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.

The point was the New Jersey Devils made their move on Monday….acquiring Niclas Havelid from the Atlanta Thrashers for Anssi Salmela and a minor prospect. It was the kind of move that probably needed to make for defensive depth given the high trade returns meted out on Wednesday…it was likely the best move GM Lou Lamoriello could have made. Ideally in a market of few sellers and many buyers…one had to see that coming.

Everyone remembers the guns and butter theory of economics. When the balance is optimum….that is when the economy does best. It is very similar to the success of the fate of a hockey team. For a hockey team, it is weapons that can score and the butter to defend. The issue that the New Jersey Devils had was defense and clearly they addressed it their way.

Now players like Pandolfo and Clemmensen did not get traded….maybe there just was not a market for them. Notice just how much of a dud this trade deadline actually was. Other than that 4-way trade and the Jokinen trade…it was just a lot of dumping and exchanging. Maybe New Jersey was the smartest of all in not getting too involved and making their move while the asking price was low.

So in the trade that was made…..it was a solid one for the New Jersey Devils. Getting Havelid will make the defense that much stronger in facing some of those top offensive lines out there. Could they have made another move perhaps? Yes…maybe! That does knock down the Devils overall grade a little bit. I just cannot give them an A on this one.

What grade do they get? Well they get some praise for the Havelid trade but it would have been nice to pawn off Clemmensen and/or Pandolfo for maybe some draft picks. So overall…..they get a B because getting Brodeur back was the highlight of this deadline…a rested Brodeur at that!

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.

Over the past 13 seasons, the New Jersey Devils have won three Stanley Cups, only the Detriot Red Wings have won more in that time. The Devils have made the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons and had 11 consecutive 40-plus win seasons, never finishing with less than 95 points and breaking the 100 point barrier in nine of those eleven seasons. So why would everyone doubt one of the most successful franchises in sports over the past 15 years? You gt me!

The Devils will return from the All-Star break sitting atop the Atlantic Division with 61 points (29-15-3), one point ahead of the New York Rangers and two points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils have been able to achieved this, despite being without Martin Brodeur for 37 games and free agent signings Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik for 18 games a piece. So here is a look back at the first half and how the Devils have gotten to where they are?

MVP: Zach Parise / Patrick Elias
Zach Parise has become one of the best young NHL stars and Patrick Elias has once again become one of the NHL elite players. For the first time, maybe ever, their could be two Devils who finish the year in the top 10 in scoring in the league.

Parise, whose 28 goals ranks him 3rd behind Ovechkin and Carter, is currently 7th in the league with 55 points, while Elias ranks 9th with 54 points. The best part is they play on different lines, giving the other teams fits and the Devils two scoring lines.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Travis Zajac
Zajac’s 15 goals and 21 assists already surpass his numbers from last season and with 35 games remaining he should easily break his career high of 42 points. Of late, Zajac has been the hot stick for the Devils as he has 5 goals and 3 assists in the past 7 games. Best of all has been his improvement on defense playing at a plus-19 compared to last seasons minus-11 rating.

BIGGEST SUPRISE: Scott Clemmensen
When the season started Scott Clemmensen was barely on the Devils radar. He would be headed to Lowell and spend time there all season and be an insurance policy. Well the Devils cashed in that insurance policy and more than they expected.

Not only has Clemmensen come in and held down the fort, he has asserted his presence. The Devils goal, who may have been snubbed for a trip to the All-Star game, has put up Brodeurian numbers in the absence of the star goaltender. Clemmensen is 7th in the league in wins (19), 6th in Goal-Against-Average (2.29) and 8th in save percentage (.922).

Now the big questions are, can he keep it up and what will the Devils do once Marty comes back at the end of February? Who will go and who will stay? One thing is for certain, Clemmensen will see a nice pay day from some team next season.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Jay Pandolfo
The long time Devil signed a three year 7.5M dollar contract over the summer and now with the signing of Brendan Shanahan, Pandolfo is watching the games from the press box.

He and long time linemate, John Madden, have been separated for most of the season and when he has played of late he has only seen time of late on the fourth line. There has been speculation of trading Pandolfo, but he will be difficult to move in the salary cap era.

TRADE DEADLINE: To Trade or not to trade, that is the question?
The Devils added Brendan Shanahan and may be happy with the depth they now have at the forward position. The defense has been underrated all year, but their solid play has the Devils ranked 5th in the league on defense. But GM Lou Lamiriello has been known to always add a veteran to the mix at the trade deadline. Looking back Lamiriello has brought in defenseman like Bryce Salvador, Jason Weimer, Phil Housley, Shawn Chambers and Vladmir Malakhov at the dealine and I would expect him to do the same. Except for Malakhov, there is one thing that ties all these players together. Lou got them for cheap and without breaking up the current roster.

