This did not quite come out of nowhere. You get that impression from Brent Sutter but I refuse to believe it. The bottom line is the New Jersey Devils came up short pretty much since Game 1. Even when they won…you were left with the feeling that it could fall apart. Tonight it did. Two strategic mistakes in the final seconds led to two goals by Carolina. Just like that, the Devils went from winning to OT to regulation Game 7 loss in one of the most cruelest ways imaginable.

However, the reality is the Devils were not good enough. Guys like Niklas Havelid, Colin White, etc…etc. are not defensemen you want to hang your hat on. There is a reason why this team had to score a ton in the regular season. These guys are just NOT GOOD! I will say it once and I will say it again. Look back to Game 5 when they just BARELY held on to a 1-0 win against Carolina. The defense sat back and let Carolina do whatever it wanted to. That is not acceptable and nor will it ever be acceptable!

People are going to second guess Martin Brodeur again and say he cannot win the big game. That is also nonsense! What simply happened is this team got caught with the deer in headlights look. Instead of recovering like a good team would when they got scored on…they let something happen that was even more improbable and that was give up a series winner in regulation. One cannot fault Brodeur for what happened there. The defensive breakdowns were many like they were all series. What happened was they kind of got lost in the shuffle until the most crucial moment of the season.

Again this team is too built for the regular season and not enough for the postseason. One line and a grizzled vet showed up tonight (Brendan Shanahan had 2 assists). There are going to need to be some pretty drastic changes. The first starts at defense. Because that is the main core of where the problems lie in Jersey!

First off…whatever it takes to make Colin White go away….do it! Colin has been a nice player for NJ for a long while but hey this is a business and its time to get better. There are guys like Steve Montador and Jay Bouwmeester who will be UFA’s among others. Throw a line out there….buy out White if you have to but this team needs a major overhaul on D. I can live with Bryce Salvador to a point but if by some miracle Jay-Bo does come to New Jersey…then its time to ship out Paul Martin as well. Cut the salary and send him to Minnesota. After that, make sure Mr. Havelid has a nice long walk off a short pier and bring up Matt Corrente from Lowell. Surely this will not fix all the problem on the Devils’ blueline but hey it is a start.

Next up…Rolston, Elias, and Gionta are not too bad together but Patrik Elias has to learn to SCORE in the playoffs again. It seemed Elias missed several glorious chances in this series that he normally would not miss. Patrik had a bad series…it is okay to say it. You cannot miss wide open nets like Elias did in this series if you want to be considered an elite player again. Until he lights the lamp enough when it counts…Patrik will just be another regular season performer. Lou Lamoriello will likely mend whatever fences with Brian Gionta and will offer him a deal. Question is will Gionta take it? If not, Lou Lams could go out into the UFA market. At this point….it could not hurt.

The fourth line was not too bad….Rupp and Clarkson were not so good tonight for whatever reason but overall during the season David Clarkson started to make those slow steps to becoming a better NHL player. I think next year he breaks the 20 goal barrier and with some more time on the extra man…he could get close to 25 goals. The duo makes for a nice energy line and hopefully they can find someone in Lowell to make a trio because Bobby Holik likely will not be back. At 2.5 million he is too expensive to have. In the end, the Holik reunion tour did not work.

Now whatever it takes to break up Madden and Pandolfo…..do it! The team is getting older and older and honestly for as hard as these two work….2003 is now 6 years ago. They are beginning to show their age together on the ice. John Madden paired with a younger gritty forward could work. However either Madden or Pandolfo or both may go and I would rather it be Pandolfo. Madden is too valuable on short handed situations still.

If that is not enough…oh believe me there is much more. It is now apparent and needed to take a deeper look at this farm system. When you are ranked at the bottom of the prospect heap…worse than teams like Colorado….its time to take a second look. I will never figure out why John Carlson was not taken over Mr. Tedenby. Everyone has seen what Carlson did with London of the OHL this year. Time to see where scouting can be improved because that once vaunted Devils scouting has slipped several rungs in the past few years.

Do a system’s check. Its like taking a car out and giving it a full tune-up after say 50,000 miles. The Devils are now six years removed from a Stanley Cup and for most fans and franchises…that would be a great thing. However for this fan…it is not! It really is time to take a look at all parts of this organization. Is Brent Sutter really the right coach for this team? Could John MacLean be replaced for a more NHL savvy assistant? From goaltending coaches to personnel…..this checkup needs to be done and done quickly. The draft is coming up in late June and July 1st is the free agent frenzy.

Can the Devils learn something from this? Yes they can but only if they really take a deep look in the mirror and realize what they have become is not the team they envisioned at the start of the 2008-2009 season. Ultimately that divergence led to their eventual and sudden downfall.

