Yes…it’s finally over. This is not a false alarm or report but Ilya Kovalchuk has finally signed with a team and that team happens to be the New Jersey Devils. I grew apathetic over the Kovalchuk dilemma that’s dragged on for nearly three weeks now some time ago but am just glad to see it’s finally come to an end. With the contract details yet to be officially released, I’m assuming the deal will put the Devils well over the cap, requiring them to move some players to get back under.
I’m glad Kovy decided to stay with the Devils, although I believe he’d have signed elsewhere before July 1st ended, had his options been broader. Nonetheless, his long term commitment to New Jersey has convinced me he likes what he sees here and thinks he can help return this team to their winning ways and deep playoff runs. He could have signed a one or two-year deal or played in Russia for a year if he had zero desire to return to New Jersey but didn’t. On paper, the Devils are obviously a dangerously deep team but how it pans out remains to be seen. Unlike the fanatics, I won’t commit to the equation that Kovalchuk= Cup just yet. What Kovalchuk re-signing means and brings, the Devil’s cap situation, and all that like is for another write up as I’ve written this to pass one message some Devils fans may have forgotten amidst today’s hype.
Zach Parise is still the main man in New Jersey.
Kovalchuk is arguably a better than Parise and you can build a franchise around either player, but assuming both players are still with the organization in five years, Zach Parise’s name will be the first that comes to mind if someone asked me to name an ideal New Jersey Devil. When Parise broke into the NHL in 2005, he had a promising rookie campaign, despite tallying mediocre numbers of fourteen goals and thirty-two points. He hasn’t scored less than thirty goals since the 2006-2007 season and established himself as a proven offensive force, worthy of consideration amongst the game’s elite players. Numbers aside, Parise symbolizes a new age in New Jersey Devils hockey and a passing of the torch from one franchise face (Brodeur) to the next, just as Scott Stevens did to Marty when he called it a career. When I look at the Devil’s roster, I can’t think of any other player more suitable and prepared to symbolically represent the New Jersey Devils, everything the organization represents, and what they seek out of their players than Zach Parise.
A homegrown star, Parise continues the tradition that started with players such as John MacLean and Ken Daneyko, and continued over the years as fans were privileged to see the likes of Kirk Muller, Scott Niedermayer, Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias, and Petr Sykora just to name a few, make their mark on Devil’s history and turn the organization from a bottom feeder to an annual contender. While Parise’s yet to have a Stanley Cup ring, he has plenty of years left in him, most of which will hopefully be played in Newark. I also want to say Parise is one of the few “complete players” currently in the NHL, the kind that comes around once every ten plus years or so. He’s someone that gives no less than a full effort every night, scores, sets up, and is effective in all three zones, not to mention has shown flashes of leadership.
Right now I want to say captain Jamie Langenbrunner’s future with the team is uncertain and with a year remaining on the thirty-five year-old’s contract, the New Jersey Devil’s captaincy could be up for grabs for the third time since 2005. The hiring of John MacLean appears to have stabilized the Devil’s coaching situation for now so with that out of the way and assuming Langenbrunner will be or is already exiled from the Devil’s long term plans, I can’t think of anyone more suitable to inherit the captaincy than Parise. I want to say his stint with Team USA this year has indicated he can play effectively when it counts and in high pressure situations…if the rest of his team plays with at least half as much heart as he does. Moving forward, I think Parise also represents two vital things for Devils fans to believe in: The Devils will continue their tradition of annual contention and continual success in different forms and ways after the conclusion of all-time great Martin Brodeur’s career, and they have someone to look upon to spearhead that success as the team’s faces, whose roots go back to the fan entitled “glory days” fade and are replaced by newer younger faces set on achieving the same goals as their predecessors.
Well it’s been a little longer than I’d have liked since I posted anything, especially since the Devils re-acquired center Jason Arnott from the Nashville Predators a little less than a week ago in exchange for right wing Matt Halischuk and a second round pick in next year’s draft. All I have to say is if the US Military wants to learn a thing or two on covert ops, they should take lessons from Lou Lamoriello.
This deal came right out of left field and completely blind sided myself and my sources. What irks me is this is a deal we should have considered to happen because it fits the frame of typical Lou Lamoriello trades, a former player the Devils haven’t been connected to in rumors. I can understand some of the disdain many Devils fans have towards the deal when you consider Arnott’s age and salary (35, $4.5 million), not to mention he’s had trouble staying healthy over the past four years (one seventy plus game season during that span), but I think Arnott’s far from being Rolston 2.0, which many pessimistic fans are already writing him off as.