THE FUTURE: Five things to look out for in the second half
Here are a few things to look out for after the all-star break:
1) Can John Madden keep it going? The Devils center has struggled all year and has been rumored in trades for a few weeks. Since Shanahan has joined the team, Madden has 1 goal,6 assists and a plus-6 rating in the past five games. Now can he keep playing the way he has of late, or will the Devils look to move him at the trade deadline?
2) Will Parise be the first Devil to score 50 goals in a season and will he or Elias break the 100 point plateau? Parise is on pace for 95 points and 48 goals, just short of the two marks.
3) How much of a difference will Shanahan make? He scored in his first game, but his presence may be felt far more than just on the score sheet.
4) Will Lou stand still or make a move? As we already stated, will Lou add a veteran blueliner or will he look for a 3rd line centerman to play with his wingers Rolston, Shanahan and Clarkson.
5) How will Brodeur play when he returns? He has never been out of the line-up for this long in his career. Will the rest help him and have him fresh for the playoffs or will he come back not in top form and send the Devils into a funk.

WHAT IS UP NEXT: The homestretch begins.
The Devils will come back from the all-star break with two road games at Ottawa and Boston and then play seven of eight on home ice. Scott Clemmensen and the Devils will need to try and put some distance between them and the Rangers and Flyers, while they await the return of Brodeur between February 26th and March 7th.

With 35 games remaining the Devils have nine divisional games left, including three against the Islanders and two against the Flyers, Rangers and Penguins. The Devils will not be doing much traveling the remainder of the season, as their furthest trip is a game at Chicago on March 27th. Besides that game every game will be played in the eastern time zone.

The signing of the veteran forward has sparked speculation of which forward may be watching from the stands once Shanahan is ready to be inserted into the line-up. Shanahan’s presence will put pressure on several Devils forwards to step-up their games, but the most effected may be John Madden.

Madden, who is set to become a restricted free-agent after the season, has been mediocre at best this season. After posting a 20 goal season in 2007-2008, he has 4 goals and 8 assists in 37 games this season.

The 10 veteran, all as a New Jersey Devil, has seen his ice time and role diminish under Brent Sutter. The time when you would see John Madden checking the other teams top line has become a distant memory. This season has seen the long time duo of Madden and Pandolfo separated, Madden go through a 24 game goal scoring drought and at times even seen him relegated to the fourth line. Not something that you would expect for the center who will be playing between two scoring wingers in Rolston and Shanahan.

Lamoriello and Sutter both understand that to be a top contender for the Stanley Cup, you need three lines that can score and play defense. The addition of Shanahan gives the Devils the potential of three productive scoring lines, depending on how John Madden plays at center between the veteran duo of Shanahan and Rolston.

There has been speculation all season that Madden, who’s career high was 23 assists, may be moved by the trading deadline and replaced with a playmakingcenter. Now with signing of Shanahan the rumors may become reality. So after 10 years with the Devils, John Madden’s future with the organization will all depend on how much offense he can produce over the next few weeks.

Shanahan, who turns 40 years of age on January 23rd, was not re-signed by the Rangers after scoring 52 goals the past two seasons for the Blueshirts. Several other teams sought after the veterans services, including the Flyers, Blues and Penguins. In the end, salary cap issues and a willingness for Shanahan to stay in the New York area was his deciding factor in signing with the Devils.

The 8-time all-star has played in 1,490 career games and has accumulated 650 career goals, which ranks 11th all-time. Known as a power-play specialist, he is expected to help a struggling Devils power-play which currently ranks 20th in the NHL. A three time winner of the Stanley Cup, Shanhan brings even more experience and leadership to a Devils room stacked with veterans and is expected to see regular ice-time as a forward most likely on the third line with Brian Rolston and center John Madden.

Shanahan who was the Devils 1st round selection and 2nd overall selection in 1987, joins Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik and Scott Clemmensen as ex-Devils to sign with their former club this season. He is well remembered by Devils fans for his decision to leave the Devils in free agency to sign with the St. Louis Blues on July 25, 1991. A move that resulted in Hall-of-Famer Scott Stevens arriving in New Jersey for compensation.

Shanahan, who started skating in New Jersey on Saturday, will not join the team until the contract is settled. It is expected that he will eventually sign a pro-rated contract at a salary of 1.5M for this season.

