Not Time to Panic...

The evolution of the New Jersey Devils’ very young season has been… interesting… to say the very least.

·      Game 1: Held without a goal against clichéd Metropolitan Division favorite, Pittsburgh.

·      Game 2: Home opener. Damien Brunner scores his first two goals of the season. Devils surrender two leads and have to score their own equalizer to force overtime. Lose in the shootout to the Islanders

·      Game 3: Sprint out to a 3-0 lead on the Oilers heading into the 3rd period. Give up 4 straight, come back, force overtime, fall in the shootout again.

·      Game 4: Score first two goals of the game, hand lead back to Vancouver by the end of the 2nd period, fall in overtime in Corey Schneider’s return north of the border.

Needless to say, Devils’ Army is already growing restless.

A year after missing the playoffs and a summer after losing both Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson, the Devils’ and their fans still held high expectations.

Sure, the names of Clowe, Ryder and Brunner don’t strike fear in the mind of defenders quite as well as Kovalchuk, but they play the game differently than the retired-from-the-NHL-so-he-can-run-back-to-Russia winger.

Early on, it has been Brunner leading the way with three goals, and Ryder, Elias and Jagr with a pair each. That’s it. Nothing from Travis Zajac, nothing from the 2012 playoff hero Adam Henrique, nothing from even the CBGB line.

The Devils need to not only find a win over the course of their remaining three road games, but they need to find scoring outside of the aforementioned four players.

Sure, the “big money” players are the ones traditionally called upon to contribute the most fire power, but both Zajac and to a more recent extent, Henrique,  are coming off new deals which rewarded their previous performances, and need to start contributing on a consistent basis, otherwise the Devils are in trouble already.

While the offense is struggling early on, the defensive pairings are leaving much to be desired. 13 goals against over the course of 4 games will not erase the sickening feeling of missing the post season 2 of the past 3 years. So far, with very few exceptions, the Devils’ defenders are looking old, slow and confused, a far cry from the way their new defensive coach, Scott Stevens, played the game, even before his retirement.

After a shaky Devils’ regular season debut against the Penguins, Schneider gave his team nearly every chance he could to help them beat Vancouver, but they could only muster the two goals and not effectively clear his sight lines for the overtime winner.

His counterpart, none other than future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, has looked extremely rough during his two outings thus far, giving up 7 goals and losing both in the shootout. Yes, he cannot score for his teammates, who apparently have forgotten what the back of the net is during the shootouts, going 0-for-8, but he also allowed goals on 2 of 3 attempts against Edmonton.

The Devils had a very good preseason for a team who had yet another summer of unexpected drama, but they haven’t been able to capture that success and translate that into the regular season so far.

If they don’t solve their issues now, it could be a very long winter in Newark

Lou’s Last Stand or Just Another Rebirth?

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Unrestricted free agency is an inevitable aspect of hockey.

While the age and terms required to reach that point in a player’s career may change, it is still as certain as death and taxes. General Managers are then labored with the duty to evaluate and negotiate new deals for their teams, which without having psychic abilities or infallible predictability, is one undoubtedly one of the most challenging aspects of their jobs.

New Jersey Devils’ GM Lou Lamoriello is no stranger to the UFA game. Being the GM of the Devils also brings with it the media circus that immediately pin any player who has one year left on their deal going anywhere but New Jersey. Recently, it has been a string of bad luck which has haunted Lamoriello in the offseason, but could that trend be ending this year?

Three years ago, Lamoriello traded for Ilya Kovalchuk a week before the trading deadline. This was extremely out of character for the now 70 year-old former Athletic Director of Providence University,  because he rarely traded for a superstar of Kovalchuk’s ability. Add to it the fact Kovalchuk was a UFA and you could clearly tell there were ulterior motives/ers behind the move.

That summer, the circus of signing Kovalchuk to a new contract was one of the largest blemishes on Lamoriello’s otherwise stellar career. The only other gaffe that could come as close to tarnishing his reputation was the summer coming out of the 04-05 lockout in which the Devils saw future Hall of Fame defender Scott Neidermayer change allegiances to the Anehiem Ducks and he was replaced with Dan McGillis and Vladimir Malakahov. Malakahov was later traded to make cap space thanks in large part to his oversized contract and the Devils lost a first round draft pick in order for the Sharks to take the player.

The Kovalchuk disaster also cost the Devils a first round pick, to be surrendered at next June’s draft. The Devils were fined $3 million on top of being humiliated by the selective enforcement of the NHL higher ups regarding their alleged salary cap circumvention which had been done by a handful of other teams as recently as the pervious summer.

During the very next summer, the Devils were again faced with a massive free agency dilemma: Zach Parise.