The Devils have properly strengthened their depth up the middle for the first time in three years by getting an experienced, big bodied, natural center (which Rolston wasn’t). Now, in response to the allegations that Arnott is “past his prime”, I believe it’s just a stereotypical statement that comes with Arnott’s age. Although his in recent rash of injuries may have factored into his physical play, I don’t think it could affect his offensive output. Since he broke into the league, there have only been three seasons in which Arnott played more than sixty games, where he scored less than twenty goals (96-97, 97-98, 09-10). Not that this says much but had Arnott played full seasons over the past four years, he was projected to put up numbers typical of what he’s done throughout his career. In 2006-2007, Arnott had twenty-seven goals in sixty-eight games and was poised to net thirty-two had be been fully healthy. The next year, Arnott scored twenty-eight goals in seventy-nine games and was projected for twenty-nine, thirty. In 2008-2009, he scored thirty-three goals in sixty-five games and could have been on pace for a career-high forty-one goals. Having appeared in sixty-three contests this year, Arnott netted nineteen, but was on track for twenty-five in a full season.
The numbers speak for themselves, but if he truly was capable of putting up those stats is something we’ll never know.
This may be a little bold, but would it be safe to say over the past few years, the Predators have been a mediocre team at best? They’ve been all over the charts, from finishing fourth in the Western Conference one year (06-07) to missing the playoffs by a few points. Since their expansion in 1998, the Predators have made the playoffs about a handful of times and never got past the first round (although considering my team’s recent track record, I’m one to talk). Even in scoring, the Preds have ranked anywhere from top five to bottom ten during Arnott’s stint. The point I’m trying to make is, Arnott was never surrounded by a consistently supportive cast during the past four years he’s played in Nashville, and despite playing with the likes of JP Dumont, Steve Sullivan, Paul Kariya, and homegrown talents like Patric Hornqvist and Martin Erat, they always seemed to be missing something. Coming into Jersey, Arnott is becoming part of a core of young and veteran players with a respectable amount of experience, most of which are proven winners that seem to be amassing plenty of success at the wrong time together, with that one missing piece of the puzzle factoring into how far they’ve bee able to go when it truly matters. As of now, Arnott is becoming part of an offense that features the likes of Patrik Elias, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Jamie Langenbrunner, and hopefully Ilya Kovalchuk.
Assuming he stays healthy, Arnott’s joining a team with a potentially supportive cast that’s capable of thriving off each other, resulting in consistent offense, and hopefully the makings of a deeper playoff run if Arnott is the missing piece on this team’s offense.
With Arnott occupying one of the top two center slots on the team, it takes the pressure off of prospect centers Jacob Josefson and Adam Henrique, both of whom Lamoriello said have good chances of making next year’s roster. Henrique and Josefson have the potential to become top six forwards at the NHL level, but their development shouldn’t be rushed. Whether they spend the upcoming season taking a lesser role on the big team, spend a full year in the minors, or see a split in destinations, Arnott is a solid short term occupant, while the kids develop, which hopefully leads them to productive careers spent with the Devils long term…and speaking of one year, Arnott is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Look at the big picture and ask yourself if you think you can deal with what’s likely to be a full year rental of a veteran top two center for $4.5 million.
Ultimately, it’s low risk, high reward.
When the Devils acquired Arnott, there was a lot of immediate concern it took the Devils out of the running to re-sign Ilya Kovalchuk and defenseman Paul Martin. Although Lamoriello claimed he still intended on trying to re-sign both players, a wave of despair has been cast over a good number of Devils fans, convinced both players have played their last games for the organization. With the recent raise of the salary cap, the Devils currently have about $13 million in cap space, which should be plenty to re-sign both players. With restricted free agents such as David Clarkson, Rod Pelley, and Mark Fraser to consider, in addition to make room for other moves and have some cap space gong into next season, Lamoriello said he intended on clearing some cap space and making some moves that would “surprise” some people. As usual, Lou was very vague and left a series of possibilities behind the meaning of his words, leaving fans like us to merely speculate.
Assuming Lamoriello stays true to his word, I truly hope he’s been working the phones nonstop since making the Arnott deal. As much as I’d like to see him get rid of Rolston and his gross $5.2 million salary, there aren’t that many general managers stupid enough to fall into that trap, and even if they are, it’s likely they’ve got their own cap issues to deal with or are following their own agenda. Plus, Rolston has an NTC enabling him to have the last call on where he ends up or if he’s willing let himself be moved at all. Colin White and his $3 million also has an NTC, and since White’s spent his whole career in New Jersey, I don’t think he’ll be willing to accept a change of scenery at point.