Games:

10/10/08- Islanders, 1, New Jersey Devils 2

10/11/08- Islanders 5, St. Louis Blues 2

10/13/08- Islanders 1, Buffalo Sabres 7

10/16/08- Islanders 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3

10/18/08- Islanders 0, Florida Panthers 2

New and Notes:

- The big story thus far has been the inactivity of franchise goalie Rick Dipietro. He finally received his first start of the year against Florida on Saturday night and let in a goal early on. However, he settled down afterwards and played reasonably well, keeping the Islanders in the game.

- G Joey MacDonald, the back up goaltender who was expected to play very little this season, has been holding down the fort for Dipietro. He was a surprising 2-2 over the four games he played and looked good in every contest except against Buffalo. Islander fans should breathe a little easier knowing that their second string netminder is not actually half bad.

- D Bruno Gervais leads all defensemen in scoring with three assists. He appears to be playing with more confidence, something New York desperately needs him to do.

- LW Trent Hunter has surprised many observers, notching four goals in the first five games. Hunter is expected to be an important part of the Islanders’ future and fans hope the fact that he seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch will continue.

- C Doug Weight has delivered upon the promise that he would improve the power play. He has three power play points already.

Next Week’s Games:

10/23/08- vs. Dallas Stars

10/25/08- vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Last season the Minnesota Wild won their first ever Northwest Division title but were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche. The big question for the Minnesota Wild this season is the whether or not they picked up enough goal scorers to make up for the players they lost in free agency. Here’s a quick rundown off who came and went, along with their scoring numbers from last year.

Gone

F Brian Rolston
Dynamic slap-shot guy goes to the New Jersey Devils
31 G 28 A

F Pavol Demitra
Talented but underachieving buddy of Marian Gaborik, goes to the Vancouver Canucks
15 G 39 A

F Mark Parrish
Minnesota native and Jacques Lemaire whipping boy, bought out by the Wild, still unsigned
16 G 14 A

F Aaron Voros
Gritty grinder goes to the New York Rangers
7 G 7 A

F Todd Fedoruk
Hard-skating occasional line-mate of Gaborik and Demitra, goes to Phoenix Coyotes
6 G 7 A

F Branko Radivojevic
Gaborik and Demitra countryman goes to Russia to play hockey
7 G 10 A

F Wes Walz
Gritty epitome of coach Jacques Lemaire-style hockey went MIA after 11 games and retired midseason. He is now an assistant coach for Barry Melrose in Tampa Bay
1 G 3 A, but his intangebles held the Wild together

Added

F Andrew Brunette
He of the biggest goal in Wild history back in 2003, returns to the Wild from the Colorado Avalanche
19 G 40 A

D Marek Zidlicky
Offensive defenseman, signs with the Wild from the Nashville Predators
5 G 38 A

D Marc-Andre Bergeron
Powerplay specialist, traded to the Wild from the Anaheim Ducks
9 G 9 A

F Antti Miettinen
Player looking to capitalize on his potential, signs with the Wild from the Dallas Stars
15 G 19 A

F Owen Nolan
Aging ex-superstar, signs with the Wild from the Calgary Flames
16 G 16 A

F Craig Weller
Guy I’d never heard of, signs with the Wild from Phoenix
3 G 8 A

The departing players add up to 83 goals and 108 assists in lost offensive fire power, while the additions give the Wild 67 goals and 130 assists. A definite drop in goals and most likely a wash in assists given the lack of goal scorers for the Wild. The question is, where will the offense come from? Rolston and Demitra were huge factors in the Wild offense. Demitra actually underachieved last season and towards the end was a non-factor. He and Gaborik never were able to recreate the magic they had in the ’06-’07 season. Rolston will be missed to an extent. He obviously scored a lot of goals and teams had to play for his big slap shot. However, he is relatively one-dimensional with said slap shot.

In the long run, the Wild will need the new players to contribute at least what they contributed to their respective teams last season. They will need to see improvement in goal scoring from returning players such as Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Benoit Pouliot, and James Sheppard. They need Mikko Koivu to continue to blossom into a superstar. They need some rookies, like Colton Gillies, to contribute a smattering of goals. And they need Marian Gaborik to stay healthy, interested, and actually on the team.