Sticking to his past practices and own principles, Lamoriello did not negotiate with Parise on a new deal during the season. The winger was coming off major knee surgery which kept him out nearly the entire 2010-2011 campaign so it is understandable why Lamoriello had some reservations about how large of a deal he wanted to offer the Minnesota native.

Feeding the New Jersey fans and media false hope of “I love it in here” and “I want to be here,” Parise dragged his charade out until July 4th where it came to light he not only had an never-before-heard close friendship with former Nashville Predator Ryan Suter, but was having conversations with him regarding free agency during the season and playoffs. The same playoffs where Parise was supposed to be captaining his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, not vanishing midway during the Eastern Conference Finals and barely showing up during the Finals.

With Parise gone, the Devils struggled to fill his void in an already meager free agency pool. While they found a keeper in Andrei Loktionov, acquiring Bobby Butler and Steve Sullivan while re-acquiring Alexi Ponikarovsky did not pan out as well as they had hoped. In the end of yet another strike shortened season, the Devils missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.

This summer was going to be different: Same core returning with only a few question marks hovering over a few players’ heads contracts wise, but the Devils were in prime position to exploit the free agent pool.

At the NHL Entry Draft, Lamoriello even traded away his coveted 9^th overall first round draft pick in order to acquire a reliable goaltender who, if re-signed following 2014-15, is the heir to the Brodeur throne. Tall order, yes, but Schneider has proven in Vancouver he is more than capable of handling not only the full-time goaltending duties, but stealing games here and there for his team.

On July 5^th, they landed their first two prizes: Ryan Clowe and Michael Ryder. Clowe gives the Devils what they lost in David Clarkson: grit, toughness and an ability to contribute offensively. Sure, Clowe hasn’t amassed the goals which Clarkson has over the past two years, and his performance in New York this past post-deadline was abysmal at best, but he’s on a less-media frenzied team and will have a handful more opportunities to contribute. Ryder, meanwhile, brings the Devils another power play specialist. At the time it was believed he could alleviate some of the focus off of Kovalchuk and thus create more success. Key phrase: at the time.

Just over a week after Lamoriello made his free agent frenzy moves, the hockey world was hammered with a shocking announcement: Ilya Kovalchuk was walking away form his $100 million dollar contract, “hanging up his skates” and returning to Russia.

Lamoriello was his typical diplomatic self when handling the post-retirement conferences. Choosing his words extremely carefully, you could hardly tell Lamoriello was disappointed in the decision but you knew it. The player he had worked so hard to appease the higher-ups in not only acquiring but retaining, had just up and abandoned his team.

The move stung worse than the Parise decision, where he at least left to stay in the NHL for larger dollar signs. Kovalchuk generated a massive crater in the Devils’ already problematic offense.

In traditional Lamoriello fashion, however, he began to scour the market for low-budget but high potential players.

Immediately, the Devils were linked to first year player but UFA because of his age Damien Brunner, formerly of the Red Wings. While the news and public conversation between the two sides were few and far between, it made the rumors more and more believable due to Lamoriello’s strict no public negotiations policy. The Brunner situation stalled publicly, Lou was quietly securing another asset.

Ever since he hit his free agency following his tenure with the Penguins, every Devils’ fan had dreamt of the prospect of Jaromir Jagr coming to New Jersey to play alongside his friend and countryman Patrik Elias. While time and age have cooled those emotions, it was hard not to crack a smile when Lamoriello landed the Czech winger.

While Jagr’s post season in Boston left much to be desired, the future Hall of Famer still has plenty to offer a team who was just slapped in the face by Kovalchuk.

Entering camp, the Devils finally went public by extending their formal invitation to Brunner two games into the preseason. He made an immediate impact on the team, gelling well with anyone he was on a line with. Before the team’s final game against the Flyers, the two sides reached a 2-year, $5 million contract.

Entering the team’s opening night contest against the Penguins, the Devils will have at least 4 new forwards in the lineup [Brunner, Clowe, Jagr and Ryder], and potentially a 5th in Ratislav Olez.

Not bad potential for a team who is projected to finish towards, if not at, the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Could this season potentially be the last one for Lou Lamoriello as it potentially is for his career defining find in Martin Brodeur? Only time will tell.

If it is, however, the moves made this offseason have assembled a strong team which will surprise many across the hockey community. While there are no guarantees in professional sports, there are also no written laws which state teams must play down to the level which they are predicted to by so-called experts.

Lamoriello has built a team to win-now and while offensive prospects have not panned out as well as they had in the past, the Devils are also in a position organizationally to have a steady diet of defenders reach the NHL over the next few years as well as having solid goaltending security for the foreseeable future.

