

41 votes

3 - I liked some deals, I didn't like others; the Devils just had an average summer.

82 votes

2 - With a few exceptions, I don't like what the Devils did overall.

31 votes

1 - I hate what the Devils did (and didn't do) this summer!

16 votes

171 votes | Poll has closed

How the New Jersey Devils Drew and Took Penalties Last Season

John Fischer — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:00:34 -0000

Behind the Net is a wonderful site. If you've been reading here for a while, you may have noticed that I have referenced that site more times I can count. I find that the compilation and calculation of many statistics based on the raw data taken in games is both fascinating and enlightening. Why look at raw +/- when you can notice how the shots against change when a player is on the ice to judge their defensive work? Why not consider CORSI in addition to purely production to measure a player's worth on offense? Thanks to Behind the Net, we can make the discussions more interesting and without resorting to "Well, I saw the player and I think he's X, Y, and Z - things you can only see live."

In my expectation post about Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, ILWT user Murdoc made a comment stating how he'd like to see a penalties created versus penalties served stat and how Leblond did in that regard. Well, Behind the Net has an entire section of stats for penalties drawn and penalties taken in even strength situations. This did the trick and his request was served. Thinking back on that comment, I took a second look at those numbers for the Devils today. Here's some highlights about how the Devils did at drawing and taking penalties last season .

For all skaters who played averaged 2 minutes of even strength last season and not including Niclas Havelid (I can't split up what he did in Atlanta with NJ), the Devils took 231 penalties and drawn 197. That's a drawn-taken differential of -34. I don't know how it stacks up for all teams, so I can't say for sure whether that's good, bad, or just plain mediocre.
The most successful Devils at drawing penalties were Zach Parise (28), Patrik Elias (23), and David Clarkson (20). Seeing Parise and Elias lead the way shouldn't be surprising as the dangerous forwards force opposition defenders to committ an infraction. Clarkson drawing 20 could be the result of his pestering, gritty style of play. That may also explain how Mike Rupp drew 19.
Not that we should start lauding Clarkson or missing Rupp for drawing calls) Clarkson and Rupp also finished tied for third in most penalties taken with 19 along with Dainius Zubrus (!?). As you may expect, Bobby Holik led the team in taken penalties with 27; Bryce Salvador finished in second with 21 taken in even strength situations.
Seriously, Zubrus and Clarkson has to got to be a little smarter out there.
In general, I can understand defensemen taking significantly more calls on even strength play. It's basically the same reasoning as forwards drawing penalties - a defender is caught or burnt and has to penalize a player to prevent a worse occurrence (e.g. a goal). Incidentally, the only regular defenseman to not have taken more than 10 penalties on even strength was Andy Greene (6).
Still, I want Salvador to take less calls on even strength. Colin White can improve there too, as he took 18.
Only two Devils who played at least 20 games did not draw any penalties last season: Jay Leach (who took 2) and Brendan Shanahan (who took 9). I'm really confused as to why Shanahan didn't draw any. I know he's not fast, but neither is Salvador and he managed to draw 6 (somehow).
As far as call-ups go, Leach took 2 and drew none; Leblond took 2 and drew 1; and Petr Vrana took and drew exactly one penalty.

And this is only from the raw count of penalties taken from Behind the Net. I find these sorts of stats to be interesting and I hope you got something out of them. With respect to the team as a whole, I'm confident the Devils will take fewer even strength penalties if only because Holik and Rupp aren't on the team anymore. That's 46 calls right there. Should Salvador, Zubrus, Clarkson, and White play a little smarter, it can fall even further. Likewise, the differential will improve as long as Parise and Elias keep doing their thing; should the other forwards play with more speed, I think the Devils will be drawing even more calls next season.

Feel free to have your say regarding how the Devils took and drew penalties last season. Is this what you expected? Do you think the Devils will do better in this regard? Please leave your comments and thank you for reading.

Why the New Jersey Devils will have a Different Look in 2009-2010 - and what should be done next

John Fischer — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:27:43 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Johnny Oduya was the most important UFA to be re-signed by the Devils. Hopefully, he should not be the only one signed by the Devils this summer. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

The New Jersey Devils have not done a whole lot in free agency so far this summer. Here is exactly what they have done (all these links go to Gulitti's posts as confirmation of moves):

Now, I said that Oduya was a must-sign player among all the UFAs and to that end, the Devils succeeded. Credit Lou with that. Moreover, Lou has been able to keep Greene to keep the defense intact and Travis Zajac has been qualified, so he'll return as well.

Of course, I also said that the Devils needed a two-way/offensive defenseman on the blueline as that's the only type of player the defense could use; as well as a back up goaltender, and possible upgrade at center on the second line. With John Madden now in Chicago, the Devils also need a checking center. So to that end, the Devils still need to fill these needs.

I think most of the readers understand why Lou is doing this. thejerseydevil really hit the head on the nail as far as what the plan could be with this FanPost. Though, the reasons are not exactly a secret according to Lou.

There are essentially two reasons: 1) the salary cap is going to go down after this upcoming season and 2) Lou wants to give the prospects a real chance at making the lineup. Let me repeat the quote Chere had from Lou yesterday evening:

"I don't think this is a change in direction," Lamoriello said. "It's a change of people pushing other people. The core is still there. But you can't keep everybody. The cap is going down next year."

