Additions:
RW Krys Barch
Subtractions: LW Zach Parise, LW Alexei Ponikarovsky, D Matt Taormina, LW Eric Boulton
UFAs: RW Petr Sykora, D Jay Leach, C Brad Mills
Promotion candidates: D Eric Gelinas, D Alexander Urbom
Subtractions: LW Zach Parise, LW Alexei Ponikarovsky, D Matt Taormina, LW Eric Boulton
UFAs: RW Petr Sykora, D Jay Leach, C Brad Mills
Promotion candidates: D Eric Gelinas, D Alexander Urbom
Forwards
Alexei
Ponikarovsky (signed by the Winnipeg Jets) and Eric
Boulton (New
York Islanders), and defenseman Matt
Taormina (Tampa Bay Lightning) also departed via free agency.
Additionally, DeBoer lost two assistant coaches, Adam
Oates and Larry
Robinson. Oates left to become coach of the Washington
Capitals and Robinson was tabbed as associate coach of the San
Jose Sharks. Despite those losses, general manager Lou Lamoriello
was able to re-sign several key players from last year's memorable
playoff run, which ended with a loss to the Los
Angeles Kings in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. At the top of
that list was 40-year-old goalie Martin
Brodeur, who has spent the last 18-plus seasons with the Devils.
The venerable Brodeur inked a two-year deal, as did his backup, Johan
Hedberg. Brodeur and Hedberg will certainly help ease the process
for the pipeline of goaltending prospects within the system.
Lamoriello also re-signed hard-working fourth-line forwards Steve
Bernier, Ryan
Carter and Stephen
Gionta, in addition to defensemen Bryce
Salvador, Peter
Harrold and Mark
Fayne. "I think the fact we're not only returning all our
defensemen, but returning the number of players we are in general is
great," DeBoer said. "These players know the expectations
here and how we want to play. Maybe it allows us to get into the
details of the game and other areas earlier on where we couldn't last
year because of starting from square one." The Devils also
signed physical wing Krystofer
Barch, who could serve in that agitating fourth-line-type role
after accumulating five points and 114 penalty minutes in 51 games
last season. Barch split time between the Dallas
Stars and Florida
Panthers. DeBoer was asked if adding a player like Barch is neeed
within the Atlantic Division. "It's an important element,
especially in our division," he said. "It's no secret this
is a physical, tough division and those guys play a role."
Lamoriello reached an agreement with defenseman Matthew
Corrente last month on a new two-way, one-year deal. He collected
six assists, 44 penalty minutes and a minus-5 rating in 22 games with
the big club last season, but he'll likely begin the year in the
American Hockey League with Albany. DeBoer also added two coaches to
his staff: Hall of Fame defenseman Scott
Stevens, who'll focus on the defense, and former San Jose Sharks
assistant Matt Shaw, who will help solidify the power play. "Scott
Stevens was a natural fit and he seamlessly jumps in for Larry,"
DeBoer said. "The only thing he might lack is that experience
that Larry had behind the bench, but that's something he'll pick up
quickly. It isn't often you're able to add someone like a Matt Shaw,
who had one of the top three power plays in the League the last three
or four years. [San Jose] led the League in shots for on the power
play the last three or four seasons and we feel fortunate that he's
joining the staff." One question waiting to be answered is who
will be named the 10th captain in franchise history. "I can tell
you I'm very comfortable with our leadership group," DeBoer
said. "I said that even when Zach was here wearing the 'C.' This
wasn't a one-man job, and there are a lot of candidates [to be named
captain]." At the 2012 NHL Draft, the Devils chose six forwards
and one defenseman with their seven picks. Their top choice was
center Stefan
Matteau of the Under-18 National Team Development Program. The
No. 29 selection and projected power forward will play for
Blainville-Boisbrand in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in
2012-13. On the injury front, Fayne underwent left wrist surgery on
June 25 and could be out of action until October. Left wing Patrik
Elias had groin surgery in early July but is expected to be ready
for training camp in September.
