Offensive Offense

With the devastating injury of Martin Brodeur’s left arm nearly two weeks ago, the New Jersey Devils turned to veteran Kevin Weekes as the backstop.

Weekes accepted the challenge whole heartedly and turned aside 28 shots on goal from a potent Buffalo Sabres attack, including 19 of 20 in the first period. On any other team, the 93% save percentage, and two goals against, night which Weekes put up would have been sufficient to force overtime, if not a victory for the team. Unfortunately for Weekes, the Devils’ offense could not muster even a fraction of the offensive prowess they displayed the night they lost future the future Hall of Famer in Broduer in a 6-1 victory over Atlanta.

Now, to say that the loss to the Sabres is entirely the offenses’ fault is slightly unfair. Ryan Miller was on a roll, he had just come off a shut out victory and got into an easy groove facing only 3 shots in the first period. This effort was also aided by nearly 10 minutes of Sabres power play time, including a 5 on 3 for nearly 90 seconds where the Sabres netted their first tally of the game.

On the other hand, the fact that if not for Zach Parise, the Devils would have been shut out for 3 of the past 4 games. His team leading 10th and 11th goals were the only markers versus the Red Wings and Oilers. The Devils offense, while riddled with injuries, has been horrific. Going back to that Sabers game, after surrendering the first 6 penalties of the game, the Devils received 6 power plays of their own, including 3 in the third period. The Devils only have one power play goal since losing Brodeur.

Jamie Langenbrunner, Brian Gionta and Patrick Elias continue to struggle on offense. The defense is also struggling to maintain a level of consistency which could allieviate some of the pressure off the offense. But with leader Paul Martin on IR and occasional offensive threat Andy Greene also hurt, how much can you blame the backline which is looking more and more like the Lowell Devils as the injuries mount.

This is one of the most difficult seasons in recent memory in regards to the injury bug for the Devils. Brian Rolston sustained a high ankle sprain early in the season. Luckily for him, and the Devils, the injury was much less severe than it looked. But in the offseason, he was looked upon to not only bring some much needed offense to the club, but to be a leader on the power play. Bobby Holik broke his finger trying to catch a puck in the following game. With two key losses on offense and two on defense, the Devils are using patchwork to sustain the team for the time being. Brodeur’s injury, however, makes the offensive issue even more profound. The offense needs to find a spark and help shoulder the load with Weekes which Broduer’s absence leaves.

Where to go from here? The options are pretty limited for the Devils, as they are hamstrung by the cap space and the fact the entire league knows they are struggling. Marion Gaborik is rumored to being shopped around by the Minnesota Wild. Former Devil Brendan Shannahan is also in need of a good home and is said to be on the Devils’ radar. Other teams with greater cap space are believed to be in the hunt, but he would like to hear to a contender, and is said to be deciding his future by the end of this week and as early as today.

One player who I feel should undoubtedly be on the trading block is Travis Zajac. The 3rd year player has yet to find his rookie season form and is constant liability in the offensive zone. Struggling for most of last season, Zajac looked to find a groove as the season closed out, but this year, his offensive woes continue, as do most of the team’s. One rumor from a year ago which would not be a bad idea for the Devils should look to begin exploring again is Zajac for Phil Kessel of Boston. Kessel, who also had a sophomore slump last season, is off to a decent start. As stated before, a change of scenery could help both players re-discover their scoring touch.