The emphasis on the youth is further justified with this quote from Lou that Gulitti got today:

But Lamoriello reiterated that the "primary" reason was, "We want to put some young people in this lineup. Remember, we haven't won the last two years. We won during the regular season (but not the playoffs). So, we've got to get some new people in there and, also, we've got to put some responsibility on some people who are core people and are becoming core people to get it done and start logging more ice time."
...
"It was a decision because I think people are ready to takes roles in other areas," Lamoriello said. "In my mind, I think (Rod) Pelley, (Pierre-Luc Letourneau-) Leblond, (Nicklas) Bergfors are that close. They still have to do it. And (Matt) Halischuk is not far away. (Alexander) Vasyunov is not far away. Those are real things."

In a way, I can get behind this idea. Back before and during the 1999-2000 season, the Devils started integrating the then-unknown qualities of John Madden, Brian Rafalski, Scott Gomez, and Jay Pandolfo. Back in the 1999-00 season, you'd be lying if you told me they would become the impact players on the Devils that they would become. Nothing gold can stay, though, so it is time for them to go and perhaps that Lou is talking up Pelley, Bergfors, Halischuk, Vasyunov, and Leblond - he sees something similar in them as he did back nearly a decade ago.

In addition to the aforementioned prospects, there's Matthew Corrente and Tyler Eckford on the blueline to push the defensemen for spots; and from junior and NCAA leagues, there's Patrice Cormier, Adam Henrique, Nick Palmieri, and David Wohlberg right off the top of my head. I'm sure they (and others!) will get some serious looks in preseason. The Devils may not have any "this guy is definitely going be in the NHL and succeed" prospects, but they aren't just standard guys either.

Back to Lou's gambit. Since this is a results-oriented business, it's important to note that the Devils haven't gotten further than the second round in the playoffs after the lockout in 2004-05. Those teams definitely could contend one way or another - I felt really strongly about last season being a fantastic roster who could make it happen. Yet bad breaks (this past spring), a lack of fire (2008 playoffs), running out of gas (2006, 2007) or whatever reason you want to attribute the losses to aside, the Devils did not succeed in the playoffs.

Rather than trying to sign another veteran to a deal that some would say is outrageous and hoping things will be different this time, Lou's gambit is to give the youth a chance. At the least, they'll develop and the Devils will be safe should the salary cap drop significantly for 2010-11. For what it's worth, NJmetal15 took a stab at what this year's team could look like budget-wise in this FanPost. It's not a bad attempt except for a few generous assumptions.

Anyway, my point is that I get what Lou is trying to do. It's clear that the next head coach of the Devils will have to be willing to work with and utilize the younger players. And as Blez pointed out in this FanPost about why Rolston's presence is now a blessing at this point, the Devils do have some flexibility with respect to positions at forward. As it stands, the Devils will need that. However, I think the Devils absolutely should make some signings to fill in some of these holes.

At a minimum, the Devils should sign a back-up goaltender. Jeff Frazee had a fantastic 2008-09 season from what I understand, starting in Trenton, getting called up to Lowell, and performing fairly well in the AHL. Lou has said that he could be Brodeur's back up, but I think Frazee's development would be better served by starting in the AHL. He'll get minutes, he'll get games, and he'll face a lot more shots than he would in practice or pre-game drills in New Jersey. I think Frazee needs experience moreso than anything else, and he won't have that on the bench. And yes, even if Brodeur plays the mythical 60 games some want him to play because it's a nice number, that's still significant time watching instead of making saves for Frazee.

As far as the defense goes, I can live with the defense as-is. I really would like to see a M-A Bergeron added to it as an offensive threat, but the group has been successful before, they can make it happen again. Yet, the Devils still need a center. Right now it's Zajac, Zubrus, and Pelley. And Zubrus isn't a natural center. It's such an unfortunate turn of events that Petr Vrana signed a two-year deal to play in the Czech Republic, as he could have been a frontrunner for a spot on this team already! Anyway, the Devils need someone to play center and if you didn't like Zubrus taking up the role, I don't think you're going to enjoy seeing a winger like Patrik Elias or Rolston try and do it for a whole season.

I truly think the Devils should sign at least one center - be it a defensive center to be on the third line, or a more offensive-minded center on the second line. Truth be told, I did want to see Saku Koivu here. However, given that his deal with Minnesota appears to be breaking down because the Wild aren't offering him a four year deal according to Michael Russo; I can't see Lou giving him such a long term deal. Two years, OK, bring on Saku. Anything longer and it starts making less sense. Russo's post offers a list of who's left and take a look at the centers:

Centers: Saku Koivu, Mike Comrie, Robert Lang, Todd Marchant, Jason Williams, P.J. Axelsson, Radek Bonk, Manny Malhotra, Dominic Moore.

Most of these are viable options - if only for a one or two-year deal. I think the Devils would be better off getting another actual center either for the second line (Koivu, Williams, Comrie, Lang) or for a third line (Malhotra, Axelsson, Moore, Marchant, Bonk). It'll add strength to the group of forwards, it'll prevent forcing wingers to play out of position, and they have skills who would keep the Devils more competitive. If it's Koivu, great! If not, I can settle for most of these guys (I'd be the most wary on Bonk and Lang due to age, incidentally).