New
Jersey Devils fans must be relieved when they think about how
much better off their team will be with its No. 1 center, Travis
Zajac, in the lineup for a full season. Zajac missed 67
regular-season games and the team still qualified for the Stanley
Cup Playoffs. There's no question having the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder
in the lineup from the get-go will go a long way in helping the
Devils not only qualify, but potentially solidify home-ice
advantage in the opening rounds. As the sixth seed last spring,
the Devils were forced to win their opening three rounds in the
Eastern Conference without the benefit of home ice. "If any
team would miss their best centerman, it hurts," Ilya
Kovalchuk told reporters last season. "We were missing
him for almost all year long. Then he came back and gave us a lot
of jump. He scores big goals." After posting two goals and
six points in 15 regular-season games, Zajac made up for lost time
in the playoffs by connecting for seven goals and 14 points while
averaging 20:28 of ice time in 24 games. He scored the overtime
winner in Game 6 against the Florida Panthers in the first round
to keep New Jersey's season alive. Zajac was also the team's best
on faceoffs, winning 54.2 percent of his draws on a League-leading
448 chances in the postseason. He gives the Devils veteran
experience and was a tremendous help to Calder Trophy candidate
Adam
Henrique on the team's top line. "Getting him back, he
makes our team that much deeper," Henrique said. "Obviously
not having him for the majority of the year was tough. He's one of
our leaders. He's one of our best players. He's a guy that we rely
on in big situations." Zajac's strong two-way game is further
evidenced by his 13 takeaways and 35 hits in the playoffs. Zajac
spent close to two minutes per game on the penalty kill and more
than three minutes per game on the power play during New Jersey's
run in the playoffs. "I think he was probably the biggest
acquisition we could have made after the trade deadline without
having to get rid of anybody," Henrique said. "He was a
huge part of why we had success." Patrik
Elias said, "I love playing and practicing with him
because he's so smart in both ends and he works his butt off, but
he's not a flashy guy. He does his job. He's got great hockey
sense, great skills. He's strong. He's not going to go out and hit
anybody all that hard or anything like that, but he's so annoying
to play against."
The
New Jersey Devils
came two victories short of winning the fourth Stanley Cup in
franchise history last season, but a key member of that run no
longer is with the organization. How the club overcomes the loss
of Zach
Parise via free agency certainly will go a long way in
predicting their playoff fortunes. While it may be the
million-dollar question, it's one coach Peter
DeBoer doesn't seem too concerned about. The second-year coach
is confident his club can overcome the departure of last season's
captain (who signed with the Minnesota Wild) and, in the process,
build upon last season's success. "[Parise] was obviously an
important part of our team, but this League allows you to feel
sorry for yourself for about two minutes and then you have to pick
yourself up and come up with a plan moving forward," DeBoer
said. "I think that's where we're at now … moving forward."
DeBoer
and general manager Lou Lamoriello have stressed that no one
player can replace what Parise has done for the organization.
Still, the Devils never were regarded as a one-man team and never
will be. Parise had 31 goals and 69 points in 82 regular-season
games last season, his first as captain. He was sixth in the
League in playoff scoring with 15 points, including eight goals,
in 24 postseason games. While it is true Parise is irreplaceable,
let's not forget that the Devils were without top-line center
Travis
Zajac for all but 15 games last season after he suffered a
left Achilles tendon injury in August. "Zajac missed the
entire season, [Ilya] Kovalchuk went down in Game 2 of the Philly
series when we were down 1-0, but we played one of our best games
of the year [in Game 2], so that's the mentality here,"
DeBoer said. "We have to carry that into next year without
Zach." Parise, taken by the Devils with the 17th pick of the
2003 NHL Draft, had 194 goals and 216 assists in seven seasons
with the club.
There
are a few strong candidates, including Patrik
Elias, who actually wore the "C' in 2006-07, and Zajac,
but the guess here is the team names a defenseman captain for the
first time since Scott
Niedermayer in 2004. Bryce
Salvador, who missed the entire 2010-11 season with a cochlear
concussion, signed a three-year contract worth $9.5 million in the
offseason and couldn't be happier. He's spent the last four-plus
seasons with the Devils and was one of two defensemen to play in
all 82 regular-season games in 2011-12. He is a consummate team
leader on the ice and within the locker room. It doesn't hurt that
he is also very cordial with the media. "To have the Devils
value me as much as other teams [during free agency] made my
decision easier," Salvador said after re-signing with the
team. "Where I'm at in my career, it's not about the money.
The Devils have been a great fit for me. It would've taken a lot
to keep me from being a Devil."