The only two players I can see Lamoriello moving to clear cap space in the immediate future are defenseman Bryce Salvador and forward Danius Zubrus. Salvador and Zubrus respectively have two and three years remaining on their deals that pay them a little under $3 million and $3.4 million per. What makes both players likely candidates to be shipped out is neither of them have a no-trade clause (according to capgeek.com). Having said that, the Devils may have to receive a bad contract in return, which they may simply demote to Albany in the fall. If cap space is still a concern, I know Jay Pandolfo’s future with the Devils is shrouded in uncertainty, and his recent shoulder surgery assured he couldn’t be brought out or waived until he’s recovered. With a year remaining on his contract that pays him $2.5 million, it’d be nice to see that cap space go to a more useful cause on the team and whether Pandolfo accepts a trade or fails to make the team out of training camp (which I can’t see the Devils doing out of respect for his veteran status with the team), all three players combine for $8.8 million in salary, giving the Devils over $21 million to play with, considering their current amount of available cap space.
Overall, the Devils have options, but a lot factors into seeing them get fully utilized.
It’s been a crazy past couple of days in the hockey world that started on the day the Predators dealt Arnott to New Jersey. There have been a boat load of moves that were made subsequent to that, which I’d like to shed a little insight on…
Hamhuis’ rights dealt to Flyers…If Philly signs him, they automatically have one of the top three defenses in the league going into next year. However, if they intend on signing a true No. 1 net minder as well, they’ll clearly have to open up more cap space and who they trade and what any voids their departure makes should be considered.
Nathan Horton to Bruins…Boston got their top six forward. Horton’s clearly a better player then what he’s shown in Florida and I think we can see him net 25-35 on a stronger Bruins team. Have they found a Kessel replacement…?
Habs re-sign Plekanec…The price is a little much and the pressure in one of the most unrelenting hockey markets is on, whose production is only expected to go uphill, along with his role on the team now that he got his big paycheck. Nonetheless, the Habs kept a player that played a vital part in their team’s success this year.
The Chicago/Atlanta blockbuster…In a nine-player deal, Atlanta receives Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager, and Akim Aliu in exchange for a first and second round pick in this year’s draft (acquired from New Jersey), Marty Reasoner, Jeremy Morin, and Joey Crabb. The Thrashers certainly got a lot grittier and some legitimate skill in the deal, while the Blackhawks received two solid picks and cleared some much needed cap space. I say this was a balanced deal that made both teams happy.
Scott Niedermayer Retires…Like most Devils fans, I was hoping he’d return for at least one more season in New Jersey, but you can’t overlook everything he did for the organization. A shoe in hall of famer, but will we see No. 27 hang in the rafters at the Rock?
Sharks re-sign Marleau, Pavelski…I was convinced Marleau was gone come July 1st, but I guess he’s committed to San Jose. Pavelski is the future of this team, but the Sharks haven’t really improved or gotten any worse by signing these two…
Renney replaces Quinn as Edmonton’s head coach, Atlanta hires Craig Ramsay…Interesting moves. I was surprised by the Renney move, but he’s good at building team as he showed with the Rangers. Let’s see what Ramsay can do in Atlanta.
CBA extended, salary cap raised, 2010 Hall of Fame Class introduced…I guess the extension of the CBA is a good sign and the salary cap increase helps all teams. It’s even more encouraging considering it was expected to go down this year. This year’s Hall of Fame class seems to have been selected for the sake of getting overdue members in, not that it takes away from any of them. All are deserving and it’s made for another admirable group…a lot of outrage that Pat Burns wasn’t selected, which I have to fuel myself.
The New Jersey Devils have officially named John Maclean head coach.
It’s a large hump general manager Lou Lamoriello has gotten over that theoretically stalled his focus on additional priorities on his off-season checklist such as trying to re-sign pending unrestricted free agents Paul Martin and Illya Kovalchuk and determining how to improve his roster. With Maclean officially named head coach, have the gears begun to turn on what’s been anticipated to be an eventful summer in Jersey? Based on what I’ve read on blogs and heard from sources, the Devils are believed to undergo a summer housecleaning project with rumors of the Devils offering Kovalchuk mega-deals, negotiating deals for players such as Tomas Kaberle, and even putting franchise goaltender Martin Brodeur’s future with the team in question. It’s possible Lamoriello is setting his deals up, which he intended on implementing subsequent to completing his coaching search.