Offseason Outlook: Acquisitions?

It is no secret that the New Jersey Devils are in desperate need of scoring help for their forward crop. It's summer, their need to improve their offense is only further pushed into desperation with the NHL's planned realignment taking effect. 

Adding the newly playoff hungry Columbus Blue Jackets, annual pains in the Devils' back sides Carolina Hurricanes and the consistent Washington Capitals all with the current Atlantic Division makes the post season dreams that much more difficult, especially with one of the lowest scoring teams annually in the league and a goaltender who isn't exactly piling up the wins at his old rate as he used to, through no real fault of his own, aging is a cruel beast. 

Stefan Matteau was a good selection for a first round pick. Yes many fans would have preferred if the Devils had forfeited their mandatory first round draft pick instead of drafting 29th overall. With a top 10 pick this season (9th overall), and a much tougher division next year, only time will tell if the decision to keep the 29th was a smart one or not. Personally, and its nothing against Matteau, but it was not a smart decision. Matteau isn't going to be counted upon for as a reliable source of offense and will fill more of a grinder role similar to that of David Clarkson sans the sudden scoring prowess. It will be a pleasant surprise if he should rattle off 20-25 goals annually but it might not be realistic. 

Reid Boucher has Devils' fans salivating for his debut at the NHL after he broke Steven Stamkos' OHL record for goals in a single season by putting up 62 in 68 games this year. He then followed up that act by tallying 3 points (1g2a) in his AHL debut with Albany after signing a 3 year, ELC deal starting n 2013-14. Boucher would score just 2 more goals over the final 10 games of the season, but some transitional adversity was to be expected as he leaves the league where players were no older than 20. Boucher will be provided an opportunity to make the NHL roster out of training camp next season, but it is completely unrealistic to expect Stamkos-like performances out of the gate. 

Outside of these two cases, the Devils offensive depth is pretty much non-existent. So, as logic would infer, they need to look outside the organization to improve. 

Beginning at the draft, the Devils hold an incredible poker chip with their 9th overall selection. They could, if presented with the right deal, move that pick and acquire a roster player as well as a replacement first round pick. The team has already stated that they intend to keep the pick but obviously circumstances can change. 

Should they keep the pick, Sean Monahan, center for the OHL's Ottawa 67's, could be a solid selection as he draws comparisons to Flyers' prospect Sean Couturier. The 5th rated North American skater could make an impact for the Devils soon, if not next season, should all things fall into place. (For deeper analysis of Monahan, see his profile on In Lou We Trust). 

Hunter Shinkaruk of Medicine Hat of the WHL would also be a solid draft pick up. A versatile winger who has spent the past 3 seasons with steady success at the WHL level, Shinkaruk projects to be selected in the middle of the draft pack. Noted by many scouts for his effort on the ice no applauded for his hands, the Calgary native could give the Devils another speedy threat off the wing. His largest drawback could be his offensive-first mentality, but given the right line mates, any major issues could be avoided. Granted, the same knock against Ilya Kovalchuk coming to the Devils was his inability to play any defense, that role has quickly changed over the past 3 years. 

From the Draft, the Devils need to be active players in a very thin Free Agent class. 

Normally, as an organization built around a specific mentality, the Devils and Lou Lamoriello have shied away from signing other team's Restricted Free Agents to offer sheets. While it is unlikely to happen, this summer would not be a bad opportunity for them to buck the trend, especially for winger Blake Wheeler of the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets will be extremely hard pressed to let Wheeler go, and should an offer sheet be signed, odds are they would quickly match. A more advantageous route would be to trade for his rights, another tactic Lamoriello is reluctant to do. With Wheeler in the fold, however, the Devils would grit as well as a solid offensive threat whic would be almost imperative should David Clarkson price himself out of Newark (which already seems likely and we're almost 2 months away from Free Agency). 

The soon-to-be 27 year old Wheeler has made scoring a consistent aspect of his game since he broke into the league with Boston for the 2008-09. Averaging almost 40 points per season even after being traded to the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise, he scored 19 goals and added 22 assists while playing in all 48 games for the Jets this year. 

The largest free agent who could hit the open market is Nathan Horton of the Boston Bruins. Horton could demand upwards of $6 million annually which could inhibit the Devils who, after signing their own free agents, may not have that much room on their own self imposed salary cap, especially if they take into account their potential free agents next season. 

