Cammalleri to Montreal

Former Calgary and Los Angeles forward Mike Cammalleri has reportedly signed with Montreal.

The deal is 5 years long, $6 million per.

Montreal may have overpaid a bit for the very offensive Cammalleri, but pair him with the newly acquired Gomez could provide the Habs with a very potent offensive threat.

Another rumor out of Montreal is that they are very interested in bringing in Devils' unrestricted free agent winger Brian Gionta. After acquiring Gomez, the Habs made it known they would love to reuinte two-thirds of EGG line in Montreal.

Could this be the start of a very speedy line?

Free Agent Preview

Dany Heatley rejects trade- Yes, its true, the man who wants out of Ottawa badly did in fact shoot down a potential deal to the Oilers. Speculation has it he doesn’t want to play in Edmonton, others say it is to make sure Ottawa pays him his roster bonus of $4 million. Either way, there is no doubt Heatley will be out of Ottawa, and my guess is it’ll happen before the end of July 1st, maybe even before free agency opens at noon.

Scott Clemmensen to Detroit? – The former Devils’ season-savior is looking for a starting job. While he is open for a return to the Devils, his heart yearns for a starting role, if not a chance to have significant playing time. What better place to find that than in Detroit. The Stanley Cup runners up have Chris Osgood locked up for another season, but backup Ty Conklin is 33 and is testing the market. Clemmensen is 31, and when Osgood needs a break, it is quite apparent after this past season that given a chance, can be a solid starter. Yeah, his tenure in Toronto was less than remarkable, he now has confidence from being the heir to Martin Brodeur’s throne for a season.

Marion Gaborik to Rangers? – By freeing up $7 million dollars in cap space by trading away Devils’ traitor Scott Gomez to Montreal, the Rangers are in buying mode. They have an absurd amount of free agents on their current roster, as previously reported, but that are looking for a good combiniation of home grown talent and free agents. Gaborik, who has also been linked to a potential landing in Vancouver should the Canucks not be able to keep the Sedin twins, is going to need a new home, the question will be can he handle the spotlight in NY or would he prefer a potential reunion with Pavol Demitra, this time in Vancouver.

Ironman Chris Chelios – Who needs a leader? Anyone, anyone? The question many teams will be asking before even contemplating taking a chance on Chelios is can his 42 year old body handle half a season, let alone a 60+ games.

Martin Havlat back to the City of Angels? – Chicago probably wont make an offer, seeing as they haven’t even given the man a call, so the Kings would probably be more than willing to bring him right back. I’d almost guarantee a return to the black and purple [I cannot help but laugh at their colors]. On a quick personal note: I really hope the Devils do not make a pitch for him, as much as some fans would love it, he is way too frail for this team. Sure the points will be a great addition, but loss in games played could be better suited by being filled with some of the prospects from Lowell.

Rob Scuderi – A solid playoff performance revived this man’s career, and what more of a perfect time than right before hitting the free agent market. The Pens have been pretty quiet when it comes to attempting to retain the defender, and he is only a few hours from entertaining offers from other clubs. The Devils should make a pitch, as he is a solid top 4 defender, especially on this team. He’s quick, and can move the puck well, something that is desperately needed on the defensive corps.

Claude Lemieux – please just retire, playing in China didn’t help your transition back to the NHL and it showed. It only proved how desperate the Sharks were for help considering you ate up significant chunks of playing time. A playoff hero twice in Jersey, thanks, but hang them up already.

Brian Gionta – the mighty mite will probably be wearing a different uniform next season and it’s a shame too because he is a victim of the impending salary cap drop next season. If the owners felt more confident in the state of the league and believed the cap would not plumbet next year, there is no question Gionta would remain in Jersey. The problem is me may be unwilling to move very far down from his previous $4 million a year salary. If he would take a home-town discount, the Devils would undoubtedly make a pitch for him, but as we all are well aware of, money can influence many decisions. If the Devils do not keep him, look for the Sabres to make a move. He’s still got the wheels on ice so he would fit right in with their fast paced system, and he is originally from Rochester, which is a mere hour away from the Queen City.

John Madden – do not expect him back in New Jersey. His role diminished rapidly last season as the new NHL proved that checking lines were all but obsolete. Given the right system, he could be effective again, so his career will go on. My guess is either his hometown of Toronto, or taking the New York State Thruway over a few bridges to Long Island. Why the Islanders, you ask? Well, look at their GM, their trades and all other moves they’ve made, and answer that question for yourself. Happy trails, John! Good luck.

Brendan Shanahan – Please stay in New Jersey, please. You played well, you added leadership, and you even added a few goals. Please stay!!! Was I begging, too much? Oh well.

More to come tomorrow....

Whoa Johnny O!!!