Clarkson
had a career year playing again for DeBoer, who coached him in
junior hockey with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey
League. He was third on the team with 30 goals and fifth with 46
points. He led the Devils with a career-high seven game-winning
goals and finished tied for second with Elias with a career-best
eight power-play goals In addition to those impressive offensive
totals, he led the team with 138 penalty minutes, proving he still
possessed an ornery side. In the playoffs, Clarkson finished in a
five-way tie for first in the League with three game-winning
goals. There's no reason to believe the 28-year-old right wing
couldn't equal if not surpass his regular-season totals in
2012-13. He'll certainly be a player relied on heavily this
season.
The
24th pick in the 2008 NHL Draft split the 2011-12 campaign between
the NHL and the American Hockey League, seeing action in 43 of the
first 46 NHL games. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Swede had one goal
and six points in the NHL and four goals and 18 points in 32 AHL
games. A good preseason could put Tedenby in a position to fill in
at left wing alongside Zajac and Ilya
Kovalchuk. When asked about players expected to have an
impact, Lamoriello mentioned Tedenby as a player to watch for
2012-13. "You're always hoping to see a diamond in the rough,
but you're not going to fill Zach
Parise's spot as far as what he brought," Lamoriello
said. "Tedenby has a great shot to move forward. He's got all
the tools and he's spending a very [workmanlike] summer back home
with Adam [Larsson] and [Johan
Hedberg]."
The
6-foot-3, 200-pound blueliner had a solid rookie season, tying for
second among first-year NHL defensemen with 16 assists, and he was
fifth with 18 points, in 65 regular-season games. There was
speculation that the fourth pick of the 2011 NHL Draft might have
lost a step after taking a hit from Montreal defenseman P.K.
Subban in a Feb. 2 game at Prudential Center. Larsson missed
the next 10 games with a bruised lower back, and upon his return
had two assists and a minus-1 rating in 16 games. He was a healthy
scratch for five of the team's last six regular-season games and
for the first eight playoff games. Consistency might have been the
reason DeBoer preferred other options down the stretch and in the
postseason, although Larsson did notch a goal and a plus-3 rating
in five postseason games. The expectation is for Larsson to have a
greater impact along the blue line this season.
DeBoer
certainly brought out the best in his team when it mattered most.
He was able to adjust on the fly and from game to game. His
stressed the importance of winning puck battles and his team
played as a five-man unit throughout the opening three rounds on
the way to eliminating the Florida
Panthers, Philadelphia
Flyers and New
York Rangers. The Devils frustrated the opposition to no end
with a relentless forecheck and they consistently outnumbered
their opponents to loose pucks while creating countless scoring
chances off neutral-zone turnovers. The players bought into
DeBoer's system and it showed. On top of that, the ageless wonder
in net, Martin
Brodeur, won 14 playoff games while sporting a 2.12
goals-against average and .917 save percentage. New assistant
coach Matt Shaw, who spent the last three seasons with the San
Jose Sharks, put the Devils' playoff run in perspective. "The
thing that stuck in my mind most was how resilient [the Devils
were]," Shaw said. "I've watched this team go down by
one or two goals early in games a number of times, and you turn
your head and next thing you know they've tied it or gone ahead."
Shaw admitted he was able to watch many of New Jersey's playoff
games last season because the contests began earlier on the West
Coast. "Their resiliency early in the year set up a level of
confidence in the playoffs," he said. "They weren't a
one- or two-line team, they had depth on defense, and the
goaltending. In the playoffs you always need some unusual suspects
to do some things and they certainly had that with a number of
different guys that were always big boosts. That's what you need
to have a deep playoff run."
The
last time the New Jersey Devils were forced to dip into their
prospect pool in earnest was just last season, when center Travis
Zajac suffered a left Achilles tendon injury during an
offseason workout. That opened a window of opportunity for Adam
Henrique. The 22-year-old native of Brantford, Ontario, took
full advantage, leading all NHL rookies with 35 assists and
finishing third with 51 points en route to becoming a finalist for
the Calder Trophy as the League's rookie of the year. The Devils
always have taken a slow approach to grooming their young players,
although defenseman Adam
Larsson, the fourth pick of the 2011 NHL Draft, was thrust
into the spotlight last season and performed admirably on defense.
