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Leading up to one of the busiest days of the offseason, Andy Greene had yet to hear of a contract offer from Lou Lamoriello and the New Jersey Devils. Nevertheless, just after Greene became an unrestricted free agent at noon, the Devils announced Greene will return to the Devils.

Greene, 28, signed a contract for four years with a cap hit of $3 million a season.

In 82 games this past season, he recorded four goals and 19 assists, which led all Devils’ defensemen. Over the past two seasons he proved that he could potentially develop into a powerful defenseman. With the departure last year of Paul Martin, the defensive corp lacked a strong, focused defenseman.

Despite the disastrous team defense, Greene showed a glimmer of hope for the future.

In addition to signing Greene, Lamoriello also re-signed goaltender, Johan Hedberg to a one-year contract.

Hedberg, who backed up Martin Brodeur last season, will probably play around the same amount last season. He played in 34 games and recorded a 15-12-2 record and a .901 save percentage.

At age 38, Hedberg seems extremely unlikely to become a replacement for Brodeur when the time comes. With the signing of Hedberg, it appears that Brodeur will not train a younger goaltender to replace him.

Although, since the contract is for one-year, and Brodeur’s contract expires at the end of this season, Lamoriello may plan to deal with the goaltender issue later on.

Although the rest of the NHL was busy like always on July 1^st, the Devils only signed Hedberg and Greene. Lamoriello told Tom Gulitti of Fire and Ice and the Record that he would not sign any more players until he lightens the team’s cap.

For now, Zach Parise may become the next focus. With an arbitration hearing sometime before late July, the Devils have an extended deadline to work on a long-term contract with the left-wing.

The New York Islanders found themselves on the losing end of Wednesday night’s matchup with the New Jersey Devils for the fourth straight time this season. After falling behind two goals the Islanders stormed back scoring two goals in the third period, but a late Andy Greene goal sealed the Devils win.

In the first period Ilya Kovalchuck blasted a wrist shot from the hash marks of the right hand side face-off circle to give the Devils an early 1-0 lead. The next goal wouldn’t come until 3:23 of the second period. Jacob Josefson slipped the puck past Rick Dipietro when he lost sight of the rebound from Nick Palmieri’s shot.

At 7:47 of the third period, Mark Katic was called for high stick and received a double minor. Replay later showed that it was the puck, not Katic’s stick, that hit Mark Fraser in the face.

However, it was the Islanders and not the Devils who would capitalize on the Islander penalty.  With about 2:29 left in the Katic penalty, Frans Nielson intercepted a poor Devils pass in neutral ice. Nielson raced into the Devils zone and used, his now famous, back hand move to beat Martin Brodeur and make it 2-1 game.  It would be Nielson’s seventh shorthanded goal, tying him with Islanders great Bob Bourne.

With 6:16 remaining in the game Frans Nielson came through again for the Islanders. Frans Nielson managed to push the puck past Brodeur as three Islander players crashed the net. The goal was initially reviewed, but later ruled a good goal.

And just as fast as the Islanders tied up the game, New Jersey quickly found a way to respond. A little under two minutes later Andy Greene took a shot from the left hand face-off circle that beat Rick Dipietro and would prove to be the game winning goal.

The Islanders have a quick turnaround; they take on the New York Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum Thursday Night.

Notes

-Trevor Gillie played in his first game since being suspended for his on Cal Clutterbuck. Gillies only saw 5:15 of action against the Devils.

-Michael Grabner missed the game to be with his girlfriend, who went into labor with the couple’s first child.

-The New York Islanders outshot the Devils in the Wednesday night game, 29-20.

-Rick Dipietro stopped 17 of the 20 shots he faced against the Devils. While Martin Brodeur 27 of 29 shots he faced.

-Official attendance at the Prudential Center was 16,252.

-Prior to the game, Islanders beat write Katie Strang reported the Islanders were one of several teams being considered by free agent defensemen Stephane De Costa out of Merrimack College.