What Up with Gabby?
Speaking of Marian Gaborik, that’s the other huge key to this season, and potentially the next few seasons in Minny. Gaborik is on the cusp of being a superstar in the NHL. Gaborik is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. That translates into contract negotiations, or speculation. Rumors are that Wild GM Doug Reisbrough has offered Marian $8.5 M a year, but there are no indications that he is ready to sign. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin make $9 M a year. Is Gabby worth Sid the Kid and Ovechkin money? Does Gabby even want to play in Minnesota in the defensive system that supposedly limits his offensive potential?

Depending on how the Gaborik situation works out, the Wild may have their first fan grumblings on their hands. The fan base has sold out every game in franchise history dating back to the ’00-’01 season and they eat up whatever the franchise serves. But if there’s no Gabby, and if the team is not competitive, fans will start to find better things to do with what little discretionary income they may have.

Goaltending
Niklas Backstrom is the Wild’s #1 goalie. Josh Harding is the young up and coming understudy. Backstrom has put up some very impressive numbers. 33 wins and a 2.31 goals against last season. Harding shows a lot of potential but he needs playing time. Backstrom and Harding are both in contract years, so both goalies should be at the top of their games. This will be good for the team given the most-likely drop in offense.

Prediction
Last season’s early playoff loss put a damper on a great regular season. This season, I believe the Wild will tighten up their defense this season, returning to more of the type of hockey that got them a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003. Play very sound defensive hockey and capitalize when the opposition makes a mistake. Following that trend, I expect the Wild to finish 2nd or 3rd in the NW Division, make the playoffs as the 7th or 8th seed. And since there’s always at least one surprise team to go deep to the Conference Finals or even the Stanley Cup Finals, why not the Wild?

Needless to say the memories of losing to the New York Rangers in 5 games last year do not fade away. That will definitely take some time. As the Devils lost 5-3 to the Rangers in Game 5, I remember saying to myself… “My god… we score and we can’t defend. We defend and we can’t score. Damn that has to change.”

So chug a beer after last year if you’re a Jersey fan… it may not make you feel any better though. The New Jersey Devils did get smart during the offseason. It did help naturally that the Devils were finally out of the Scott Niedermayer mess. Niedermayer signing with the Ducks messed up the Devils’ Salary Cap for 2+ seasons. Over the summer, the Devils were able to sign Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik and sent Vitali Vishnevski back to Russia. They also resigned several restricted and unrestricted free agents. A notable one was Bryce Salvador for 4 years, 11.6 million (until Jeff Finger signed with Toronto). With an improving, young defensive corp, the Devils could surprise many.

Why do I say that? Think about it! This year has been the annual Devils Bashing from media. I guess I have the right to name names at this point. The Hockey News as usual underestimates the Devils around 7th in the East but they are not the worst. ESPN actually has the Devils out of the playoffs. and they may be further from reality than ever. Case in point… ESPN has the Penguins winning the East. I won’t even say what CBS Sportsline thought.

Now hindsight is 20/20 folks. This is an annual occurrence and no one should be surprised. The reality is someday the New Jersey Devils are going to miss the playoffs but it won’t be this year. Here is why…..

I will say that Eklund is almost never right when it comes to these things. He had said that the Devils had the fifth worst offseason. Imagine what would have happened if the Devils had not signed Brian Rolston. Speaking of brainwashing… have you seen this one from Scott Burnside?

They haven’t missed the playoffs in years, but even if it takes 40 years they will eventually. I will predict it too. But how? I know! I will just predict them missing them every single year. I made look stupid at first but when they finally do miss them I will be looked at as the hockey guru of ESPN.

Sorry that will not happen either. I get the point….most network media does not like the New Jersey Devils. Okay well they do have some valid points. Martin Brodeur plays way too much. Hockeydb.com has all the evidence that you will ever need for this argument. All the practice rest in the world does not mitigate the debate at all. Playing games is playing games folks. You have to rest the big horse because face it, no rest equals early playoff exits and that is bad.

The offense was horrible… yet another valid point. However, it is not all bad for New Jersey. They seem to shoot an awful lot though but yet only had 206 goals (only the Isles at 194 was worse in the East). It is hard to make the playoffs with a stumbling offense. Patrik Elias only had 20 goals and 55 points last year and Zach Parise led the team with 65 points… not exactly numbers that scare opposing teams. These are players that probably should average a point or game… maybe even more.

The defense was not that good. Obviously many have said and rightfully so that Martin Brodeur is the Devils’ best defenseman. He does make the defense look a heck of a lot better than it actually was… especially last year. But with youngsters like Matt Corrente and a full season of Bryce Salvador…this team may not be so bad off after all. An improved defensive core is expected as they could not be worse than last year.