It appears as though the Devils' pipeline currently is loaded with
quality defensemen and goalies, but there also were several
forwards who impressed during July's development camp at
AmeriHealth Pavilion in Newark, N.J.
New
Jersey's top prospects:
1.
Jonathon
Merrill, D: The
6-foot-3, 210-pound blueliner is the organization's top prospect,
but reportedly will return to the University of Michigan for his
junior season. His poise off the transition, ability to
quarterback the power play and consistency in killing penalties
are areas of strength. The only thing seemingly hanging over
Merrill's head at this stage in his hockey career is maturity. He
missed 22 games last season because of a suspension for an
unspecified violation of team rules.
2.
Alexander
Urbom, D:
The 2009 third-round draft pick (No. 73) offers tremendous size
(6-4, 215) and strength at the point and likely will get a better
opportunity to make the team at training camp this season after
playing eight games in 2010-11 and five last season. He had two
goals and 12 points in 50 games for the team's American Hockey
League affiliate, the Albany Devils, in 2011-12.
3.
Brandon
Burlon, D:
Another solid defense prospect from the University of Michigan,
Burlon decided to turn pro following three seasons in Ann Arbor.
Injuries and recalls opened up an opportunity for him to earn a
regular shift with Albany of the AHL and he had a goal and eight
assists in 57 games. Burlon, regarded as a solid puck-mover with
some offensive upside, had 13 goals, 47 points and a plus-44
rating in 116 games at Michigan. "Last year was a maturing
year for me," Burlon said. "It was a learning year. Now
is the time to just build on it and move forward."
4.
Eric
Gelinas, D:
He not only led all Albany defenseman in goals (16) and points
(37) in 75 games last season, but improved his defensive play over
the second half. Drafted in the second round (No. 54) in 2009,
Gelinas is at his best when he's using his 6-4, 205-pound body to
his advantage. "Eric was one of the kids who developed
throughout the year, was a contributor for us in all three zones
each and every night," Albany general manager Chris
Lamoriello told the Daily Gazette (Schenectady, N.Y.). "He's
certainly someone we have expectations to be better [in 2012-13]."
5.
Stefan
Matteau, C: The
29th pick of the 2012 NHL Draft made a nice impression at
development camp last month. Matteau most likely will play for the
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey
League in 2012-13. Originally committed to the University of North
Dakota, Matteau decided instead to play for the Armada where his
father, Stephane, is an assistant coach. The 6-foot-1-1/2,
210-pound Matteau had 15 goals, 32 points and 166 penalty minutes
in 46 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program's
under-18 team last season. "He's a physical player, solid,
and he's an 'A' prospect," New Jersey general manager Lou
Lamoriello said.
6.
Scott
Wedgewood, G: It's
a good bet Wedgewood turns pro this season after spending the
previous three-plus seasons with the Plymouth Whalers of the
Ontario Hockey League. The 19-year-old native of Etobicoke,
Ontario, played in three games for bronze medal-winning Team
Canada at the 2012 World Junior Championship in Alberta, going
2-0-0 with one shutout, a 2.42 goals-against average and .916 save
percentage. He went 28-10-3 with a 3.02 GAA, .911 save percentage
and three shutouts in 43 games for Plymouth last season. He has a
61-39-5 mark with six shutouts, a 3.08 GAA and .908 save
percentage in 122 OHL games, all with Plymouth. "I know
goalies take time and I've been developing a lot more over the
past few years since I've been picked and kind of know what it
takes after seeing some guys go through it," Wedgewood said.
"Seeing [Martin
Brodeur and Johan
Hedberg] signed for two more years kind of gives it a timeline
when you should be ready to get up there, so these are two
important years for me."
7.
Reid
Boucher, LW:
The 5-11, 195-pound forward joined Albany after completing his
first season with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, where he teamed
with Nail
Yakupov, the first pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, and Alex
Galchenyuk, the third pick. Boucher had 28 goals and 50 points
in 67 regular-season games, and two goals and three points in six
playoff games. "I have a little bit of fine-tuning left in my
game, but I can work it out," Boucher said. "I'm a
little more offense than defense."
8.
