- Team Outlook from McKeen’s Hockey Guide:
After losing Zach Parise in the summer of 2012, the Devils lost another key star this offseason. This time though, it wasn’t to the free agent market. Ilya Kovalchuk ‘retired’ and then took his talents to the KHL without the Devils attempting to block it.That’s a big blow for a team that didn’t make the playoffs last season and doesn’t have a first round draft pick in 2014. That said, the news isn’t all bad in New Jersey.
While no one is going to fill Kovalchuk’s shoes, the Devils did bring in reinforcements over the summer. While David Clarkson signed in Toronto, general manager Lou Lamoriello did manage to ink Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder, and Jaromir Jagr. There’s a good chance that Ryder will capture the team’s goal scoring race while Jagr and Clowe should combine to bring another 30-40 goals to the table. If Adam Henrique bounces back from his sophomore slump, then things might not be as bad as they seem.
Either way, goaltending remains a potential strength, even if no team’s situation seems quite as murky. Cory Schneider is an elite goaltender, even if he doesn’t have much experience as a starter, and the Devils acquired him to be their netminder of the future. Trouble is, the guy he was brought in to replace isn’t gone yet and given that the goaltender in question is Martin Brodeur, Schneider will be forced to wait. Even if Schneider at 27 is likely better than Brodeur at 41, the Devils will be reluctant to have Brodeur frequently warm the bench in what’s likely his last season.
All-in-all, this is a team that might be poised to surprise a lot of people this season, but the fact that they’ll be playing in the newly formed and stacked Metropolitan Division makes it hard to see them making the playoffs.
- Team Fantasy Outlook from Dobber Hockey’s 2013-14 Fantasy Guide – Over a 150 pages of fantasy goodness:
Dobber’s lowdown on: Ryane Clowe – Over the last two years, Clowe has sustained two concussions, an ankle injury and a shoulder injury. The result has been a more timid Clowe – and that has really hampered production. He’s not the player that he once was. That being said, the Devils are paying him a lot of money and as such he will get the best ice time, the best linemates and all the help he needs to right the ship. If he’s going to get back to his old self, this is the situation in which it will happen.
Only Nashville had fewer goals than New Jersey last season. And now Ilya Kovalchuk has retired from the NHL. It will be a battle of offensive futility – who will score fewer goals in 2013-14? Preds vs. Devils. The perfect tonic for insomniacs.
There is a loophole in the NHL CBA that would allow Kovalchuk to return to the NHL as a free agent in four years. Once he’s 35, he’s in the clear. Is it worth taking up a spot on your roster for four years? Depends on the league, but I would trade him for a draft pick and let someone else waste the spot. Because a) there is no guarantee he will return and b) he was a 31-point player last year despite getting more ice time than any other NHL forward by a wide margin. Let’s call it an off year and consider him a 75-point guy. How good will he be at 35? Not good enough for four years of roster spots, in my books.
Prior to his return from a shoulder injury in early 2011, Zidlicky had 105 points in his last 184 games (0.57). If we go back earlier than that, his numbers were even better so I’ll ignore those and look strictly at the more recent data. Since his return from that shoulder injury, he has 45 points in 127 games (0.35). That’s a 47-point player before…and a 29-point player since. This is why Greene had a better season last year and it’s why Larsson needs some PP time (he had next to none last season). It’s also why I have confidence in either Severson or Merrill.
Zajac had just eight points in his first 29 games last season, but 12 in his last 19. He didn’t play anywhere during the lockout and so really, in the 21 months leading up to the end of the lockout he had played just 39 games (not to mention the short training camp). So let’s excuse him for the slow start and assume that the pace of the latter half is the better indication – even though much of that second half was playing with Kovalchuk. He had been given chances there before and it didn’t work, so there’s a reason why it suddenly worked later in the campaign – he shook off the rust.
Follow link for more info and stats
Additions: F Riley Boychuk, F Damien Brunner PTO, F Ryane Clowe, D Raman Hrabarenka, F Jaromir Jagr, F Rostislav Olesz, F Rod Pelley, F Michael Ryder, G Cory Schneider, F Joe Whitney, F Darcy Zajac.
Subtractions: F Matt Anderson, F Jean-Sebastien Berube, F David Clarkson, D Matthew Corrente, F Matt D’Agostini, G Jeff Frazee, F Tom Kostopoulos, F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Jay Leach, F Alexei Ponikarovsky, F Steve Sullivan, D Henrik Tallinder, F Chad Wiseman, F Steven Zalewski.