As their first round match up displayed, Horton's intangibles and playoff experience would be a welcomed addition to the Devils. In game 7 alone, Horton scored his 4th of the post season to stop a Leafs' 4-0 run and sparked a major shift in momentum towards the Bruins' side. Up until his goal, the Leafs had command of play and were well on their way to the 2nd round. Horton's goal put major doubt in the mind of the inexperienced Leafs and the Bruins capitalized, overwhelming Toronto over the final 10 minutes of the 3rd period, eventually tying the game with 50 seconds to go. Horton closed out the series with 4 goals, 3 assists and was an astounding plus-11 considering the game went the distance: 7 Games. 

Speaking of the ill-fated Maple Leafs, they have two desirable, under 30 forwards coming due for new contracts this summer: center Tyler Bozak and left wing Clarke MacArthur. 

Bozak, a former undrafted free agent out of the University of Denver, just capped off his 4th straight 27+ point season at the NHL level. Bozak's transition to the NHL has been virtually seamless as his numbers show a steady increase year to year. Had this been a full NHL season, he could have come close to if not tied is last year's career high in points of 47. Bozak also played in 5 of Toronto's 7 games, tallying 2 points. A third of his goals this season also came on the power play, another area where the Devils' scoring is nearly an endangered species. 

MacArthur, meanwhile, put on display his true scoring prowess when he arrived in Toronto. Originally drafted in 2003 by the Buffalo Sabres, MacArthur had good offensive success at the AHL level playing for the Rochester Americans, but his transition into the Sabres lineup was not nearly as successful. He was on pace for a career high in points when the Sabres traded him to the Atlanta Thrashers for two draft picks in 2010. He would sign as a free agent in Toronto that summer and would post career highs 21 goals-41 assists in 82 games. 

Now that he has found his game, MacArthur is a perennial 20 goal threat. Even in the shortened season and playing just 40 games, he netted 8 with 2 on the man advantage. MacArthur was the Leafs' alternate captain this season so he is a prized member of their organization. With the team making the playoffs for the first time in years and them being a 3rd period collapse away from knocking off the heavily favored Bruins, it is unlikely either player will be waiting long to hear from their current organization about contract renewals. 

Valtteri Filppula is an interesting candidate because he could become a cap casualty in Detroit as the cap goes down this summer. As it stands now, the Red Wings have just under $12 million in cap space, needing to fill 4 roster spots. Is it an impossible feat for the Wings to keep Filppula? Absolutely not. But it is always more interesting to speculate. 

The Finnish winger has never scored fewer than 30 points before the 17 he posted in 41 games this year. Even though he missed 7 games, Filppula still scored 9 goals, 3 on the power play, and already has 4 points in the Wings' 7 playoff games thus far. He's coming off a $3.5 million annually contract and should be due at least $500k to $1.5 million more on his next contract. 

Will any of these players hit the free agent market before working out new deals with their current teams remains to be seen. But should any of the 4 become available, the New Jersey Devils should be one of the first of the many teams to put in phone calls to get deals done. With realignment beginning next year, the Devils need to build an arsenal of productivity now or face another season in the basement while forfeiting a solid draft pick by doing so.

Offseason Outlook: Goaltending

The only aspect of the Devils, other than the coaching staff, which will undergo little to no change this summer is goaltending. 

With future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur set to return for his 20th season and backup Johan Hedberg more than likely also returning to finish out the final year of his 2 year contact, odds are here will not be any changes at he NHL level this year. 

With Broduer turning 41 and Hedberg turning 40 literally a day apart, the pressure is now on for the rest of the goaltending prospects in the Devils' organization. 

Brodeur will probably be back for at least another season beyond his current contract, especially if he does not hit he 700 win plateau next season. Knowing his work ethic and team first mentality, he will probably also stick around to either help the heir to his crease transition into the NHL or to ease the burden in the first season or two for whatever goaltender might be while also mentoring him. 

Hedberg on the other hand had a very down year when compared to his previous two seasons. Marred by inconsistency and the complete lack of anything resembling goal support only further magnified Hedberg's average play. The Devils skidded while not helping out their goaltenders, leading to missing the playoffs this season. 

The Devils enter the summer with only one real goaltending question to answer: Is Jeff Frazee worth a contact extension or not? Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft, Frazee was projected by many as next starter when Brodeur decided to hang up the pads. 

In the 8 years since, however, he has done little to garner such accolades as he has performed less than admirably. Frazee has not done anything to separate himself from the other goaltending prospects in the organization. If anything, he has only set himself back as Keith Kinkaid and Scott Wedgewood have already seemed to have thrusted themselves into the future #1 debate while Frazee remains either a marginal consideration or an afterthought. 

At 26, it is unlikely Frazee will develop any further and could have possibly peaked in his professional career with the Devils. An educated guess would have Frazee departing the organization after July 1st for somewhere with a thinner road to the NHL, especially as he saw his playing time diminish significantly in favor of Kinkaid. Where that may be is a massive question, maybe Philadelphia as neither Ilya Bryzgalov nor Steve Mason have shown any semblance of consistency in recent years. 

