Lou’s Last Stand or Just Another Rebirth?

-->

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: 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