All signs, including a rather optimistic quote from the man you'd never expect, point to Johnny Oduya remaining with New Jersey Devils.

A report on NJ.com from the Newark Star Ledger quotes the enigmatic Lou Lamoriello all but guaranteeing Oduya will be wearing the Red, Black and White next season.

Originally, this story broke from a website, in Oduya’s native Sweden, that when run through a Google translator, stated Oduya was signing for roughly $3.2 million a season. A New Jersey reporter approached Lamoriello late Sunday about the story, to which he received a stern “nothing is finalized yet.”

I know that when I read the GM’s denial of the deal, I was worried, and I’m almost positive that I was not alone.

But now hearing straight from the source, being as it is usally a silent one in terms of speculation, I’m very, VERY satisfied.

If the cap hit is correct at $3.2 million, Lamoriello has done it again, convincing a player to stay in New Jersey close to, if not significantly lower than market value. Oduya came out and stated he wanted $4 million right after the season had ended. Many felt he was over pricing himself right out of town, and some even stated, “is he on crack?”

I put a value of $3.5 million on the speedy defender, and was hoping the Devils would not exceed that. And they did not disappoint.

Lamoriello also went on in the article to state that he hopes not one, but two moves could be completed by the end of tomorrow.

This allows for rampant speculation by fans, but assuming that Oduya is one of the deals, the possibilities are seemingly endless for the 2nd.

Could it be a new head coach, which many people would be announced by the end of today [Monday]? Could it be the re-signing of Brian Gionta, or maybe restricted free agent Travis Zajac?

I, for one, am hoping that its either Zajac or Gionta.

I’d love for it to be Zajac because that means we set the bar for him, and got him at our price, without having to worry about other team’s convincing him to sign their insane offer sheets (yes, Kevin Lowe, this is directed to you).

With Gionta, I’d love for the team to keep him cause he’s a great person [I’ve met him and it wasn’t outside of a hockey rink, either], and he has potential to be a solid scorer, but we cannot afford the $4 million of his last contract and $3 million he should command from another franchise, could handcuff the Devils next season if, and more than likely when, the salary cap takes a nose dive.

If we could keep both, that’d be great, but we definitely have to keep the cap in mind.

Either way, Lou has already started this offseason on the right foot. I’ll give him a +2 on the score sheet, one for keeping Oduya and a big bonus point presuming the cap hit is under $3.5 million.

p.s. – please, for the love of god and the sake of our franchise in the near future, do not bring Lemaire back. We have enough trouble drawing crowds, who wants to come and watch defensive hockey after we’ve seen some semblance of offense the past 2 seasons under Benedict Arnold… I mean Sutter.

Sometimes as a Hockey Fan, I Despise ESPN

Nights like Wednesday night make it really easy for hockey fans nation wide to hate the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, and more specifically, Sportscenter. Better yet, make it this entire week. We’ll stat with Wednesday night.

On a night where LeBron James registered a triple double against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and three nights after Kobe Bryant dropped 61 on those same Knicks at the same place, Sportscenter dedicated the lead story to both men, then showed game clips, then interviews, then had in “experts” to discuss the feat. First off, it’s the Knicks. I bet the University at Buffalo men’s basketball team could beat them at the Garden. Regardless of what Mike D’Antoni has done for the franchise, its still a laughing stock. Yes, the Cavs avoided allowing the Knicks to spoil the night, but was it really worthy of being #1 in the top 10?

LeBron’s feat was no question better than Kobe’s 61 on Monday. James’ effort helped push Cleveland over a very close game against the Knicks. Kobe’s was just enjoyment for the fans as their team fell by 9, but the game was never really in question. LeBron is a special kid, and yes, sometimes I’ll even say wow watching his highlights, but there is just so many times you can see a guy drive uncontested to the net, do some showboating slam dunk and for some reason get nominated for a top play.

Dunks are awesome, you say? Go ask University at Buffalo guard Andy Robinson how awesome his dunk against Central Michigan was in the closing seconds of their contest Tuesday night. It was so awesome that the ball rattled around the rim and came out, allowing the Chippewas a chance to not only tie the 1 point lead the Bulls had, but embarrass them in their own Arena. While the comeback for the Chipps failed, and A-Rob had no explaination after the game other than "I went up and it was here, the it wasn't," it nearly cost the Bulls a valuable Mid-American Conference game.

On LeBron’s “magical” night (heck, the way Sportscenter was covering it, you’d think it was Access Hollywood getting their hands on scenes from the next Harry Potter movie, or the paparazzi getting once in a lifetime shots of some celebrity), ESPN neglected to even MENTION Thomas Vanek’s even more rare feat prior to the Top Ten plays segment.