What got them there? Well honestly a resilient offense and timely goaltending from someone not named Martin Brodeur for most of the season is what got the Devils to this point. When Brodeur went down on November 1st…did anyone expect them to be in this position? No! Scott Clemmensen did an incredible job under the worst circumstances with 25 wins for Jersey. However he did tail off the last 10 days sort of like he did the first 10. Patrik Elias has 65 points for the team and Zach Parise has 73 points. The Devils, in all, have scored 186 goals in 61 games which is good for 3.05 goals per game. As an oh by the way Jamie Langenbrunner, the captain has chipped in with 52 points including 19 goals and 5 GWG’s….he is a clutch man when clutch is needed. Travis Zajac in his third year also has 52 points which has been a huge surprise for a team that did not expect quite that much from him.

Now what got them there to me is a simple philosophy that quite a few people forgot about. That started during last year’s playoff series in Game 3 where the Devils decided to play a little more of a run and gun style. They would go on to lose to the Rangers in five games but it set the stage for this season. Signing Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik helped play a big part in that. Now they have not produced in the way expected but they have been effective. Effective works as most know! Still this team does have some needs and that is a cold reality as team vie for the Stanley Cup come April.

What they need? It looks like the team needs a defenseman for starters. The goaltending is obviously covered. Never hurts to have an all-world netminder….ever! Ideally the Devils need a two way defenseman to create some more offense while being able to muscle guys out of Brodeur’s way. A guy like Jay-Bo wouldn’t hurt but the reality may dictate more a return of Scott Niedermayer or Jordan Leopold and even that might not be all that likely. After all, that is the whole point of a wish list. You wish for it but it does not mean you will get it. Sad commentary on life that your team cannot always get what they want.

This team could use another scoring forward especially if Brian Gionta really is as digruntled as people have said. That of course depends on who you read and who you ask. The Devils could bring up someone from Lowell if they really had to. It would not hurt to get a little younger as Gionta is having a nice season but should have just about a point a game with who he is playing. He did nearly score 50 once but that seems like eons ago! Rolson has also been a bit of a disappointment in that sense…people just expected more I guess. Maybe it will come next year but for chemistry’s sake a 2nd line scorer couldn’t hurt. Who could they get? Well Gabork is out…how about maybe a Tim Connolly perhaps. Time will tell.

What Will They Get? Not sure truthfully….there are so many wild rumors out there that usually the quiet ones are hard to gauge. This time of year really is like a “Christmas” of sorts for teams as they find out what they will have to work with as they go into battle for the Stanley Cup! Leopold might be the most practical and affordable but will the Devils have enough “goods” to aim higher? Brian Gionta and a pick or two, toss in a Pandolfo and the Devils might be able to address their needs. Then again the trade deadline is like high stakes poker….sometimes you have to go all in to get what you want.

Come Wednesday Evening we will see what the Devils wind up getting. Will it be enough? I do not know but surely we will be back with analysis of the Devils Trade Deadline as well as the NHL Trade Deadline. Enjoy the hockey till then!

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is rumored to be shopping Brian Gionta to shed some salary to add a veteran top four defenseman. Gionta, who is making $4 Million, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season end and could be the most valued trade commodity for the Devils.

The veteran forwards productivity has continued to decline since his 48 goal season in 2005-2006. This season, while playing on a line with Patrick Elias and Dainius Zubrus he has netted 11 goals and 30 assists but only has 2 goals in the last 14 games. 

The addition of Brendan Shanahan has given the Devils some scoring depth upfront and the freedom to move a forward via a trade. The Devils have also been shopping forwards Jay Pandolfo and John Madden, both who earn just under $3 million this season, though Pandolfo has been a healthy scratch the past five games and Madden’s lack of offensive ability make them much less valuable than Gionta.

With several top line defenseman available like Scott Neidermeyer, Chris Pronger, Jay Bouwmeester, Tomas Kaberle, just to name a few, the Devils will need to shed some salary. Currently just sitting under the cap, the Devils will be forced to package a forward, defenseman and draft picks if they are to land one of the high priced veteran defenseman.

According to this person, who shall remain anonymous, they claim that the other club involved is the Florida Panthers.

The supposed deal breaks down like this:

To New Jersey: Olli Jokinen, Ruslan Salei, and Ville Peltonen.

To Florida: Brian Gionta, Andy Greene, Sergei Brylin, Matt Halischuk or Nicklas Bergfors, Draft pick in 08 or 09.

While we’ve never reported made up rumors, fabrications, or in any way pretended to have inside sources, we figured that we’d share this tidbit with y’all just for the hell of it…

Even if this ‘rumor’ is bogus, it would be interesting to discuss the merits of such a deal if it were to go down.