-Prior to the game, The Islanders and prospect Matt Donavan agreed to terms on an entry level contract. The entry deal does not kick in until next season and Donavan will finish the season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on an amateur tryout contract.

Christian Arnold
NHLHS New York Islanders Correspondent
Twitter: isleshockeyblog
Email: ChristianArn312@aol.com

With less than a week left until the trade deadline, the New Jersey Devils‘ status as sellers seems in jeopardy as they continue to rack up the points and decrease the once large margin of points standing in between them and the playoffs.

Just a few weeks ago the Devils were 27 points out of a playoff spot. After an unbelievable run of 15-1-2 in their last 18 games, the Devils now stand ten points out of eighth place. The goal of making the playoffs remains a stretch, but at this point the Devils may need to consider not trading away players by the Feb. 28 trade deadline.

Some of their hot players are on the market come this summer. Zach Parise leads the class as a restricted free agent and at last report by Tom Gulitti on Feb. 14, the Devils have yet to approach Parise about a future contract. Adam Mair, Jason Arnott and Andy Greene seem more likely candidates than Parise to leave at the trade deadline. Though Greene leads all Devils defensemen in points, he also holds one of the worst plus/minus ratings.

As always though, the plus/minus ratings need further explaining beyond just the statistic. Greene logs the second highest time on ice per game (22:20 per game), only behind fellow defenseman Henrik Tallinder. And with the first half of the season when the Devils’ play was disastrous, that ice time is bound to generate some awful looking statistics.

If Lou Lamoriello were to trade Greene, the trade would need to result in the Devils acquiring another defenseman. The issue becomes then, however, whether or not there are any available defensemen that can play Greene’s time, but will not hurt the Devils’ dwindling salary cap.

Arnott, who returned to the Devils last summer by a trade, will probably fetch the largest reward on the market if the Devils choose to trade him. The 36-year old center only has 24 points in 59 games, good for fourth in points among the Devils.

At the trade deadline, if the Devils wish to acquire a player for the last stretch in a run to make the playoffs, then they will have to surrender more than just one player. Draft picks are bound to join in on a package, but the Devils are already hurting in that area.

According to Cap Geek, the Devils currently have no cap space. But with a maximum long term injured reserve, they have have just over $1.5 million. So should the Devils mess with what is working right now, or continue to trust the current players? With the team’s recent run of 32 points out of a possible 36 in their last 18 games, the Devils seemed to have solved their problems.

But for now all fans can do is wait and see what the mastermind Lamoriello will do.

Lou Lamoriello’s New Jersey Devils are the eighth oldest team, with an average age of 27.92 years.  Though the Devils are on the older side of the NHL, their young talent is often the focus of many fans.

The dynamic young duo of Zach Parise (25 years) and Travis Zajac (24 years) lead the Devils offense.

Parise, a player who can score even without his centerman Zajac, strives for success with fellow winger Jamie Langenbrunner (33 years). This line of Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner earned the nickname ZZ Pops a few seasons ago.

Langenbrunner, known as “Pops” on the top line, became a new player when he started skating with the two young guys. Langenbrunner’s experience largely contributed to Parise and Zajac maturity and success thus far.

Before the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk (26 years), Parise led the team in goals, assists, points, plus/minus, and shots. The American left winger showcased his talent in the Olympics, letting the world see his ability. Fortunately, the Devils, like most teams, have success even without their top forward (and his line).

Among the rest of the offense, Patrik Elias (32 years) and Kovalchuk help out as well. Kovalchuk’s tenure with the Devils is still young, and at the moment his offense production (for the Devils) appears average. However, after he adjusts to the Devils and their system, his offensive numbers will likely soar.

On the other hand, Elias, one of the few Devils who began and will seemingly end his career as a Devils, is on pace for an average season overall. Elias, who has 11 goals and 20 assists, has five less goals than his worst offensive season (the year he returned after his battle with Hepatitis A).