I'm not looking for a big splash, but signing a back-up goaltender and getting another center now would not compromise the intent of getting younger and giving the prospects a chance. If anything, it'll reduce the temptation of rushing up Frazee (or another junior prospect) to the NHL, or playing a prospect winger out of position Given the reasons brought up by Lou and others, I completely understand and can agree with this different look for the 2009-10 season. I just don't think the Devils should just stand pat either and just settle for possibly Brendan Shanahan to be the last man signed. I don't think he will and I certainly Lou can at least fill in those two holes.

Chere: Travis Zajac Qualified, Andy Greene Not Qualified, and Ben Walter Signed

John Fischer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:45:56 -0000

On the eve of this summer's free agency period beginning, Chere has a final bit of news regarding the New Jersey Devils up this evening.

I would like to remind you that Lou told Gulitti he planned to qualify Travis Zajac and Andy Greene on Saturday. However, the situation has changed apparently. Chere reports - and as you can see in the title - that only Travis Zajac was actually qualified. Defenseman Andy Greene was not, namely to avoid a permanent raise according to Lou:

However, it is very possible that Greene will be signed Wednesday before he even tests the market. The Devils would have had to give the young blue liner a 10 percent qualifying raise to $660,000, but chose to work out a deal that could save precious cap space.

"We didn't qualify Andy Greene but we will be sitting down tomorrow and trying to work out a contract," general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "It's not something we haven't done before."

Greene is a depth defenseman. Should someone from Lowell - Matthew Corrente - push for a spot in New Jersey, he could very well end up a healthy scratch. The same will likely happen if the Devils go out and sign an unrestricted free agent defenseman. So Greene isn't going to get a lot of money as he may not even have a spot on the team next season. That said, I find Lou's reasoning a bit odd - as this is saving a whopping $60,000, which is really insignificant with respect to the salary cap. It's even odder when you consider that Lou says that they'll be working out a contract on Wednesday anyway. Why wait? I don't know.

Ben ~~Walton~~ Walter, the player the Devils traded Tony Romano for, figures to be a player for Lowell. In Chere's report, Lou straight up said that he's been signed for depth in the minor leagues.

Gulitti has the same news, but he also adds that Petr Vrana and Patrick Davis have been tendered qualifying offers to keep them in the Devils organization. Vrana's not going to sign as he'll be playing in the Czech Republic next season, he only needed to be qualified. Davis probably will - and remain in Lowell.

In my opinion, I would expect deals to be announced with Greene and Zajac by noon tomorrow, when restricted free agents can actually be signed. As far as who else the Devils may be offering, your guess is as good as mine. I have my big free agent preview here, Falconer has a list of unqualified RFAs who will be UFAs tomorrow, and Mirtle has a big list of every team's respective previews and a short blurb on them. Lastly, feel free to head on to The Copper & Blue or Silver Sens and marvel at the Dany Heatley trade - ~~should Heatley actually decide to waive his no-trade clause for it, of course.~~ (Update: Heatley said no according to TSN)

NHL Free Agency: New Jersey Devils Preview - Take 2

John Fischer — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:13:35 -0000

Now that the NHL Draft is over - and feel free to read through this massive overview in case you'd like to learn more - it's time to turn our attention to free agency. Which begins on Wednesday. We finally have a salary cap floor and ceiling set for next season, and now is a good as time as any to recap the Devils' current status. After this welcoming aside:

WELCOMING ASIDE: If you have visited for the first time over the past few days or for today or for tomorrow (yes, this is a message for the future), I welcome you to SBN and to In Lou We Trust! Feel free to register, leave your thoughts on what is being discussed either in a comment or more extensive thoughts in a FanPost. If you'd like to point out a link to something interesting and hockey-related, post a FanShot. Just keep it clean, age-appropriate, and relevant to the Devils. I'll have a Rules & Guidelines section later going into further detail. Until then, welcome and I invite you to join on in the conversation.

The title is not to fool anyone. I've done a more in-depth preview way back on May 1 of all of the Devils' restricted and unrestricted free agents - that was Take 1. Therefore, this is Take 2. Much has changed since May 1.

Pending UFAs: D Johnny Oduya, RW Brian Gionta, C John Madden, G Scott Clemmensen, G Kevin Weekes, LW/C Mike Rupp, ~~D Niclas Havelid, C Bobby Holik~~, RW Brendan Shanahan

The Devils finished the 2008-09 season with 9 Unrestricted Free Agents. However, they currently only have 7 to deal with. The 36 year old defenseman, Niclas Havelid, has transferred over to Europe for next season. He will play for Linkoping in the Swedish Elite League, according to Gulitti, so he is out of the picture. Bobby Holik will also not return to the New Jersey Devils, but he will be playing for no team. Holik has retired from hockey - here's the news post broken by Gulitti and here is a post I had thanking Holik for what he did for the Devils. Therefore, both of their names are crossed out.

Anyway, this leaves the Devils with 7 UFAs. And according to Gulitti's post today, he explicitly states that Gionta, Madden, Clemmensen, and Rupp are expecting to field offers. Johnny Oduya is the team's top UFA priority and while Aftonbladet broke news yesterday that the Devils did re-sign him, Gulitti got a quote from Lou yesterday stating that "nothing has been done" yet. Still, it is true that the Devils are looking to keep him.