Keith Kinkaid is the most NHL ready goaltending prospect in the Devils' organization. Making his first appearance this year in relief of Hedberg at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kinkaid looked as solid as a regular starter. Surrendering only one fluke goal against which was deflected off his own defenders into his net, Kinkaid was sharp on the numerous Lightning chances, including a breakaway save on perennial scoring threat, Steven Stamkos. Kikaid did not fall for his deke and made the save from his stomach with his leg pinned against the post. 

It is most likely going to be Kinkaid starting for the Albany Devils next year with Scott Wedgewood being his "back up." Back up being in quotations as the Devils could realistically use both goaltenders in a similar fashion as eye St. Louis Blues do with Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott. 

Wedgewood has the most upside out of any goaltending prospect, earning several accolades during his time in juniors including earning the starting role for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. While he may not be ready for NHL duty, Wedgewood could benefit from spending more time in Albany against stronger competition. During his 5 appearances this season with the A-Devils, Wedgewood posed a 2-2 record with a 3.47 goals against average. His save percentage was also low (.886), the lowest by far out of any goalie who was in net for Albany. 

In a perfect world, as previously stated, Wedgewood would start the season in Albany and split time with Kinkaid. However, it may be better for his development if he finds his rhythm in the ECHL before promoting back up to Albany.

Offseason Outlook: Offense

Unlike the defensive unit, the New Jersey Devils' offensive corps is in a major state of influx. After starting off the season red hot, as a whole they cooled considerably, averaging just over 2 goals a game and being shut out twice over the season's final 10 games. With the late season injury to Ilya Kovalchuk, no one on the Devils stepped up offensively. The Devils have 11 forwards on the current roster who will need new contracts, but it is highly unlikely all of the will remain in Newark by the time training camp opens. 

KEEP WITHOUT QUESTION 

 

Patrik Elias is a free agent for the first time since the Devils nearly lost their franchise's best forward to, reportedly, their cross river rivals the New York Rangers. Elias is coming off a $6 million annual deal, and while he continuously is near, if not at the top of, the Devils' scoring list, the Devils would certainly like to retain his services for less than his previous deal. If Elias decided to ask for an identical deal, as long as it is not for much longer than 3 years, it is hard to envision the Devils' not extending a deal to one of their core, heart and soul players. 

Adam Henrique leads the list of the Devils' numerous Restricted Free Agents. Coming off his entry level contract, the Devils & Henrique need to come to an agreement on a contract and not allow any bitterness to flow over. Henrique is a valuable asset to New Jersey's future and has already written himself into the Devils' history books by clinching two series victories with overtime game winning goals last year. As was the case with nearly the entire team, Henrique struggled in productivity this season. Normally, one would attribute his lack of success to a sophomore slump but with the rest of the team literally vanishing from the goal column, Henrique gets a pass. 

Andrei Loktionov was the Devils' best acquisition during the season and was an incredible steal of a deal. Acquired February 6th from the Los Angeles Kings for a 5th round pick, Loktinov scored 8 goals and added 4 assists over the 28 games he played following his call up from Albany of the AHL. One of his most impressive feats were his off balance goal against the Philadelphia Flyers and his ability to gel almost effortlessly with Ilya Kovalchuk. 

The reason the Devils were able to get such a value for Loktionov was that the Kings feared he would not resign with them in the offseason. With his role up in the air in Los Angeles, Loktionov floated the idea publicly that he would leave the NHL for the KHL in the offseason. With his increased responsibility and subsequent increase in playing time, it's hard to imagine that playing time will be the reason he bolts overseas. His current ELC is valued at $575k annually so he is due for a considerable raise, but the Devils should not hesitate to pay out, especially since he seems to be showing early indications of developing impressive chemistry with countryman Ilya Kovalchuk. That statistic alone could be invaluable for the Devils future. 

Jacob Josefson finally made it through a season without suffering a considerable injury! All kidding aside, after his recall from Albany late in the season, Josefson finally put on display the reason why the Devils hold him in such high regard. If he resigns with New Jersey, he should have the inside track for the starting 3rd line center position. JJ would do himself well if he could add a few pounds of muscle on as he is on the smaller size for someone his height. This would help him get into the dirty areas for better rebound opportunities thus potentially leading to higher point totals as he progresses through his career. 

IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT... 