Elias’ play, hindered by a concussion when he was knocked unconscious in Colorado, is not on par with his usual ability.

Unlike Elias and Kovalchuk, David Clarkson doesn’t influence a game through his offense. Now, I am not to saying Clarkson lacks offensive contribution offense, because he chips in with regularity, but his real impact comes from his grit and intensity.

That grit and intensity largely disappeared from the Devils’ game when Clarkson injured his ankle while blocking a shot back in November. He returned for two games at the end of December, but his injury pushed him back out of the lineup.

The Olympic break helped Clarkson, and he played in the Devils’ first game on Tuesday. His physical play and dedication will no doubt help the Devils down the stretch run.

The elder statesmen on the team, Rob Niedermayer (35 years), Jay Pandolfo (35), and Dean McAmmond (36 years) appear out of place in the Devils lineup. Their contributions may be few on the score sheet, but the three men provide the necessary experience to help mature the likes of Vladimir Zharkov (22 years), Rod Pelley (25 years) and the various Lowell Devils (AHL Affiliate of the Devils) that come into the lineup throughout the season.

Regardless of their offensive prowess among their young guys, the Devils rely on their defense and, of course, goaltender Martin Brodeur to win games.

The problem with their defense began early in the season, when after a strong overall start the Devils witnessed star defenseman Paul Martin (29) fall to a broken wrist.

The original diagnosis said Martin would only miss at most six week, and surgery was unnecessary. Then, just days before Christmas, the defenseman suffered a setback, and underwent surgery.

It’s March now, and Martin missed the Olympics and 54 games. He finally started shooting pucks, and will hopefully return to the Devils lineup before the playoffs.

Many worried about the Devils’ ability to survive without Martin, as the rest of their defense corp appears “average,” but Andy Greene stepped up his play and took over Martin’s spot.

Greene, a player who was in and out of the lineup early in the season, began to skate the puck up, and also became a reliable defenseman in his own zone. He began to see time on the penalty kill, the power play, (more) five on five, and four on four — Jacques Lemaire no longer views Greene as a liability on the ice.

With the addition of Martin Skoula (30 years) at the trade deadline, the Devils added an eighth defenseman to their lineup. When Martin returns, two defenseman will come out of the lineup. The young players, Mark Fraser (23 years) and Anssi Salmela (25 years) may get the boot.

Although there are the younger players (below the average team age), the Devils defense quickly is aging: five of their eight defenseman are twenty-nine or older.

Then, there is the back bone of the entire defense: Brodeur. After missing the majority of last season with basically his first “major” injury, many were sure Brodeur would rebound and have an outstanding season this year.

Though his statistics (59 games played, 35 wins, 20 losses, 3 OT losses) appear great for many goaltenders, Brodeur’s age is a new factor in his play. At thirty-seven years old, Brodeur is in his seventeenth season for the Devils, but lately some questionable goals slipped behind the Quebec native.

Regardless of a few weak goals, Brodeur still remains the Devils’ starting goaltender (with Yann Danis only playing in nine games to date). Brodeur stole a few games for the Devils early on in the season, but since the start of the new calendar year, his play seems off.

The issue of exhaustion always surrounds Brodeur towards the end of the season and the start of the playoffs. The Devils trust Brodeur will admit when he is tired, and needs a break. Though after the Olympic break (where he was not the number one goalie for Canada, as expected) he may feel refreshed.

Over the next few seasons, the Devils have to watch out for their aging goaltending, and their lack of big-name defensemen (like Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko). Fortunately, the Devils’ offense appears on a path for success. Are the days of the trap and defensive systems gone for the Devils? Most likely not, after all their coach this season is the same coach that developed the system that won the Devils their cups.

However, the Devils are beginning to adapt more to the post-lock out era. They have so much young talent in Parise, Zajac, Clarkson, Martin, and Salmela (acquired in the Kovalchuk trade). Parise will likely be the face of the future for the Devils, of course once Brodeur retires.