Vanek netted a natural hat trick, the first of his career but 5th hat trick overall for him. While the 3rd goal was a simple tip in, the first two were truly amazing. The first was a battling effort in front of the net on the power play, the 2nd was an absolute laser of a slap shot. Even before Vanek got his first goal, Drew Stafford made one of the best plays in hockey I have seen this season. Taking the puck from his back hand behind him, through the legs, around a defender and then going top shelf, glove side behind the Leafs keeper.

There was no reason that that play couldn’t have its own spot in the Top Ten, but since ESPN doesn’t have any rights to the NHL, why bother covering it, right? Nope, let’s blow the Michael Phelps bong hit out of proportion or send Pedro Gomez to the place he knows best, covering Barry Bonds and giving us nothing that we haven’t suspected. We get it, he did steroids, we know, it is not that difficult to see nor figure out. It didn’t take a court order to tell us “the steroid syringes contain Barry’s blood” or “his urine tested positive for steroids. But did we mention some samples were from 2000?” Like the MLB didn’t know? Please, they kept it hush hush because interest in the sport was coming back thanks to the home run hitters like Bonds or McGwire putting baseballs 500 feet out of the park. But that’s a rant for a whole another post.

But thank you, ESPN, for proving to the world you care so very little about hockey, and continue to feed that bias. I would rather sit and watch an entire game of Mites on Ice than one NBA game for the simple fact that at least the little kids try and play for the love of the sport. Not for $25 million a season to play half assed, or be a ball hog, or dunk over a guy 18 inches shorter than him. Give me hockey, where even the smallest guy will stand up to the biggest, regardless of how bad it will make him look later on that night.

So props to you Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford, and heck even you Gionta for standing up to Chara, and Chara for not stepping on nor killing Gionta, these clips are for you:

Vanek's Trick & Stafford's Goal:



Mis-match: Gionta vs. Chara

Shanahan in, but who's out?

Monday night’s game against the Nashville Predators marks the debut of Brendan Shanahan. It also marks a critical point in the season where head coach Brent Sutter must decide who to push off the carousal that will become the back two lines of the line up.

There is no question, Shanahan needs to be in the line up. The Devils need the help on the second power play unit, even with Rolston and Clarkson beginning to show productivity while on this road trip. Shanahan brings experience and skill to hopefully make both units equally dangerous.

Sure questions linger with brining in Shanahan. At 40, it can be wondered how effective Shanahan will be. Health and durability at that age can always become suspect. Which is why the Devils need to hold off on making any trades until they can effectively gauge Shanahan’s contribution.

The question, when that time comes, is who to move.

Jay Pandolfo and John Madden have been the most frequent names kicked around. Brian Gionta’s name was also tossed around earlier in the season. Mike Rupp has also been suggested as being the one who should be sitting to make room for Shanahan.

Jay Pandolfo just signed a contract extension over the offseason for 3 years/$2.5 million a season. With the new contract, it was assumed Pando would be able to keep his effectiveness from last season. But his productivity, as well as role, have both diminished significantly this year. Sutter’s new offensive-based system seems to be paying off dividends in the win column but has also diminished the need for a line dedicated to shadowing the opposing teams’ top lines.

The new system has also taken a toll on Madden, who is arguably one of the best defensive forwards currently playing in the NHL. His has a high value for teams who need to secure up a defensive line but his offensive abilities have been lacking, amassing a mere 14 points in 39 games, split up due to missing time because of an ankle injury and a bout with the flu. Madden has also suffered one of the longest goal droughts in his career with a 20 game skid, his longest being 29. It is very clear at this point, being a shadow to an opposing team’s top scorer even a role on the devils anymore as they currently sit 10th overall in scoring, and 5th in goals against, entering the Nashville game.

There has been speculation in news papers in New Jersey that Mike Rupp will not only lose playing time, but also could be moved from the team. Don’t believe it. There is no reason to move Rupp, and they need a player like him on the team, someone who is not afraid to drop the gloves, or send a physical message to an opposing player. Bryce Salvador and Johnny Oduya have done their part at times, as has David Clarkson, but Rupp has been the most physical of the Devils. He is filling the role vacated when Colin White began donning a visor. Rupp will stay on the Devils, he may lose a game or two here and there to gauge who should stay out of Madden and Pandolfo, but I firmly believe he’ll be around for the season.

The wild-card who I think has the most potential to be traded is Brian Gionta. I think his trading value will skyrocket if he can keep his offensive streak going and Shanahan can be a solid offensive threat. If both of those hypothetical come to fruition, Gionta could be moved for a solid defenseman to sure up the defensive corps. Currently at 38 points, Gionta is on pace to reach his highest points total since he scored a Devils record 48 goals and racked up 89 points in 2005-2006. Shanahan has averaged nearly a point a game throughout his entire career and matching that offensive productivity could be reason enough to gamble on moving Gionta, who is in the final season of a four year, $4 million contract he signed following the 48 goal campaign.