As far as Weekes goes, Chere talked to Weekes, who stated that he wasn't sure if he'll return for next season with New Jersey. It seems to me that he will likely field offers on Wednesday as well. Lastly, Shanahan or his agent hasn't said anything one way or another about returning to New Jersey - just that he's playing hockey next season, according to Gulitti.

Why hasn't Lou talked to these guys any earlier? Well, the salary cap floor and ceiling wasn't announced until Friday afternoon, so no GM knew exactly how much they had to play with, which is fair, in my opinion.

Not Included: RW Barry Tallackson (Group VI) - Minor leaguer, not expected to get a NHL contract anyhow.

Pending RFAs: C Travis Zajac, D Andy Greene, LW Pierre-Luc Leblond-Latourneau, C Petr Vrana

Petr Vrana will play in the Czech Republic next season after a disappointing and injury-plagued 2008-09 campaign. While he got a few games up with New Jersey, he didn't get significant minutes in most of them, so he couldn't prove what he could do on the ice. And a broken leg cut short his season in Lowell. According to Gulitti, Vrana will play for Vitkovice of the Czech Extraliga, but the Devils will still hold his rights. Based on Lou's comments in Gulitti's post, he could still have a future with the Devils.

Pierre-Luc Leblond-Latourneau's name is only crossed off because the Devils actually signed him. According to Gulitti, it was a three-year deal worth $1.575 million total. He'll make the minimum NHL salary in the first year, with increases of $25,000 every year. So he's definitely returning, who knows whether he has a spot on the team.

As far as Zajac and Greene are concerned, Gulitti did report that Lou would give them each qualifying offers. Lou had to do that by 5 PM today but if he said he was going to do it, I would think he had done so. My understanding of salary rules means that the qualifying offers must include at least a 5% raise in salary for players making between $600,000 and $1 million (Last year: Greene made $600,000, Zajac made $987,000). I expect both to get that - much more than that for Zajac - and expect both to return.

Not Included: C Patrick Davis - He is a RFA, but given that he's been with Lowell and will likely remain there, I also wouldn't expect a NHL contract.

Salary Cap Space: According to ESPN, the salary cap floor is set at $40.8 million and the salary cap ceiling is set at $56.8 million. Based on what NHL Numbers has put together, the Devils have 14 players committed to next season with salaries totaling $40.433 million. This leaves the Devils with $16.367 million to spend, however, the Devils will have much less than that to spend considering that they have to sign Zajac and Greene and it is not expected (or wise) to spend up to the ceiling for next season. Assuming Zajac and Greene are signed for a combined $5 million, I think the Devils will spend $6-8 million of what's left.

Projected Budget: The Devils spent $55.919 million last year on players according to NHL Numbers. I would expect the Devils to spend no more than $55 million. In fact, I'd expect a much lower number in anticipation for a falling salary cap ceiling for 2010-11 as well as having money available for Paul Martin and Zach Parise when their contracts end in the next few years.

Key Needs: The Devils need to upgrade their defense, preferbly with an offensive or two-way defenseman. It is the one type of player the Devils do not have on their blueline. Up front, fans want to see an upgrade over Dainius Zubrus at centering the second scoring line. But the needs will really be guided by who does and does not come back to New Jersey. The Devils also need a backup goaltender with both of them being UFAs. Nobody huge, just someone who can step in and do well occasionally. Preferbly a veteran. Oh, and while it's not technically a free agency need, the Devils need to hire a new head coach.

Additional thoughts

Defense: Should the Devils not be able to grab a proper two-way/offensive defenseman, just another top 4 capable defenseman who would be an improvement on Mike Mottau would be very useful. If the Devils can't keep Oduya, they will need to find a top pairing defender among a FA group that doesn't have too many of those. Again, keeping Oduya is quite important.

Offense: The Devils will have to fill in spots on their fourth line with Holik retiring, with Rupp and Shanahan as question marks. It gets worse if Madden doesn't return. Should the Devils get a second line center, Zubrus could be moved down and fill in at wing or center elsewhere; but don't be too surprised (or unhappy) if Zubrus is still a center on the top two lines at the start of next season.

Coaching: I would prefer that Lou wait if it means getting a very good coach for the Devils, rather than going out and signing someone just to have a coach on July 1. Yes, not having a coach for those free agent talks could be a problem; but the agents are dealing with Lou, who can easily relay to the agents what type of coaching their clients can expect for 2009-10. That's my rationalization, and I'm sticking to it.

Potential Targets: Since May, I have done a series of posts on available free agent defensemen and centers that someone think could be a good fit for the Devils. I took a stab at analyzing each of them, considering their performance, recent history, style of play, and their potential contract. Among the posts I've done, I would like the Devils to consider the following players (in no order):

Defensemen: Mattias Ohlund, Rob Scuderi, Adrian Aucoin, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Francois Beauchemin, Dennis Seidenberg

Centers: Saku Koivu, Manny Malhotra (for 3rd line position), maybe Jason Williams, and if he's willing to go back to center and if his back is OK for one more year: Steve Sullivan

As far as who Lou is actually looking at, well, I couldn't tell you. Lou keeps that sort of information to himself as to not reveal his intentions too easily. If you know, you probably work with Lou - and in that case, I'm sure Lou would like you to keep it to yourself. (And if you're reading this Lou, uh, hi! Welcome! Don't mind me, just offering opinion here.)