Would it be a fair trade?

Which team would it benefit the most? This year? Down the road?

Let me know what you think…

Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli tells the Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa that he has no place for suspended forward Stanislav Chistov to the roster at this time.

Chistov, who remains suspended by the Bruins and still their property, left Salavat Yulayev Ufa, the Russian Super League club he played for this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson tells Tom Reed of The Columbus Dispatch he expects to meet with Rick Curran, the agent for pending UFA Adam Foote, within the next 48 hours.

Howson wants to find out what how much money Foote is looking for to re-sign with the club.

James Gordon of The Ottawa Citizen suggests that the idea of the Ottawa Senators acquiring goalie Dwayne Roloson of the Edmonton Oilers or Nikolai Khabibulin of the Chicago Blackhawks is “unrealistic and counter-productive.”

While his name has been mentioned in trade rumors involving Martin Havlat of the Blackhawks, Olli Jokinen of the Florida Panthers and even Mats Sundin of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mark Everson of the New York Post is not convinced that the New Jersey Devils want to part with struggling forward Brian Gionta this season.

That doesn’t mean the Devils aren’t looking to improve their roster.

It’s believed that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is looking to acquire some that matches the the kind of players his head coach, Brent Sutter, likes.

“I like a team that has a junkyard dog mentality,” Sutter said yesterday, discussing the personality of his team rather than the Feb. 26 trade deadline. “You don’t want to be a quiet team because a lot of times, you’re a quiet team on the ice, too.”

Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke said in a conference call with the media that he’s heading into the NHL general managers meetings, set to begin Monday, unsure if he’ll make any deals, reports Rick Sadowski of the Rocky Mountain News.

“I’m not sure what I have yet, and I’m not sure what I’m looking for.”

Burke owns the Oilers’ first-round draft pick for losing restricted free agent forward Dustin Penner to an offer sheet last summer, but he says he’s more inclined to keep it than trade it for a rental.

During the same conference call, Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell sounded as if he was still unsure about what he’ll do with pending UFA Marian Hossa before the February 26 trade deadline.

“We have one of our stars that’s up in the air,” Waddell said of Hossa.

“If we don’t sign the player, then we’ve got to make a decision whether we’re going to trade that player or ride him out for the rest of the year and try to keep our team as strong as we can.”

“I wouldn’t give my last draft choice in order to get him,” was the way the fellow put it to me.

“It’s not because he isn’t an honest, hard-working player, but because he has lost it. The many wars against much bigger and tougher fellows are telling on him. He is trying hard, but he can’t get there anymore.”

And that may be just fine with the veteran player. Tucker, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, says he would like to remain with the Maple Leafs.

With Hollywood mogul Oren Koules getting closer to purchasing the Tampa Bay Lightning, Erik Erlendsson of The Tampa Tribune reports that it’s becoming more likely the club will re-sign pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Dan Boyle.

As well, the chances of forwards Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis sticking around have also increased.

Mark Everson of the New York Post reports that New Jersey Devils forward Brian Gionta’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors involving forwards Martin Havlat of the Chicago Blackhawks and Olli Jokinen of the Florida Panthers.

Gionta tells Everson he’s not aware of the speculation.

“I haven’t heard it,” he said.

Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland tells Detroit Free Press that he expects a number of significant deals leading up to the February 26 trade deadline.

“I think there’s probably going to be three or four high-profile trades,” Holland said. “There are names being bandied about. Some are going to be traded. Some aren’t. There’s going to be lots of third-line players, sixth or seventh defensemen (traded). They’re not going to change the nature of your team. They’re going to give you a little depth.”

As for the Red Wings in particular, Holland is said to be interested in acquiring a scoring forward. Holland also hints that he’ll be looking to make a big splash on the trade market rather than just adding marginal talent.

“Other than the high profile players, I don’t know how much better some of these players are than what we’ve got,” Holland said.

Panthers GM and Jacques Martin tells George Richards of the Miami Herald that he’s looking to bolster his injury-riddled roster prior to the trade deadline.

However, youngsters such as forwards Shawn Matthias and Michal Frolik are off limits.

“We’re always looking to add some players if we can,” Martin said. “The only drawback with that is, a lot of time they’re asking for guys like Matthias, Frolik. For the better of the organization, you don’t want to give up one of those young players that you’re going to count on for a lot of years. They’re going to be significant.”

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that the Buffalo Sabres are not “confident a deal is going to get done” with pending UFA defenseman Brian Campbell.

Sabres GM Darcy Regier met with Larry Kelly, Campbell’s agent, Tuesday in Ottawa and were not able to reach a framework for a deal.