The Devils would like to have avoided salary arbitration with center Travis Zajac, but that is now unlikely.
Zajac and general manager Lou Lamoriello are headed for Friday’s arbitration hearing, a process that is often nasty.(source-NJ.com)
The Devils have always had success in getting players to take a hometown discount to play in a winning environment. Martin Brodeur, at 5.2 million per year, is a great example of this but it appears Zajac isn’t drinking Lou Lamoriello’s kool-aid.
Far be it from me to criticize Lamoriello when it comes to running a tight ship for the Devils but at 23 this kid is only going to get better. With 20 goals and 62 points playing in all 82 games last year, Zajac is the kind of piece you want to build around. That said, maybe Travis should try to string together a couple more productive seasons before looking to cash in. It will be interesting to see what comes out of the salary arbitration meetings.