What Our Rivals Want: Like anyone else, success. But as far as free agency is concerned...

I would think the Flyers and the Rangers want to have some actual cap space. The Flyers did make a big trade for Chris Pronger on Friday (great analysis at Broad Street Hockey). Given that the team struggled with fitting all players under the cap, they will be looking to offload some players for some cap relief. The Rangers have too many bad contracts as it is. Therefore, if they look to sign anyone, I would think they want some bang-for-their-buck players. Bargains, if you will. Unless they can move some of those massive contracts, they won't be going after anyone looking for significant money. I am also assuming the front offices of their respective teams also know what they are doing. Glen Sather may have figured it out by saying "no" to Nik Antropov's demands, according to the NY Post via Blueshirt Banter.

The Islanders got their sexy, star-studded #1 draft pick, but for free agency, I would expect them to at least get a solid, #1A goaltender should Rick DiPietro become injured yet again. It's one of the options Dominik has at Lighthouse Hockey about the subject and I agree that it's really their only big need. If they can get someone in that role, the team will be much more competitive, no disrespect intended for Joey MacDonald, though. other than that, the re-building continues on the Island. Perhaps Scott Clemmensen can be that goalie.

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the 2009 Stanley Cup. Now that is over with, I think they need to get better on the wings. Some signings from last season were dire all season long (namely, Miroslav Satan), some just couldn't get it together in the playoffs (e.g. Petr Sykora, Chris Kunitz). The Pens are set at center, yet they would become a much stronger team with more offensively-threatening players next to Crosby and Malkin. They may want to snag a defensive defenseman should Hal Gill or Rob Scuderi go elsewhere.

My Thoughts Overall: My thoughts from May actually still remain. It's good that Zajac and Greene will be given qualifying offers; and I think the Devils need to re-sign Oduya. That's the important goal internally.

I would like Madden and Gionta back but only for less money - and I only expect Madden to do that. Gionta's spot can be taken by Rolston and I'm convincing myself that Rolston will (have to) be better next season. With the Leblond signing, that could be the end of the Mike Rupp Experience in New Jersey as Leblond can provide energy, hits, and punches to the face just as well as Rupp. I wouldn't mind Shanahan returning for a little money. I expect someone else to give Clemmensen a shot a playing time and I would like to see Weekes return then; but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing if the Devils get someone new as the backup.

Outside of the Devils, I'd like to see the Devils go after a two-way defenseman. If they keep Oduya, they can afford to get a player who isn't as sharp or isn't able to play a ton of minutes. That would be ideal. Of course, it will all happen on Wednesday, so until then - we speculate!

New Jersey Devils News and notes, May-28/June 2, 2009

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:26:32 -0000

Lamoriello: It might not do Vrana harm to play in Czech Republic; Leblond signs for three years, $1.575 million - (Fire & Ice)
Sutter knows he has to make up his mind "soon"; Leblond re-signs - (Fire & Ice)
Nieuwendyk to be named Stars' general manager - (Fire & Ice)
Record report: Vanderbeek calls for Izod Center to be closed - (Fire & Ice)
An undecided Brent Sutter: I need to make a decision soon about coaching the New Jersey Devils - (The Star Ledger)
Tough guy winger Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond signed for three years by New Jersey Devils; Petr Vrana to play in Czech Republic - (The Star Ledger)

FA Defensemen & the Devils: Nick Boynton & Karlis Skrastins - (In Lou We Trust)
Free Agent Defensemen & the Devils: Francois Beauchemin - (In Lou We Trust)
FA Defensemen & the Devils: Martin Skoula, Kurtis Foster, & Marc-Andre Bergeron - (In Lou We Trust)
Taking Doc For Granted - (In Lou We Trust)
Free Agent Defensemen & the Devils: Adrian Aucoin & Jordan Leopold - (In Lou We Trust)
Free Agent Defensemen & the Devils: Derek Morris - (In Lou We Trust)
Free Agent Defensemen & the Devils: Hal Gill & Rob Scuderi - (In Lou We Trust)
Devils re-sign Letourneau-Leblond - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Devils Team Report Jun 1, 2009 - (Yahoo NHL)
Brent Sutter Likely To Leave the New Jersey Devils - (Bleacher Report)
It's Crisis Time for Lamoriello & the Devils: NY Rangers Smell Blood - (Bleacher Report)
Hockey star Patrik Elias : "You can't get comfortable when you're at the top"Read the original story - (Radio Prague)
Devils coach sounds torn - (Slam Hockey)
Yea Though I Walk Through The Uncanny Valley Of The Devils… - (Interchangeable Parts)

LOWELL DEVILS
2008-09 Season in Review: November - Devils rebound after rough start to month - (LowellDevilsHockey.com)