Keith
Kinkaid, G: The
6-3, 180-pound goalie agreed to a two-year, entry-level contract
with the Devils last year after spending two seasons at Union
College (ECAC). "I think the future looks bright, but I'm
kind of biased," Kinkaid said. "There are a lot of good
goaltender prospects in this organization, so one of them has got
to have it in him." Kinkaid went 17-20-3 with a 2.94 GAA and
.904 save percentage in 42 games with Albany last season. He
finished his college career 37-18-6 in 63 games, with a 2.18 GAA
and four shutouts. He was named a 2010-11 AHCA first team
All-American and first team All-ECAC, and also won the Ken Dryden
Award in 2011 as the league's top goalie after finishing 25-10-3
with a 1.99 GAA.
9.
Reece
Scarlett, D: The
2011 sixth-round pick is determined to prove he deserved to be
drafted higher. As it stands, the Devils now are reaping the
benefits, excited with the way he has matured and developed in a
very short time. In his third full season with the Swift Current
Broncos of the Western Hockey League, Scarlett logged major
minutes while finishing with career-highs in goals (nine), assists
(40) and points (49) in 71 games last season. "Personally, I
felt I really developed as an offensive-defenseman," Scarlett
said. "After the draft I really wanted to prove to everyone
that I should have gotten a lot higher than I did, so I really
took that to heart and went out there and felt more comfortable
with myself and my ability. I knew that if I step up in the play
that I have the skating skill to get back, so I jumped into play a
lot more often."
10.
Maxime
Clermont, G:
Clermont, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the
team last August, spent much of the 2011-12 season with the
Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL following four seasons in the Quebec
Major Junior Hockey League with the Gatineau Olympiques. He went
13-10-3 in 31 games in Kalamazoo last season, with a 3.42 GAA and
.891 save percentage. Born in Brodeur's hometown of Montreal,
Clermont also played two games for Albany in 2011-12, going 1-1-0
with a 2.01 GAA and .925 save percentage.
The
2011-12 regular season had some highlights for the New
Jersey Devils, Ilya
Kovalchuk settled in and rebounded after a disappointing start to
his tenure with the team, Adam
Henrique became a Calder Trophy candidate, David
Clarkson reached 30 goals, but the campaign obviously will be
remembered for what happened in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. New Jersey
finished fourth in the Atlantic Division but rolled past two
archrivals, the Philadelphia
Flyers and New
York Rangers, to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the fifth time
in 17 years. Though defeating the Rangers to reach the Final was
cathartic for some longtime Devils fans, a fourth championship did
not follow. New Jersey became the last of four teams to be
steamrolled by the Los
Angeles Kings en route to their improbable title. It was a great
year for the Devils, but the offseason brought tense times. Nearly
everyone, including franchise icon Martin
Brodeur, was retained, but the most important free agent, captain
Zach Parise,
left for the Minnesota
Wild and a 13-year, $98 million contract. General manager Lou
Lamoriello said there is no replacing a player like Parise, and the
Devils have a major hole in their lineup.
Ilya
Kovalchuk - Travis
Zajac - Dainius
Zubrus
Patrik
Elias - Adam
Henrique - David
Clarkson
Mattias
Tedenby - Jacob
Josefson - Steve
Bernier
Stephen
Gionta - Ryan
Carter - Krystofer
Barch
Cam
Janssen
Defensemen
Defensemen
Bryce
Salvador - Marek
Zidlicky
Adam
Larsson - Henrik
Tallinder
Andy
Greene - Anton
Volchenkov
Mark
Fayne - Peter
Harrold
Goaltenders
Goaltenders
Martin
Brodeur
Johan
Hedberg
NOTES:
Petr Sykora,
who went from camp tryout to 21 goals last season, is an unrestricted
free agent and might make sense as a late addition to help an offense
short on goal-scoring wings. Expecting Clarkson to reach 30 again
could be a stretch, but steps forward from Henrique and Josefson
could help replace some of the missing offense. Tedenby proving he
belongs in the NHL would help. A full year from Zajac also won't
hurt. Bernier, Gionta and Carter were great together as a fourth
line, but the Devils at this point are at least one top-nine forward
shy of being able to keep that group together, unless they become the
new third line. The development of Larsson might be the key to the
entire season for the Devils. If he can be a top young defenseman in
his second season, it would help New Jersey at both ends. While
trying to keep the band together, the Devils put off looking for a
long-term replacement in goal for Brodeur for at least another
season. He and Hedberg both are back on two-year deals.
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