David Clarkson leads the list of players who would be an excellent fit to remain on the Devils but might no be wise. During the season, rumors began to circulate that Clarkson could seek $5 million annually, if not higher, when the free agency period begins this summer. Yes, he put up 30 goals last season and scored 10 in under 15 games this year, but he also had a goalless drought which lasted over 20 games. His inability to find the net during that stretch was only further magnified by the rest of the teams scoring woes, especially when Kovalchuk went down with his injury. Clarkson is a pure heart player, but his inconsistency scoring mixed with the bad penalties and he sudden onset of whining and begging for calls may have reduced his stock, especially if the rumored contract demands are accurate. The Devils would be wise in allowing Clarkson to chase larger dollar figures elsewhere if it comes down to $5 million per as he will most likely not be able to sustain his sudden scoring prowess. 

Dainius Zubrus is a major fan favorite. His current contract of $3.4 million annually over 4 years was not the greatest of deals but he did perform admirably when healthy. Some fan groups had unrealistic expectations of Zubrus being a major offensive threat when he signed for the contract but those who knew why he was signed understand he played well enough to make the contract worthwhile. Durability and age are the two factors which are working against Zubes. At 35 by the time free agency begins, Zubrus is another older veteran who the Devils will need to not only think about is health but also length of contract hen they approach him for a deal. 

Matt D'Agostini played well enough to remain a Devil. The problem is his qualifying offer is $1.8 million so the Devils would need to negotiate a longer contract if they want to keep Hamas it is highly unlikely they would be okay with committing to that type of money for one season. Adding to their reluctance should also the fact D'Ags tops out as a fill in on the 2nd line and is more of a bottom 6 player who also garners some time on special teams. He's still under restricted free agent status so it will be interesting to see how his summer will play out. 

COIN FLIP 

Mattias Tedenby is coming off his ELC. He has been less than impressive during his multiple stints at the NHL level, save from a brief hot streak three years ago, and for whatever reason he does not seem to be getting better while playing at the Albany level. While a severe facial nearly ended his career and his life this year, Tedenby's work ethic has always been suspect as he was called out by numerous coaches at the NHL level. 

Tom Kostopoulos was a good midseason pickup off the waiver wire from Pittsburgh. Always playing on the fourth line, the Greek winger registered a goal (on a penalty shot nonetheless) and 18 penalty minutes. Kostopoulos was quick to defend his teammates in scrums and posed a sizable problem for opposing defenses to worry about in front of their net during his 15 games with the club. It might not be easy to find a spot on the roster for him next season, especially with Krys Barch still under contract for another season, but GM Lou Lamoriello has done stranger moves in the past (last year signing both Cam Janssen and Barch). 

HAPPY TRAILS 

Alexi Ponikarovski played phenomenally in the playoffs for the Devils last year, even scoring the game winning goal in overtime of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Flyers. Fans were heartbroken to learn he had signed with the Winnipeg Jets while he Devils' hands were tied waiting for a certain playoff-choke artist to decide he was too homesick to play in Jersey anymore and needed to go ack home and play with his friend in Minnesota, but I digress. 

When the Devils were on a roll to start the year, Dainius Zubrus went down with an injury. As soon as he was placed on injured reserve, Lou Lamoriello almost immediately reacquired Poni from the Jets for draft picks and a little known prospect. In his first game back, he scored against the Flyers, mirroring what he did last season upon his arrival in Newark. But the honeymoon phase quickly ended as Poni became extremely inconsistent. While his contract hit is not unbearable, the Devils could be more apt to spend the cap space elsewhere. 

Steve Sullivan was reacquired by the devils after nearly 17 years just at the trading deadline this year. It was one of those "well you knew Lou was going to do something" moves where he tried to catch lightning in a bottle and reattach a missing limb with some chewing gum and a bandaid. Playing the opposite point of Zidlicky on the power play, Sullivan used most of his chances to pass to Elias or another forward down low than shoot himself, yet both goals during his 2nd stint in Jersey were on the man-advantage. Sullivan has played over 1,000 games but it is not realistic to think he will still be in the Devils lineup entering 2013-14. 

Tom Kostopoulos

Offseason Outlook: Defense

Well, here we are again. Two years removed from their first early golfing season since the mid 90's, the New Jersey Devils seem to be a team toeing the line between rebuilding or retooling.   

A year ago, the Devils made a spirited run to the Stanley Cup finals, littered with emotional, spirited victories and even a handful of dominating performances. (See: entire Flyers' series. Yes even the Game 1 OT loss in Philadelphia) Normally, a team would build on that type of performance or suffer only minor setbacks. Missing the playoffs the following season is just downright rare.     

Taking out the anomaly of both 2006 Finals participants (Edmonton and Carolina) missing the big dance the next season, the last team to accomplish such a feat were the 1996 New Jersey Devils who became the FIRST team in NHL history to fail to make the post season the year after winning Lord Stanley's Cup.     