Special teams will improve… it has to. The Power Play was abysmal…. ranking 25th at 15.6%. Brian Rolston will be a key cog here and Bobby Holik may help on the second unit clogging the front of the net. Rolston, a natural QB, on the man advantage may even put the team in the top half of the Power Play rankings when all is said and done. The Penalty Kill was 82.8% which ranked a disappointing 13th. Now 13th does not sound that bad but this is the New Jersey Devils. For years, they were ranked in the top 5 or 10 on the man disadvantage. That may return this year with the return of Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston. Again as good as they are on offense..they are even better on the defensive end. With a little mix of youth thrown in, the Devils will improve on this statistic as well.

Prognosis: The Devils are an old, aging team to a point…they ranked 2nd in the league in current age…only Anaheim is older at 30.6. If Brent Sutter can find a way to keep the window open just a bit longer and playing Martin Brodeur maybe 70-72 games maximum… then the Devils will be better off in the long run. The team will improve overall but so has the rest of the Eastern Conference. However, with injuries and defections from teams… the New Jersey Devils will benefit. The Devils will finish 2nd behind the Philadelphia Flyers and again end up 4th in the Eastern Conference. Question will be what playoff lesson did they learn but that is for another time.

What we’re looking for

This is a tentative list of posts and schedule we’re aiming for:

• Season Preview (Oct 1)
• All-Star Break (Midway season review and second-half preview) (Jan 25)
• Trade Deadline
  • Preview (TBD)
  • Review (TBD)
• Playoffs Preview (for every round your team plays)
  • Before 1st round (TBD)
  • Before 2nd round (TBD)
  • Before 3rd round (TBD)
  • Before the Stanley Cup (TBD)
• Playoffs Review (for every round your team plays)
  • After 1st round (TBD)
  • After 2nd round (TBD)
  • After 3rd round (TBD)
  • After the Stanley Cup (TBD)
• Season Wrap-up (TBD)
• The Entry Draft
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  • Review (TBD)
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In exchange for their efforts, RumorMeThis will offer all Guest Bloggers the following:

• blogger profile/bio, and a link back to your blog (article and archive pages)
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Who’s in already?

Thanks to all the following bloggers who have already committed to covering their respective teams for this season:

• Carolina Hurricanes – Jennifer Hammer (hammerrules.blogspot.com)
• Chicago Blackhawks – John Ruhnow (thenhlarena.com)
• Dallas Stars – Cat Court (untypicalgirls.wordpress.com)
• Detroit Red Wings – Stephanie Yates (npi-hockey.blogspot.com)
• Los Angeles Kings – Marie Stiles (purplecrushedvelvet.blogspot.com)
• Minnesota Wild – Jeremy Waschek (wildviewfromsection216.blogspot.com)
• Montreal Canadiens – Ken Beckett (thepowerplay.net)
• Nashville Predators – Buddy and Jackson Oakes (predsontheglass.blogspot.com)
• New Jersey Devils – Chris Wassel (hockeyprogram.blogspot.com)
• New York Islanders – Frank Mazzola (pigskinsandpucks.blogspot.com)
• New York Rangers – Dan Rakusan (sportsfiend.ca)
• Phoenix Coyotes – Tracy Tanner (truecoyotelove.blogspot.com)
• Tampa Bay Lightning – Jessica Lewis (femmesandfisticuffs.com)
• Toronto Maple Leafs – Jared Matchett (diehardblueandwhite.blogspot.com)
• Vancouver Canucks – Mike Pinzuti (yankeecanuck.com)

Want to join?

Interested in participating? Have comments or questions? Contact us.

The Philadelphia Flyers locked Joffrey Lupul up with a four-year contract extension. Lupul is one of several players the Flyers are committing to for years to come as they believe only good things will come from these young talents.

The Phoenix Coyotes re-signed left wing Daniel Carcillo in which they feel this sparkplug brings great balance of speed and toughness to the team. Carcillo led the league in penalty minutes last season as a rookie and that seemed to be the type of player the Coyotes want as they deal is undisclosed but was a 2 year contract.

The New Jersey Devils signing center Fedor Fedorov, who is the brother of Sergei Fedorov and has been playing in Europe the past few seasons.

Other signings this week included the Anaheim Ducks agreeing to one year contracts with left win Josh Green and center Eric Boguniecki. The biggest signing of the week has come from the Vancouver Canucks, as they signed six players Wednesday. Those players include RW-Ryan Shannon, C-Rick Rypien, RW-Mike Brown, Defs-Nathan McIver, Zach FitzGerald, and James Sharrow. Make sure to check back to see all the NHL’s top news as this year the Stanley Cup will truly be up for grabs. All this action is getting fans excited for the 2008-2009 season and with opening day being less than three months away it will be interesting to see what other deals come our way.