MISCELLANEOUS
Corzine defends Izod’s record - (The Bergen Record)
Izod Center not losing money, governor says - (The Bergen Record)
Izod Center a drain on state? - (The Bergen Record)
Devils owner calls for Izod Center to close - (The Bergen Record)
Nieuwendyk introduced as Stars GM - (Yahoo NHL)
Chelios, Rafalski on brink of fourth Stanley Cups - (University of Wisconsin Badgers)
Henrique named to roster - (Brantford Expositor)
Ex-NHLer Danton nears release from prison - (Canada.com)
Hennessy named UMass play-by-play announcer - (NESN.com)
Former N.J. Devils forward Grant Marshall gives life lesson to Somerville students - (Somerset Reporter)
Should The Rangers Try To Lure Another Devil Across The Hudson? - (Bleacher Report)

Free Agent Devils: Take 1

John Fischer — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:52:42 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

New Jersey Devils general manager and the Lou We Trust, Lou Lamoriello, will have a very busy offseason. Not all of the 14 free agents the Devils have can be re-signed. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Browse more photos »

The team had it's break up yesterday and Chere and Gulitti were able to get plenty of information and quotes from the departing players, coach Brent Sutter, and Lou. The offseason has truly started for the Devils as the focus is now on free agency. Chere has a great summation of the current roster and a quick thought as to their status.

Now, according to Gulitti, he got this from Lou regarding his plans for the offseason yesterday:

Lamoriello admitted that he won't be able to re-sign all of the team's unrestricted free agents, though.

"We have a lot of unrestricted free agents," Lamoriello said. "I would be impossible for us to have all of our unrestricted free agents back whether we wanted to or didn't want to. That's the only way I can answer that question."

Lamoriello said he wants to re-sign all of the team's restricted free agents -- Travis Zajac, Andy Greene, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond.

It is a bit too soon to discuss how much the Devils should commit to each player when the final cap number has yet to be announced. Even then, the Devils really shouldn't go to the maximum point anyway. They'll need some space to allow for injury call-ups and any potential trades during the season. More importantly, Paul Martin's and David Clarkson's contracts end after next season, and the Devils need to hold onto both players.

The Devils have, based on Chere's list, have $40.45 million signed to 1 goalie, 5 defensemen, and 7 forwards. There's 4 players who are restricted free agents and will be expected to be qualified: Zajac, Greene, Leblond, and Petr Vrana. The salary cap truly does make it really impossible to keep everyone unless a lot of players are willing to take paycuts.

So of course, not every one can be re-signed. In fact, not everyone should be re-signed. Let's have a go at who should stay and who should go.

Let's start with the restricted free agents. Lou wants to sign all of them. Not a bad idea.

Travis Zajac is a must-sign. He had a terrific third season in the NHL and he established himself as the team's top center. Given that Zach Parise has a contract averaging $3 million/year, I would think Zajac will get a deal averaging $2-$2.5 million/year. I emphasize the contract average as that A) it will be a cap hit and B) like what the Devils did with Parise, expect Zajac's salary to increase from season to season.

While he didn't set the world on fire, Andy Greene is a serviceable third pairing defenseman. Will he breakout and become a important cog in the Devils' blueline? I don't think so. He does have has his moments and while will get a nice raise, he can be kept fairly cheaply. I would be really surprised if he got too much over $1 million, and even then I don't think he'll get paid that much. I'm thinking of something like Mottau-like salary of $775,000.

If you want the Devils to go younger, then keeping Petr Vrana and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond makes sense. PLLL is an energy player who may be more of a goon. Should Mike Rupp go, Leblond can step in and fairly inexpensively. I also think there will definitely be more spots going into training camp in September, so the time is really now for Vrana. The Devils will sign him to see if he'll take the opportunity and run with it. Both will be paid under a million.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

REMEMBER: UFAs make their own decisions. Lou can offer them anything he wants, but all decisions are up to the players (and their agents). Keep that in mind.

BRIAN GIONTA, 30, RW 2008-09 Salary: $4 million

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Brian Gionta	81	20	40	60	12	32	3	3	1	0	248	8.1

A RELEVANT QUOTE FROM GULITTI:

Does he want to return?

"Yeah. It's a great organization. The guys are great in this room, a lot of great friends and it's a great place to play."

So Gionta wants to stay. Though, assuming he's around all the players when asked that question, I don't think he would say otherwise. Still, Gionta's numbers would be more favorable if A) he didn't get that fat $4 million/year contract after scoring 48 goals and B) see A. Gionta spent the 2008-09 on a scoring line where he often got into good positions but couldn't necessarily finish them. 40 assists in a career high and it's not like he sucked. He was signed with the idea and hope that he's become a sniper. Yet with every season since 2005-06, we're learning that's not the case going from 25, 22, and now 20 goals. Yes, his assists has risen; but he got the money to be a goalscorer and he honestly isn't that player.

I don't want him on the Devils if he's going to continue to be paid $4 million. $3 million, OK, I can live with it. I can also live with him being on another team. I wouldn't expect his agent or Gionta to take a big discount when there's likely a NHL team out there that's willing to overpay for Little G. Plus, with Brian Rolston on the team who would actually fit in better if he was on a scoring line, it's not as if the Devils don't have a replacement ready.

JOHN MADDEN, 36, C 2008-09 Season: $2.9 million

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - John Madden	76	7	16	23	-7	26	0	1	2	0	132	5.3

A RELEVANT QUOTE FROM GULITTI:

Center John Madden is scheduled to become unrestricted on July 1. When I asked him if he would be willing to listen to offers before that date, he said, "I guess it basically comes down to I want to go where I'm wanted and that's it. Obviously, if I'm wanted here, most likely I'll be here. But if I'm not wanted here, then I'l find other employment."