So where does a team which came within 2 games, a bad penalty and a horrendous missed call, go following missing their second playoffs in 3 years?     

First we look towards the blueline, which in all fairness, was the Devils' best aspect of their team. Sure they had a few breakdowns and a few players who underperformed horrendously, but as a cohesive unit, they game in and game out gave the Devils their best chances to win and allowed a considerably low number of shots to reach Martin Brodeur, Johan Hedberg and the brief time, Keith Kinkaid.     

AMNESTY BUYOUTS (?)     

One of the must-have features of the new CBA as reducing the salary cap by over $7 million starting in the 2013-14 season. To help teams accommodate the reduction of cap space, the NHL & NHLPA agreed to allowing each of the League's 30 franchises two buyouts which would not count saint the cap(amnesty or compliance buyouts).      

Two teams in particular, the New York Rangers and the Monteal Canadiens, helped influence the NHLPA to requesting that the amnesty buyouts could be used before the start of this season when they told two specific players hat they would be paid not to play hockey this season. Under the terms of the amnesty buyouts, players could not be injured in any way when they were to be bought out. To protect themselves from this, the Rangers asked Defender Wade Redden while the Canadiens asked Scott Gomez both not to report to their respective camps and just stay healthy. After the NHLPA and the owners agreed to allow the early buyouts, Redden signed with the St. Louis Blues while Gomez headed to California to play with the San Jose Sharks. Both players are happily in the playoffs (Gomez still with the Sharks, Redden now with the Bruins).     

It will be interesting to see which players will end up hitting free agency much earlier than originally anticipated this summer. Names like Roberto Luongo or Ryan Miller could become big fish in a small free agent pool. Of course, both the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres will seek trade options before even considering letting any NHL team have a crack at their All Star goalies without getting anything in return.     

The Devils, meanwhile, have a few viable options at their disposal but before executing any buyouts, they must decide if any of the players in their system can make an immediate impact at the NHL level.     

ON THEIR WAY OUT?     

Anton Volchenkov leads the list of potential amnesty buyout candidates.  The hard hitting defender was brought in three summers ago to try and add a massive physical threat to the Devils' blueline which had been absent since Scott Stevens retired in 2004. Since coming to NJ, however, Volchenkov has been hurt often (an accepted risk when initially signing him because of his physical play) but also has even suspended twice. Most recently, A-Train was suspended for 4 games this April when he hit Boston's Brad Marchand high and into the boards. His speed has also become an extreme liability, drawing similarities to traffic cones and pylons. Sure, he has not come even close to the disaster of being a concrete barrier in the middle of the Jersey Turnpike disaster that Ken Klee was but he still is a strong candidate to be amnestied.     

Bryce Salvador is very unlikely to be bought out. His contract doesn't exactly hamstring the Devils just yet, but his play and physical health have already shown signs of breaking down just 1 year into an 35+, 3 year deal he signed last summer. Sure, we all would love to remember the Salvador of last post season who pulled the proverbial rabbit out of thin air with his offensive outburst, but the Salvador Devils' fans are becoming used to is one of slow feet and slow reaction times. His defensive awareness, especially when he's inexplicably paired with Volchenkov is dangers for the Devils and not their opponents. This year, it took the former member of the Blues nearly 30 games to look comfortable and reliable on the ice but his season was then cut short after blocking a shot from Boston's Zedeno Chara. While X-rays and his MRI showed no breaks, Salvador did not play any games for the remainder of the season. Being the captain of the team and having a good rapport with coaches and players alike all but guarantees Salvador will be back next season.     

Neither of the two options have any true trade value at this point in their careers, especially Volchenkov who still has another 3 years remaining on his 6-year deal. It is hard to imagine he would be on the active roster next season wi the Devils having a "get out of a bad deal free" card which they can still play.     

Henrik Tallinder is a buyout candidate only if he cannot be traded AND the Devils need to have a roster spot open for the impending youth movement. He is an outstanding mentor for younger players but doesn't necessarily play the type of hockey which would be conducive for top-6 minutes which he could garner elsewhere. Tallinder is not near the end of his playing career so it will definitely be interesting to see where he and the Devils go for the final season of his 4-year deal. While he could e moved for either picks or mid level prospects, having only one year left and there being a shallow crop, it may be more skiable to hang on to Hank and allow him to mentor the youth.      

Peter Harrold is an unrestricted free agent and unless the Devils use both amnesty buyouts AND none of the young upcoming defenders are capable of making the roster, Harrold's tenure with the Devils could be at an end. The utility player was solid for the Devils as a stopgap following the injury of Tallinder last year and did well eating minutes on the 4th line as well, but he is not an everyday NHL player by any stretch of the word as shown as the season came to a close this year. If he is going to remain in the organization, he needs to have a 2-way deal. He should not be guaranteed an NHL roster spot next year.     