Further changes will be coming to the Devils, the only variable at this point, is time. Shanahan’s role will be identified within the next few weeks [I say weeks only because they have a game Monday and then Wednesday vs. Montreal before reaching the all-star break] but I believe moves will come well before the trading deadline on March 4th.

A Sigh of Relief and a Slice of Humble Pie

Last week, I had made a comment suggesting that in order for the Devils to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference, yet alone the Atlantic Division, the next four games were essentially must win games. At worst, I felt they needed three of four.

I predicted the Islanders would be as they have been lately, pains in their asses. But after a solid effort Thursday night against the panthers, a hard physical battle Saturday against the Isles and an offensive explosion Sunday against the Lightning, the Devils seem to be getting back on the right track and then some.

The first line is playing like the premier line that they should be. Zubrus seemed to have a mean streak today and launched an assault on the back of the net and both Lightning goaltenders. Now, before people fire back that Tampa is in turmoil right now, it is Dainius Zubrus and he is finally starting to hit some form of a stride for the team. Streaks need to start somewhere so why not against a bottom feeder to build momentum going into another game vs. the Panthers followed by the defending conference champion Penguins. While only have 6 points over the past 5 games, Zubrus has the four goals to his credit and assists on two big goals against the Panthers.

Brian Gionta has seen his goals drop steadily since his record setting 2005-2006 campaign where he scored 48 goals and amassed 89 points, all in the final year of his contract. He was rewarded for his efforts with a 3 year, $4 million extension which he has not lived up to that career year. This season, Gionta is playing for another contract. Going into last weekend’s match ups against the Capitals, Gionta had only tallied two goals and seven assists. While it is a fair point to add the entire offense was struggling, Gionta, for the money he was given, should be producing more. During the past 5 games, however, he has been earning his keeps by netting four goals and four assists, including three games in a row of a goal and an assist each.

The last part of that front line, and the most often criticized for a disappointment in regards to production is alternate captain, Patrik Elias. After losing both Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski, the Devils in a knee-jerk reaction signed Elias to a contract as quick as possible by throwing money at him and giving him a lot of time on it. Currently, the contract has 5 years left with an average of $6 million a season. A player with solid skills but needs a compliment to help him along with the points. The shuffle to spark Elias has been an on going process since losing Scott Gomez, Petr Sykora and Jason Arnott. While the latter two players have long since departed New Jersey, Elias has not really been the same player he was when on the “A-Line” with Sykora and Arnott. During the same span as Gionta, Elias also tallied 9 points, 4 goals 5 assists. Over the past 5 games: 4 goals and 7 assists, including four multipoint games in a row.

The three players combined have tallied 25 points, 12 of which coming in the form of goals. I know I am not alone when I say that it is about time someone on this team is finally giving Zach Parise a break from carrying the scoring workload.

The trickle down affect as not only hit the forwards, with rare but welcomed contributions from the likes of Mike Rupp and David Clarkson, but on the defense as well, with a pair of goals from Paul Martin and even tough guy Bryce Salvador finding the twine. Which leads me to my slice of humble pie section.

I, again, owe Salvador a major apology. Early on the season, I could not help but fall victim to the “place the blame on a signing that I did not fall 100% in love with” virus. I didn’t particularly like the move, even though, as has been pointed out to me on more than one occasion, he is making below league average for a defenseman. I didn’t like his performance late in the season nor out of the gate this year. However, as soon as the injury bit this team in the rear end, I saw the true value of Salvador. He is physical, all the time, and smart about it. He has great defensive awareness, but also is able to contribute on offense, as is noted by his game winning goal against the Islanders. By stepping up, he has not only proven to be a solid leader and a great teammate, but also a much needed relief for Paul Martin, who has been the one carrying much of the workload on his back. I’ll fully say it now, I’m impressed.

As long as the Zubrus line, [I’m working on a nick name for them, ZEG line doesn’t seem to work, nor goes the GEZ line], maintains even half their current rate of nightly production, I will feel more and more comfortable with the progress of this team.

Nearly two weeks ago, I didn’t like the way this team was looking, especially on the offensive side. Elias and Gionta were disappointing, the team was in turmoil. Now, with two lines firing on all cylinders, the offense can shoulder some of the turbulence from the wake of Brodeur’s injury.

Sure, Tampa gave the team a scare with their early attempts to rally, but with Zubrus’ stick absolutely on fire, the team seemed to skate with an air confidence in their strides. Thus, giving goaltender Scott Clemensen support when he needed it the most, in the third period to preserve his third win in a row.

Next stop: Florida on Wednesday night.