When asked if he feels wanted by the Devils, Madden replied, "Yeah.

But when asked if he was sure of that all season, he said, "No."

Asked if he thinks he'll be back, Madden said, "I don't know. Who knows? Your one question raises so many other questions, so it's not that easy."

Checking centers are always a bit difficult to evaluate. They aren't being paid necessarily to score, you need them to play hard and get the big stops on defense and during penalty kills. Still, Madden didn't start off the 2008-09 all that well. The ending was fine, Madden showed that he still has "game" in my view.

Yet, this doesn't sound like a man who definitely wants to stay as a Devil! If you allow me to read in between the lines, Madden's likely realizing that he's nearing the end of his career. He can't go out to the market now, say "I'm John Madden, give me an offer," and get a ton of them. I think the concern is whether the Devils organization would actually give him one. Because he didn't have a great year like 2007-08, his performance was up-and-down, he may feel New Jersey may not want him around after that.

I think Madden still has something to bring to the table as a Devil. Will he be a Selke candidate ever again? No. But he has the character, the heart, and the desire to still play. He still has the skillset to be a shutdown center, just not as one of the best in the league. The Devils really don't have a player like Madden just ready to step in and do what he does - unless you happen to love Rod Pelley. I think Lou will give him an offer.

As far as an offer goes, I would be very surprised if his salary stays around $3 million. I can't imagine any team giving him that much, really. Given the age and his role on the ice, any deal he'll get will likely be for $2.5 million at most and be for 2 years at most.

JOHNNY ODUYA, 27 D, 2008-09 SALARY: $600,000

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Johnny Oduya	82	7	22	29	21	30	1	1	4	0	108	6.5

A RELEVANT QUOTE FROM GULITTI:

On his season and whether he has set himself up for a big raise from his $600,000 salary this season:

"I feel I had a solid year, but the free agent market depends on who needs what. I can't speculate about that. It's tough. I had a fairly good year. There are things I can do better also. For me, the way it ended, I haven't had too much time to think about the future."

No one will confuse Oduya with an offensive defenseman, but those are career highs on offense (and only 30 PIM!) in his third season with the Devils and in NHL. He has grown considerbly as a player with the Devils since signing with them back in 2006-07. Oduya is usually paired with Paul Martin and the two definitely work well with each other. Oduya is definitely a top-4 defenseman who can handle the first pairing, as he does for the Devils. He's definitely a must-sign, the only one among all the UFAs. Other than Colin White, I don't think there isn't a defenseman here who can step up into Oduya's role for a whole season.

Which is why it's going to be really difficult to keep him. He's still in the prime of his career and he's improved in every season with the Devils. The rest of the league knows this and most teams will make some very tempting offers. Lou, if you're reading this, thanks. But seriously, do not lowball Oduya. Don't even let him have a chance to dwell over his future in New Jersey. Give him a Colin White-esque deal ($3 million/year, 5+ years) if necessary!

SCOTT CLEMMENSEN, 31, G, 2008-09 SALARY: $500,000

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Scott Clemmensen	40	2356	25	13	1	5	94	2.39	1138	1044	.917	2

A RELEVANT QUOTE FROM GULITTI:

"I'm going into two scenarios. One, I'm very familiar with having played my whole career on one-year contracts basically, going into a summer not knowing where I'm going to be the next year. That's not something new for me. But I do believe that this summer, as opposed to the rest, I think I will have the most amount of opportunities presented. That's what I'm anticipating anyway. There's two sides to the coin. One I'm very familiar with. So, you kind of put those two things together and I feel pretty good about it.

Scott Clemmensen had to fill in the mighty void left by Martin Brodeur when Brodeur went down to injury and he did a great job. Many tout his 25 wins (ASIDE: funny, when Brodeur wins a lot of games, it's a team stat and not a big deal; but when Clemmensen did it...) namely as proof that Clemmensen, in fact, can be a starting goaltender in the NHL. While he wasn't always confidence inspiring, the results speak for themselves. It was greatly beneficial for the team and for Clemmensen's career.

Just read that quote: he's expecting to get offers and he should be! There has to be some NHL GMs looking for a capable goaltender that won't break their budgets. I'd be absolutely shocked if no other team makes him an offer to make him a regular goaltender this summer. He's going to be a #1/#1a goalie somewhere else and I wish him the best of luck with the rest of his career.

KEVIN WEEKES, 34, G, 2008-09 SALARY: $700,000

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Kevin Weekes	16	795	7	5	0	1	32	2.42	399	367	.920	0

A RELEVANT QUOTE FROM GULITTI:

Does Weekes think he will be back with the Devils next season?

"That's a great question," he said. "Obviously, you never know how things are going to work out with free agency and you never want to take anything for granted one way or the other. There's just so many unknowns and so many variables. As far as my time here, I really enjoyed my time here. There's a lot that I really like about this organization, We were able to accomplish some pretty unique things, although we didn't ultimately go as far as we wanted to. But it was certainly nice to be a contributer and be a part of that.

"Looking forward now, my main priority is to make sure my knee is 100 percent and just assessing all options from there later on in the summer."