PLAYERS WHO SHOULD BE SAFE

Mark Fayne, Andy Greene, Adam Larsson.     

COULD BE BACK IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT     

Marek Zidlicky has a great shot, very accurate especially when pinching from the point and given an open look. His ability to hold the line on the power play has taken a step back as has his defensive awareness. He is an asset on the power play and while he could be replaced in the future by Larsson or Fayne, for next season he could come sick to New Jersey if he doesn't demand much more than the $4 million he earned last year.     

NEXT IN LINE     

Eric Gelinas finally, and deservedly, got his first taste of NHL action late this season making his debut against the Pittsburg Penguins. Gelinas was unexpectedly matched up frequently against the Penguins top line with perennial All-Star Evgeni Malkin and performed admirably. While he was a minus-1 on the night, Gelinas looked clearly as if he belonged on the NHL roster. What's more impressive is that he has played only 1 season with the Albany Devils after aging out of the QMJHL. The 22-year old was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft and could be poised to have a regular role next year in New Jersey.

The same accolades can be said for University of Michigan defender Jon Merrill. Merrill is left the Wolverines following his junior season and signed and Entry Level Contract with the Devils beginning in the 2013-14 season. Merrill, in the meantime, reported to Albany where he played 12 games while amassing 8 points (1g-7a). If the Devils did not see Merrill as being NHL ready, it is hard to imagine he would have foregone his Senior season at Michigan to play for Albany as his competition is marginally better in the AHL. It is not hard to fathom that the former 2010 2nd round pick will be a least starting the season in the NHL next year.     

A curious name making his case to be a regular on the NHL squad is Alex Urbom. The 2009 3rd round pick started the infamous 2010-11 season in the NHL and while he didn't struggle anymore than his defensive unit, the Devils' elected to return him to Albany after 7 games and a bunch of healthy scratches. He returned to the NHL club for the season finale against the Bruins where he scored his first NHL goal. 2011-12 was similar as he spent only the month of December with the Devils before returning to Albany. The lockout didn't help his aspirations of sticking with the big club this year and he only played one, shaky game with the Devils. Could 2013-14 be the year he finally displays his full potential and secures a regular role on the top squad?

Weekly Flashback: 1999

Weekly Flashback: 1999

Last week, we took a look back almost 19 years to the glory days of the New York Rangers. We rehashed what made 1994 a good year and then were quickly reminded how god awful it really was [cough Justin Bieber cough cough].

This week, we travel back to 1999 and remember the last time the Buffalo Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Finals. That year, any hockey fan outside of the Dallas Stars’ fan base would be able to tell you the NHL chose selective enforcement with in the crease rule and were pretty much screwed out of their chance for their first Cup.

The last time the Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Finals:

-The Denver Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII

-The Yankees beat the Braves in the World Series

-The Spurs beat the Knicks in the NBA Finals

-Manchester United beat Bayern Munich after coming back from being down 1-0 late in the 2^nd half at the UEFA Champions League.

-USA Women beat China at the Women’s World Cup after Brandi Chastain scored the winner on penalty kicks.

The Good Stuff:

-The Euro is established

-The Sopranos, Family Guy, Futurama, Spongebob Square Pants, Law & Order: SVU all made their debuts on TV.

-Dow Jones Industrial Average first eclipsed 10,000 then a few months later cracked 11,000 for the first time ever.

-Canada creates Nunavut as another province.

-Bill Gates becomes worth more than $100 Billion.

-Napster is created.

Mercury 7 is recovered from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean

The Bad Stuff:

-Half dozen avalanches happen around the world, killing over 100

-An F-117 Stealth Bomber is shot down over Kosovo, being one of the very few aircraft lost during the conflict.

-Columbine massacre

-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is released, exposing the world to Jar Jar Binx. No one has forgiven George Lucas since.

-JFK Jr realizes he’s not as good of a pilot as he claimed to be and crashed off the coast of Massachusetts.

-Sega Dreamcast is released

-‘Doug’ is cancelled

Deaths: Gene Siskel, Richard Kiley, Stanley Kubrick, Joe DiMaggio, Shel Silverstein, Owen Heart, DeForest Kelly, George C. Scott, Wilt Chamberlain.

Of course, the biggest disappointment in the hockey world of 1999 was ‘No Goal,’ but 1999 was the final time we were able to see Wayne Gretzky lace up the skates and take the ice. He amassed 62 points in his final season with the New York Rangers.

Next Week: Islanders or Sharks will be under the microscope as do another flashback.