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

Devils Cap Off Perfect Week with OT Win

The long layoff for the NHL ended last Saturday night as 24 teams kicked off their respective seasons.

New Jersey, fresh off their run to the Stanley Cup Finals, began their quest to repeat their Eastern Conference Championship run by squaring off against Atlantic Divisional rival, New York Islanders.

Travis Zajac got the scoring going after burying a beautiful crossing feed from Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson sucked the life out of the crowd at Nassau Coliseum with his goal moments after Travis Hamonic leveled the two teams at 1 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the 3^rd period. Martin Brodeur stopped 18 of 19 shots for his first win of the season.

Three days later, the Devils Squared off against the Philadelphia Flyers who were playing their third game in four days. Having lost to Pittsburgh at home and then falling to Buffalo on the road, the Flyers were desperate for a victory. Unfortunately for them, they got off on the absolute wrong foot as Travis Zajac again ignited the scoring, netting his second of the season just 67 seconds into the game. Clarkson, too, would get his second of the year on the power play with 25 seconds remaining in the opening stanza.

Kovalchuk would add a short handed, penalty shot goal in the third as the Devils continued their domination of Flyers’ goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov dating back to last season’s Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup where the Devils made the Russian keeper look amateurish.

Brodeur stopped all 24 Flyers shots he faced for his second win and 120^th shutout of his career, 10 of which coming against the Flyers.

The shutout streak would continue into Friday night where the Devils would play host to the Washington Capitals. Stephen Gionta would finish a Jacob Josefson attempt to net his first of the season and only his second career regular season goal. Patrik Elias would register his 897^th point of his career when he pushed home a rebound off a Marek Zidlicky shot and a Clarkson deflection on the power play late in the 2^nd period.

The Devils’ discipline came apart nearly entirely during the third period as they took 5 consecutive penalties including three within seconds of each other. Washington seized the opportunity by scoring once on the power play [Mike Ribeiro] and then again as their final advantage expired [Mike Green].

Their gifts from the Devils would cease there as New Jersey came out a different team in the overtime period, bombarding Michal Neuvirth with 7 shots before Kovalchuk wristed a tight angle attempt top shelf to win the game for the Devils with just 20 seconds remaining in the extra frame.

Their 3-0 start is the best the Devils have had since the 2002-2003 season in which they went on to win the Stanley Cup in 6 games against the Dallas Stars.

Sykora & Henrique Making the Most of Second Chances

A preview of the new site coming later this week

Gene Hackman playing the role of fictional football coach Jimmy McGinty told his players in The Replacements, "you men are being given what a lot of people would die to have: a second chance." His speech was meant to instill confidence in his team as they came off a tough loss. It seems as though some of the Devils players have taken a similar message to heart during the early goings of this young NHL season.

Just over a month ago, two Devils were the spotlight of a Deviling the Details season preview article: Pete Sykora and Adam Henrique.

By now, everyone is well aware of Sykora’s improbable comeback. What goes unnoticed by those not watching the Devils is the overall emergence of his game on both sides of the puck.

Sykora’s impressive offensive performance during the preseason was what earned him a spot on the Devils’ roster. His defensive abilities have undoubtedly granted him a permanent spot on the active roster, even after the Devils fully heal as a team.

With Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson still recovering from serious injuries, the Devils have desperately needed other players step up and role-players to expand their game further. Sykora is just one of the many players who have answered the call and have been such a vital part in the Devils’ early season success, a stark contrast to the team that took to the ice a year ago.

Sykora, a former two-time 30-plus goal scorer, hasn’t lit up the score sheet to the tune of even a 20-goal pace, but has three goals on the year. His goals, coincidentally, have all come off a set-play from an offensive zone faceoff where center Patrik Elias wins the draw back and Sykora one-times the feed to the right side of the net. Sykora has also added 6 assists to his points total over the first 18 games of the season.

A player who has been even more impressive for the Devils than Petr Sykora is Adam Henrique.

Earlier this season, Henrique was thrust into not just the starting roster, but the Devils’ top line when Josefson went down with a broken collarbone suffered in the 5th game of the season versus the San Jose Sharks.

While Henrique was sent down to Albany for what General Manager Lou Lamoriello called a better opportunity before the Devils’ weekend set with the Sharks and Penguins, he returned to the Devils following the training stint a different player.

Before his brief re-focusing stint, Henrique averaged a mere 12 minutes of ice time, and amassed no points during his first 3 games this season. Since then, he has averaged at least 5 minutes more of time, including significant time on both special teams units.

With that added ice time, Henrique has also given the Devils yet another offensive threat which comes as great relief while Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk find their scoring touches. Henrique registered his first NHL goal against the Philadelphia Flyers and then two nights later, registered his first multi-goal game including another first: his first game winning goal in a thrilling game against the Winnipeg Jets.

In his 12 games since being recalled from Albany, Henrique has put up 4 goals, 7 assists and is a plus-1. He also had an assist on Parise’s shorthanded goal against Buffalo last Wednesday, and has a pair of assists on the power play, including David Clarkson’s tally Saturday night which proved to be the game winner.

Henrique, as is the case with any player, is not subject to mistakes including some errant passes and defensive lapses. His other contributions, both on the attack as well as matching up defensively against some of the league’s best and holding his own, more than make up for the errors which the rookie has made.

As the Devils approach the end of the first quarter of the season, they’ll take the continued successes and contributions of Henrique and Sykora as they await Parise to hit his scoring stride coming off missing nearly an entire season.

Even after Travis Zajac returns to game-form, expect Henrique to be a major factor on the top two lines as long as he can keep up his solid performances. Sykora will also be a strong candidate to remain on the top two especially considering how he has returned to his old form with line mate and good friend, Patrik Elias.


Crosby Comes Back

Finally, on an unrelated hockey note, congrats to Sidney Crosby on his return Monday night. I mention this for two reasons, 1) concussions suck and as much as I can’t stand to hear about him day and night on various hockey programs, I love rooting against him and the Penguins and 2) shamelessly hoping that by accident people will search his name and come upon my blog. But folks, can we stop comparing this comeback to the one that happened over a decade ago?

Mario Lemieux’s return to hockey and the Pittsburg Penguins was truly monumental. For those not familiar, Lemieux retired from hockey in 1997 after undergoing numerous back surgeries, and four years after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in ’97, but three years later, Lemieux returned to the Penguins where he would play until the 2005-06 season. Lemieux used that last season to quite literally pass the torch of the Penguins to Crosby.

So before we bronze Crosby’s skates from Monday’s game, let’s remember people have suffered worse than a concussion and returned.