I’d like to talk about the Maclean hiring before anything. I was finishing a lovely write up on how opportunities exist this off-season for the Devils to resurrect their defense’s old good name when I went to look something up on the Star Ledger’s web site and came across the breaking news. Overall, I’m content with the hiring because it gives the Devils a young yet familiar face inheriting the position. I see long term stability in Maclean and being described as a player’s coach, he looks like someone the players will connect with. Maclean is expected to reinstate at least a portion of the offensive element Brent Sutter worked into the Devil’s play, which Maclean appeared to have achieved during his coaching stint with the Devil’s AHL affiliate, the Lowell Devils. Although Lowell went 39-31-10, they finished high in the ranks of goal output, power play percentage, and reached the post-season for the first time in about ten years. Devils players that have been interviewed following Maclean’s hiring said they asked the many AHL call-ups this year about Maclean and each one said they enjoyed playing for him.
Maclean is undoubtedly familiar with the organization, having played there over fourteen years, spent six as an assistant coach, and this past season as Lowell’s head coach, whose experience made the difference in Maclean getting the job according to interviews. Contrary to the criticism Lemaire and Sutter underwent by fans regarding their alleged misusage or overlooking of the youth crop, Maclean’s time in Lowell has made him familiar with most of the organization’s prospects. Going into training camp, it’s possible he’ll give youngsters like Matthew Corrente, Tyler Eckford, Nick Palmieri, Vladimir Zharkov, and others a longer look, having worked with them closely for a full season. He could be able to determine who’s eligible to compete at the NHL level and who isn’t.
My only concerns are that Maclean has played with five current members of the Devils (Pandolfo, Elias, Rolston, Brodeur, Langenbrunner), which may or may not conflict with their acknowledgement of his superior coaching status, the respect they give or are supposed to give, and how it affects their role. I always felt if the Devils brought in Maclean, the veteran core needed to be completely or at least partially dismantled because of the potential relationships between him and the team’s veterans. Maclean was noted in saying goaltender Martin Brodeur will play, likely meaning he has no intention of lessening his seasonal workload, which brings up my second concern that the Maclean was only hired so he can be Lamoriello’s puppet for him to channel his philosophy on handling the roster, team’s style of play, treatment and privileges certain veterans or important players get. Although there have already been accusations Lou refused to venture outside his “box” when he hired Maclean, at the end of the day, I can’t think of a more qualified individual that’s familiar with the organization’s general philosophy, intentions, and players with a great chance of being poised to maintain the position long term.
Now that the Devils finally have their coach, the question stands: What’s next? The timing couldn’t be any better as Maclean was hired over a week before the draft and with plenty of time until July 1st. Reports indicate Illya Kovalchuk is intent on testing the free agent market, although a source told me after the Devils offered him a long term deal with extra features that may contradict statements said by Maclean and Lamoriello, he’d wait to see who Lemaire’s successor was before deepening his consideration of passing on testing the free agent waters. Kovalchuk hasn’t responded to Maclean’s hiring, but defenseman Paul Martin, who agreed with Lamoriello to stall talks on negotiating a new deal until he found a new head coach lauded the move, but remains torn on committing to the Devils according to a report from the Star Ledger’s Rich Chere.
Both Maclean and Lamoriello could have already, or will discuss what they believe the right moves will be to fix this team. It remains unclear whether we’ll see the Devils make pull off a few trades or UFA signings, merely tweak the roster, or pull a complete overhaul, but like I mentioned earlier, there’s reason to believe Lou has something up his sleeve based on the rumors linked to the Devils and names rumored to be available. I will admit I know more than I’m saying, but I don’t want to risk having anything to do with leaking information that causes Lamoriello to pull out on a deal, which he’s reputed for doing, and a few other reasons.
Right now, it’s ultimately uncertain what Lou Lamoriello has in store for this team, if he has anything at all. Despite high expectations in anticipation to seeing an active off-season that’s believably going to start in the upcoming days or weeks, the odds of seeing something happen have potentially been heightened now that the arguably most important task on Lou’s off-season checklist has been fulfilled. I’ll end this write up on the note of saying this…In recent years, Lamoriello has taken his time finding a coach during the off-season in a time period that’s lasted well into July on multiple occasions. This is Lamoriello’s second off-season head coach hiring that occurred in June since Pat Burns was hired immediately after the firing of Kevin Constantine back in 2002. Maclean was a great choice, but did this unusual event transpire because Lamoriello may have felt pressured in addressing other priorities he intended on fulfilling before a certain time or date to go along with whatever plan he has set up…? Or am I just looking into things too much?