Promotion candidates: C Reid Boucher, LW Stefan Matteau, D Alexander Urbom, D Jon Merrill, D Eric Gelinas, RW Harri Pesonen
Player salaries: $57,383,333 (24)
Cap Number: $63,729,834
Bonuses: $3,300,000
Cap Space: $3,879,166
Forwards: $36,612,500 (15)
Defensemen: $17,441,667 (7)
Goalies: $8,500,000 (2)
Source: CapGeek
Forwards
Patrik Elias – Travis Zajac – Jaromir Jagr
Ryane Clowe – Adam Henrique – Michael Ryder
Andrei Loktionov – Dainius Zubrus – Rostislav Olesz
Ryan Carter – Stephen Gionta – Steve Bernier
Krys Barch – Damien Brunner
Defensemen
Andy Greene – Adam Larsson
Bryce Salvador – Marek Zidlicky
Jon Merrill – Anton Volchenkov
Mark Fayne – Peter Harrold
Goalies
Cory Schneider
Martin Brodeur
2013 New Jersey Devils Draft Results
| Rd. | Draft # | Player | Team | Pos. |
| 2 | 42 | Steve Santini | US-NTDP | D |
| 3 | 73 | Ryan Kujawinski | Kingston (OHL) | C |
| 4 | 100 | Miles Wood | Nobles (HS MA ) | LW |
| 6 | 160 | Myles Bell | Kelowna (WHL) | LW |
| 7 | 208 | Anthony Brodeur | Shattuck St. Mary’s HS (MN) | G |
New Jersey Devils Top Prospects
| NHL.com | Hockey Prospectus | Dobber Prospects | Hockeys Future | The Hockey News | |
| 1 | Jon Merrill | Jon Merrill | Jon Merrill | Jon Merrill | Stefan Matteau |
| 2 | Alexander Urbom | Damon Severson | Damon Severson | Damon Severson | Steven Santini |
| 3 | Stefan Matteau | Steve Santini | Reid Boucher | Reid Boucher | Reid Boucher |
| 4 | Eric Gelinas | Eric Gelinas | Mattias Tedenby | Scott Wedgewood | Jon Merrill |
| 5 | Reid Boucher | Stefan Matteau | Stefan Matteau | Alexander Urbom | Alexander Urbom |
| 6 | Blake Pietila | Alexander Urbom | Reece Scarlett | Eric Gelinas | Keith Kinkaid |
| 7 | Harri Pesonen | Reid Boucher | Eric Gelinas | Steve Santini | Eric Gelinas |
| 8 | Brandon Burlon | Ryan Kujawinski | Scott Wedgewood | Stefan Matteau | Damon Severson |
| 9 | Keith Kinkaid | Reece Scarlett | Blake Coleman | Reece Scarlett | Scott Wedgewood |
| 10 | Scott Wedgewood | Arturs Gavrus | Keith Kinkaid | Blake Pietila | Ryan Kujawinski |
2012-13 New Jersey Devils Player Stats
| Player |
Pos
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
P
|
+/-
|
PIM
|
PP
|
SH
|
GW
|
OT
|
S
|
S%
|
| Patrik Elias |
L
|
48
|
14
|
22
|
36
|
5
|
22
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
118
|
11.9
|
| Ilya Kovalchuk |
L
|
37
|
11
|
20
|
31
|
-6
|
18
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
1
|
123
|
8.9
|
| David Clarkson |
R
|
48
|
15
|
9
|
24
|
-6
|
78
|
6
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
180
|
8.3
|
| Travis Zajac |
C
|
48
|
7
|
13
|
20
|
-5
|
22
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
82
|
8.5
|
| Marek Zidlicky |
D
|
48
|
4
|
15
|
19
|
-12
|
38
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
101
|
4
|
| Adam Henrique |
C
|
42
|
11
|
5
|
16
|
-3
|
16
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
78
|
14.1
|
| Andy Greene |
D
|
48
|
4
|
12
|
16
|
12
|
20
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
63
|
6.3
|
| Steve Bernier |
R
|
47
|
8
|
7
|
15
|
-7
|
17
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
88
|
9.1
|
| Ryan Carter |
C
|
44
|
6
|
9
|
15
|
-2
|
31
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
63
|
9.5
|
| Stephen Gionta |
R
|
48
|
4
|
10
|
14
|
2
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
58
|
6.9
|
| Andrei Loktionov |
C
|
28
|
8
|
4
|
12
|
-2
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
47
|
17
|
| Dainius Zubrus |
C
|
22
|
2
|
7
|
9
|
-3
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
22
|
9.1
|
| Alexei Ponikarovsky |
L
|
30
|
2
|
5
|
7
|
1
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
41
|
4.9
|
| Mark Fayne |
D
|
31
|
1
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
16
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
34
|
2.9
|
| Adam Larsson |
D
|
37
|
0
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
30
|
0
|
| Peter Harrold |
D
|
23
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
-8
|
6
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
36
|
5.6
|
| Steve Sullivan |
L
|
9
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
-4
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
13
|
15.4
|
| Anton Volchenkov |
D
|
37
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
-1
|
37
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
38
|
2.6
|
| Matt D’Agostini |
R
|
13
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
-1
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
14.3
|
| Henrik Tallinder |
D
|
25
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
22
|
4.5
|
| Jacob Josefson |
C
|
22
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
-10
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
20
|
5
|
| Stefan Matteau |
C
|
17
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
-1
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
22
|
4.5
|
| Bobby Butler |
R
|
14
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
-6
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
7.7
|
| Bryce Salvador |
D
|
39
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
-12
|
22
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
29
|
0
|
| Tom Kostopoulos |
R
|
15
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
18
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
7.7
|
| Mattias Tedenby |
L
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
| Matt Anderson |
C
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Krystofer Barch |
R
|
22
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
44
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
| Tim Sestito |
C
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
| Harri Pesonen |
C
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
-1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
| Eric Gelinas |
D
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
-1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
| Cam Janssen |
R
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
-1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Alexander Urbom |
D
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
-1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Player |
GP
|
GS
|
W
|
L
|
OT
|
SA
|
GA
|
GAA
|
Sv
|
Sv%
|
SO
|
G
|
A
|
| Martin Brodeur |
29
|
29
|
13
|
9
|
7
|
654
|
65
|
2.22
|
589
|
0.901
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
| Johan Hedberg |
19
|
19
|
6
|
10
|
3
|
435
|
51
|
2.76
|
384
|
0.883
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
| Jeff Frazee |
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Keith Kinkaid |
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
1
|
2.31
|
12
|
0.923
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Some info, stats and video taken from NHL.com’s 30-in-30 series.