Frank Mazzola: You were drafted 8th overall in 1994. Obviously, being selected that high comes with high expectations. Did you feel any adverse pressure to perform because of this and, if so, how did the pressure affect your approach to the game?

Jason Wiemer: There was definitely pressure, but I think, being that young, I didn’t even realize the magnitude of it. Looking back now, the ignorance was probably a blessing.

(Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)

Lubomir Visnovsky #17 of the Los Angeles Kings ties up Jason Wiemer #28 of the Minnesota Wild in front of the net in the first period during the NHL game on January 26, 2004 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

FM: You’ve played with 6 different teams (Tampa Bay, Calgary, Florida, New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey) during your career. Where was your favorite place to play and why (location, fans, the area…etc.)?

JW: Of course, playing in Florida was nice. However, my favorite place was Minnesota. They have a great organization, some of the best coaches and fantastic fans.

FM: Tell us about the most memorable goal you scored in the NHL.

JW: It would have to be my first one. I would like to tell you it was end to end, top shelf, but I’d be lying. It was against Quebec and I think it went off my shin pad. But it was my first N.H.L goal and it was pretty exciting.

FM: Were there any particular players you dreaded suiting up against (due to their skill, fighting ability…etc)?

JW: I don’t know if I dreaded playing anyone, but there were a few I didn’t look forward to. Tony Twist was a guy that made you look over your shoulder. I was lucky enough to play against some of the game’s greats like Lemieux, Gretzky and Messier. Playing guys like that was always a thrill and something I’ll never forget

FM: Who was your least favorite goalie to face and why?

JW: I’d have to say Hasek. He was in his prime and was pretty much unbeatable. Not to mention, he would be out in the corner playing pucks or at the blue line, flopping around like a fish.

FM: Hockey players are notorious for having pre-game and season-long rituals. Can you share with us any particular superstitions or routines you might have employed during your career?

JW: Actually, I was one of the rare ones that tried not to get wrapped up in superstitions. Maybe that’s because I never got on a long enough hot streak to keep doing the same thing (laughs).

FM: How did the game change from the time you were drafted up until the end of your career? What sorts of adjustments did you have to make to adapt?

JW: The game has changed in many ways in the last fifteen years. I think the biggest difference has been the size of the players. When I was drafted, teams were all about big guys. Now, they are leaning towards the smaller, faster players. The most important thing for me was to get faster. I dropped six or seven pounds to try and accomplish that.

FM: Now that you are retired, do you have any plans to seek employment within the league (coaching, player agent, league official… etc.)?

JW: I don’t have any plans to get back involved with the NHL, but I am doing some coaching here in Calgary [ Note: Jason is instructing this summer at National Sports Development, a youth hockey camp.]. It’s been fun to stay involved in the game and pass on any knowledge I may have learned to young players.

FM: Has the labor dispute which caused the cancellation of the 2004-05 season affected the relationship between the owners and the players? How did you spend your time during the lockout?

JW: I don’t know if has affected the relationship that much. As you can see, the players are still making big salaries, some even bigger than before. So, I think the players are happy with the new CBA. As for the lockout, I spent most of the time doing things I wasn’t able to do when I was playing…. a lot of hunting, fishing, hiking and skiing. It’s a good thing I could play hockey because…well, I’m a really bad skier (laughs).

FM: In your opinion, can the salary cap continue to rise in the NHL despite falling revenue and flagging interest in the American market? Are the salaries that recent free agents have received out of line with the current economic state of the league?

JW: I don’t know if it can or not. Its funny, though: Before the lockout, all the owners were crying bankruptcy and now they’re paying out more than they were. The amount and length of some of the contracts is concerning, but wiser men than me are running these organizations. So, hopefully, the league will continue to thrive in Canadian markets and grow in some of the American ones

FM: Jason, thanks very much for your time. Good luck with the hockey camp and your other future endeavors.

JW: Thank you.

I’m not going to dwell too much on Maurice’s tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He simply didn’t get the job done. Under his tutelage the Leafs were unable to win on home ice, sported a mediocre power play, and were frighteningly awful at killing penalties. Most importantly, the team didn’t make the playoffs.

I can’t honestly say I’m going to miss him. As I’ve written before, his track record speaks for itself and, well, it ain’t making a whole lot of noise. Maurice just isn’t that great of a coach.