Weekes signed on with the Devils two seasons ago knowing full well he'll be backing up Martin Brodeur. That he stated that he enjoyed his time here can be interpreted two ways. The first is that he's looking to go elsewhere, given that it appears that he's already talking about "his time as a Devil" with some nostalgia. the second is that he's being complimentary and would like to stay.

Honestly I'm not sure what Weekes could get on the open market. In his past few years, he's been a backup goaltender. He's talented, but he didn't do anything where teams will think he can be a starter again. Remember that it was Clemmensen who established himself as a de facto starter after Weekes initially started when Brodeur went down to injury. Unless Lou wants to grab a backup goaltender on the market, keeping Weekes would be a good idea. He knows what to expect and he's not disgruntled about being behind Martin Brodeur. He hasn't in two seasons.

MIKE RUPP, LW/C, 29, 2008-09 SALARY: $500,000

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Mike Rupp	72	3	6	9	-2	136	0	0	0	0	76	3.9

A RELEVANT QUOTE FROM GULITTI:

Is he looking for an increased role or ice time?

"That's obviously always a factor. You just want to be somewhere where you are wanted and that will be left to be seen."

Did he feel wanted here this season?

"At times."

And the other times?

"I guess that would be the opposite of feeling like you're wanted. It is what it is. As I said, I don' t want to say too much about it until I know what the plans would be ahead for this team."

Rupp was very terse with his words with Gulitti. He definitely wasn't happy that he was benched for some stretches of the season, despite playing through the playoffs. While it's understandable, I think it's contributing to his need for being "wanted." Rupp doesn't play a whole lot of minutes, he does the dirty, gritty, and enforcing thing while showing that he can play some hockey. It's a role he's played in his second go-around with New Jersey and he has done it well.

Yet, one can't honestly say Mike Rupp was critical to the team's success. In the games that he did play in, this is a role Pierre-Luc Latourneau-Leblond could handle. Given that Lou has said he wants to resign all the RFAs, which includes Leblond, it may be the end of the Mike Rupp Experience in New Jersey.

NICLAS HAVELID, 36, D, 2008-09 SALARY: $2.9 million

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Niclas Havelid	78	2	17	19	2	48	0	1	0	0	56	3.6

While most Devils will curse Havelid for the Game 7 equalizer, even if the Devils went on to do great things, I don't think Havelid will stay. He's 36, he got paid quite a bit to do what Bryce Salvador already does for the team. Havelid wasn't bad on the Devils, but I feel he didn't really stick out well enough like Salvador did last season. Unless Havelid really loves the area and wants to take a significant pay cut, I don't think he'll remain a Devil.

BOBBY HOLIK, 38, C/RW, 2008-09 SALARY: $2.5 million

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Bobby Holik	62	4	5	9	-2	66	0	0	1	0	79	5.1

BRENDAN SHANAHAN, 39, RW, 2008-09 SALARY: $800,000 (pro-rated)

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Brendan Shanahan	34	6	8	14	-2	29	2	0	1	0	77	7.8

Gulitti put his quotes from Bobby Holik and Brendan Shanahan separately from others and it's worth a full read. It's almost like night and day. Shanahan sounds he wants to keep playing, whereas Holik sounds a bit bitter about how his season ended: on the bench.

From a performance perspective, Holik did OK to start as a secondary checking center. He threw hits, he won faceoffs, and didn't look too bad doing it. As the season went on, he picked up a deserved reputation for contributing stupid penalties. It became his main contribution as the season wore down and Holik really has no one to blame but himself for mostly being on the bench during the Carolina series.

Shanahan, on the other hand, did very well all things considered. He jumped into the middle of the season, he joined the Devils' power play and penalty kill units, and contributed pretty nicely given that he didn't get a lot of minutes on the fourth line. I said my expectations for him back in January were to contribute a little and boost the special teams and I feel he did just that.

Assuming Shanahan wants to keep playing hockey, I really have no problem if Lou signs him for a full season at $800,000. He showed he can still contribute to a point and if he doesn't, it's only $800k and a fourth line spot. I wouldn't mind if Shanahan remains as a Devil. Holik, on the other hand, I really don't want to see him in Devils red - even if he takes a big pay cut to stay relevant.

SO WHAT DO THE DEVILS NEED

The Devils will need to fill in quite a few forward spots if all the guys that I think will leave do, in fact, leave. The Devils have a few prospects in Lowell - Vrana, Bergfors, Halischuk, Pelley - that could fill in these spots. Most of the spots are on the bottom two lines. Like I said earlier, Gionta's departure can easily be filled in by Rolston. In terms of roles, no disrespect to Dainius Zubrus, but a #2 center would be a good option.

On defense, expect Jay Leach or perhaps Matt Corrente to make the jump as a #7 defenseman. The team really could use an offensive defenseman, someone who could perhaps score 10 goals from the blueline. The Devils don't have anyone like that in the system that can come up right away. Of course, the Devils may have to get rid of someone to do that. It shouldn't be at the cost of losing Oduya, of course.

In goal, a backup goaltender if both Weekes and Clemmensen goes - preferbly an experienced netminder since they'll know what they are getting into. It makes no sense to have Jeff Frazee sit on a bench when he can continue to get minutes in Lowell.