The injury bug, known as a main problem with most teams, hurt key players in both the defense and offense for the Devils with Clarkson and Martin missing significant time. The Devils, though, did not throw in the towel. Clarkson and Martin, both relatively close to the team average age, will impact the lineup down the stretch and in the playoffs.

For now, the Devils still sit near the top of the Eastern Conference (fourth place). Their age may not be a factor in the regular season, but in the playoffs, they may fall to intensity.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Featured Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @freezethepuck

Atlantic Division:

• Andy Greene did not take part in Wednesday afternoon’s practice at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz., because of a lower body injury, but the defenseman is expected to be in the lineup Thursday night when the Devils face the Phoenix Coyotes.
• The Rangers entered the season with an overall 34-24 shootout record despite the lack of a certifiable offensive weapon. So now that they have added Ales Kotalik and Erik Christensen, two of the best in the five years the NHL has been running the skills competition, the Blueshirts have lost both in which the shootout snipers have participated. Go figure.
• To the surprise of no one, Islanders coach Scott Gordon said yesterday that Dwayne Roloson and Rick DiPietro would split time in net “for the short term, anyway.” That leaves goalie Martin Biron on the outside looking in and likely as trade bait.
• Flyers goalie coach Jeff Reese walked a mile in the shoes of third-string goalie Brian Boucher.  Boucher – who largely has been cast aside since Michael Leighton started his current 8-0-1 tear in 10 straight starts and former No. 1 Ray Emery returned from abdominal surgery – was a healthy scratch Tuesday night against Dallas.
• The Penguins rarely lose when goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is on his game — and “Flower” was in full bloom Wednesday night at Pengrowth Saddledome, writes Rob Rossi.

Northeast Division:

• Craig Rivet clearly believes this road trip, the Buffalo Sabres’ longest of the season, is about more than length. It’s also about winning. It’s about showing the NHL that the surprising Sabres can conquer challenges.
• Probably more than in any other game this season, there was widespread anger in the Bruins dressing room last night. Not that the B’s players or coaches were mad about any specific aspect of their 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, just the frustration that such a strong effort produced nothing.
• The Canadiens had hoped that a few extra days of rest would hasten Sergei Kostitsyn’s return to the lineup, but head coach Jacques Martin said the younger Kostitsyn brother won’t be ready to play against Dallas Thursday night nor will he be available for games Saturday against Ottawa or Sunday against the Rangers in New York.”
• Ottawa Senators goalie coach Eli Wilson paid the price for the team’s poor goaltending. He was fired Wednesday morning. A replacement is expected to be named within 24 hours.  Interestingly enough the Sens goalie tandem sport a SV% below .900, a feat only they managed this season.
• If Tomas Kaberle were involved in as many scoring plays as trade rumours, he would have won the Art Ross Trophy by now. Leafs’ Kaberle says trade rumours are false, writes Mike Zeisberger.

Southeast Division:

• It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t pretty, and it was in no way relaxing. But the Washington Capitals overcame a three-goal deficit and eventually beat the Florida Panthers 5-4.
• Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk told the AJC on Wednesday that he is not frustrated by ongoing contract negotiations. Kovalchuk, who will become an unrestricted free agent after the season, also said he remains confident a deal will get done.
• The Hurricanes practiced Wednesday at Compuware Arena, the home of the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League. On the ice were forwards Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Jiri Tlusty and Jerome Samson – Samson the oldest at 22 – and all four will again be in the Canes’ lineup tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.
• The Capitals came here embarrassed and angry and armed with Alexander Ovechkin, who didn’t play in their three wins against the Panthers. Not an ideal scenario for the home team. The Panthers fell to the Capitals, after blowing a lead, 5-4 in a shoot out.
• Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Marty St. Louis keeps quiet about his stellar play, writes Damian Cristodero. Quietly, St. Louis is having an amazing season.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @ACHockeyGuys