Yes, Maurice is good people. And a great quote. I hope he lands on his feet and gets another job in the NHL if that is what he desires. However, good guys always finish last. Dead last. Or, well, 24th in the 30 team NHL.

You know who else was a great quote? Pat Burns. And he was pretty good at that whole coaching thing, too. He’s the perfect man for the job. Burns’ resume screams competence: a Stanley Cup ring, a Jack Adams award, and experience in Toronto. Who better than Mr. Burns to take over behind the bench? His passion is exactly what we need as enter a new era.

Of course, “competence” and “Maple Leafs” don’t exactly go hand-in-hand, but I can’t imagine that Burns doesn’t want this job. The Leafs hold a special place in his heart. I remember reading an article from a couple of years ago when the 1992/1993 Leafs got together for a little reunion. Burns spoke fondly about that team and how special it was. He also offered this little nugget of information: on his mantle at home is not a picture of his Stanley Cup winning New Jersey Devils team. Instead it’s a picture of the 92/93 Maple Leafs, the most special team he has ever coached.

Bring Back Burnsy. It has got to be done.

Alex Kovalev, who was the lone scorer for the Habs played decent all game long, so did Josh Gorges, and a couple of other players, were was the rest of the team? Carey Price had his first bad game in a while, but he kept the Canadiens in the game for the whole series so this game shouldn’t be hung over his head.

The Canadiens had an opportunity to close the series on home ice, and relax, and heal some bumps and bruises before the start of the next series. The Habs once again missed many shots, or their shooting lanes were blocked, hello, are the coaches studying tapes, or are they just hoping that the better team will prevail, if that’s the case, with the exception of game no.1, the Bruins have been the better team, even without some of their players.

Are the Habs missing Saku Koivu, and Francis Bouillon that much? Is the fact that Bouillon, and Koivu aren’t playing affecting the team to such a degree? If in fact the reason that the power-play is non-existent, and that the no.1 line for the Habs all season isn’t working is because the Habs are missing those two players, are the Habs as good as their statistics indicated?

It seems as though the Bruins want it more than the Habs. What happened to the buzz cut boys team unity? Where have all the stars for the Habs gone? The other day in an interview with the French media, Tomas Plekanec said that he was playing like a girl, well guess what Pleky, you still are. Plekanec has been playing like a junior, and Andrei Kostitsyn hasn’t fared any better, Sergei Kostitsyn has taken stupid penalties, and almost every time he carries the puck into the opposing zone, he loses it on his own, not to mention that he tries to go through three players to get into the zone.

What are the Habs thinking, their play since game one has gotten worse game by game, sure the plumbers are playing well and scoring a couple of goals but they won’t win the series for the Habs if no-one else is chipping in. Where is Chris Higgins, you see him on the ice as he zooms by, but he doesn’t really do anything. Stop trying to push through the Bruins, if they are playing the trap, then dump it in and chase it, but get there before the Bruins do. The Habs overcame the New Jersey Devils trap system earlier this year, the Devils are the best at the trap, so why can’t the Habs beat the Bruins style of it?

What ever the case may be, the Canadiens go to Boston to play game 6 on Saturday, the Habs had better come out and tear the house down, enough of this boring neutral zone play, do what you did in the regular season, score goals, sure it’s harder in the play-offs, but still, the Habs have the skill to do it. The Habs still lead the series 3-2, but the Bruins have the momentum, will Koivu and Bouillon be inserted into the line-up on Saturday? Well if that’s what it takes then they should be, maybe those players are missed by the team, it would allow the coaches to get there season line-up back together.

After game no.1 the Habs fans were ecstatic, and especially when the Habs took a 3-1 lead in the series, now they are sitting on their hands. Don’t lose faith, just send a message to the players to start playing like they did in the regular season, in the regular season, they could beat anyone, but now they have problems with the Bruins, so be a real fan and support them, and telepathically send them a wake up call.

Islander’s goalie Joey McDonald put on an exemplary performance last night, turning aside 45 shots in a 2-1 OT loss to the New Jersey Devils. Though he had a lineup dominated by AHL stalwarts in front of him, McDonald battled hard and kept a formidable Devils team (who actually still has something to play for) from dominating the contest. The Devils could only force one PP goal by Patrick Elias past him in regulation time until Zach Parise tallied in the extra frame. Josef Vasicek scored for the Islanders.

McDonald’s play will likely cause Snow more than a few sleepless nights regarding what do with the backup goaltender position. McDonald is already signed for next season to a one way contract, which means that he cannot be sent to the minors without having to clear waivers on his way back to the big club. There is a decent chance that he could be snapped up by some other team en route. Therefore, the question becomes: What to do with Wade Dubielewicz? The diminutive goaltender is not a only a big fan favorite, but he has certainly earned the right to merit strong consideration for the job himself. Unless Dubielewicz, an unrestricted free agent as of July 1, accepts a two way contract and somehow is satisfied with a minor league role, he is going to probably be the odd man out in the situation.

Up next are the hated rival New York Rangers, who the Islanders will play in a home and home series to close out the season. Coach Ted Nolan has not allowed this team to succumb to the litany of legitimate excuses they have to explain away this lost season and he won’t start now. Expect them to fight the Blueshirts tooth and nail in these games. However, this notion places some serious conflict in the minds of Islanders fans. Though they always want to beat the Rangers in any circumstance, they also recognize that losing these two games might result in a better draft position which would enable their club to get better.

It’s certainly not an enviable place to be in.

The highly touted prospect of the New York Islanders scored his first NHL goal last night (the Game Winning goal, no less) and contributed an assist in the Islanders’ 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils last night at the Prudential Center. The win broke New York’s losing streak at 6 games. Blake Comeau and Trent Hunter (empty netter) also contributed goals for the Islanders. Travis Zajac tallied for the Devils.

Okposo scored on a power play late in the 3rd period to put the Islanders ahead for good. He parked himself in the slot and eluded the penalty-killing Devils (exhibiting poise and better hockey sense than one might expect out of a rookie), then one-timed a Richard Park feed past New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur. His assist on Comeau’s goal also showed he has a willingness to work hard in the corners and behind the net and also possesses a soft pair of hands in terms of passing.

The rookie’s goal was not the only highlight of the night for New York , who have inexplicably dominated the Devils this season. Goaltender Wade Dubielewicz was once again solid in net. He turned back 34 shots and made an excellent save on a partial breakaway by New Jersey’s John Madden.

The game featured three fights, two of which were won handily by the Devils. The Isles’ Matthew Spiller was decked by a thunderous blow from New Jersey’s Arron Asham. Rod Pelley dropped the much larger Josef Vasicek with a flurry of punches at the end of the game. Still, Islander fans must have appreciated the fire and passion that was demonstrated by their team. Those attributes were noticeably absent during the losing streak.

Coach Ted Nolan criticized his team earlier in the week for their collective lack of effort and put them through a series of torturous workouts to punish them. If last night’s game is any indication, the Coach’s message has been received loud and clear.

The New Jersey Devils were one of the teams trying to acquire Smith, but weren’t willing to meet the Flyers’ demands.

Expectations are the Smith will become a free agent and sign with the Devils in the summer.

Despite injuries to two of their blueliner, Chuck Gormley of the Courier Post Online reports that the Flyers will not call-up defenseman Denis Gauthier from their AHL affiliate team.

Gauthier would have to pass through waivers in order to be promoted to the big club, meaning teams could claim him at half the cost of his $2.1 million salary. Since the Flyers would be on the hook for the other half, it’s unlikely they will go through with it.

If Pittsburgh Penguins pending restricted free agent forward Evgeni Malkin demand a contract worth an average of between $9-10 million per season, John Buccigross of ESPN.com suggests the club should consider trading him.

The Washington Post’s Tarik El-Bashir reports that it remains unclear which of the Washington Capitals’ three deadline acquisitions, namely goalie Cristobal Huet, and forwards center Sergei Fedorov and Matt Cooke, will be back with the club next season.

All three are pending UFAs.

According to The Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster’s next move will be to get Vincent Lecavalier’s name on a multi-year contract extension.

Lecavalier, who can become a UFA after next season, will undoubtedly look for as big a raise as he can get. And if that is too much for the Lightning to accept, Lecavalier could end up being “the most highly pursued UFA-to-be” before next year’s trade deadline.

Shinzawa also reports that the Ottawa Senators are negotiating a contract extension with pending RFA forwards Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette, as well as Andrej Meszaros, all of which due for substantial raises.

Forward Chris Neil, who becomes a UFA after next season, could also be in line for a raise on his $1.1 million average salary.

A UFA this summer, defenseman Wade Redden will also need to be re-signed. However, he may be too expensive for the Senators.

One way that Senators GM Bryan Murray can clear some payroll by trading enigmatic goalie Ray Emery, if he can find a team to take him.

Lastly from Shinzawa, he reports that a number of teams have called the Boston Bruins to inquire about the availability of forward Milan Lucic.