2010-2011 Devils Schedule

Now that the NHL has released the full 2010-2011 schedule, we can view the Devils key games this season.

The scheduled can be viewed here

The Devils open their season on Friday, October 8th at home against the Dallas Stars.
The following night they play their first away game against the Capitals.

The Devils longest road trip is six games, from October 24th-November 3rd. They face the Rangers, Sharks, Ducks, Kings, Canucks and the Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks.

Their longest homestand is four games from December 23rd to December 31st against the Islanders, Maple leafs, Rangers and the Thrashers.

Offseason Report

Instead of creating seperate blogs, I will dedicate this blog to all the off season trades. I will update on all new trades, free agency and contract extensions as soon as possible so keep checking back.

1. Jason Arnott returns:

Jason Arnott, 36, has been traded from the Nashville Predators for a 2nd round Draft Pick in 2011 and prospect Matt Halishuck. Arnott was with the Devils from 1997-2002 and is most known for scoring the game winning goal in Game 6 of the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals against the Dallas Stars.

Arnott is a 50 point Center who can add a lot of depth to the team. He will fill a much needed center position and adds depth and playoff experience to the team.


2. Peters and Pandolfo placed on waivers:

Andrew Peters and Jay Pandolfo have been placed on waivers by the Devils.

If Pandolfo is not claimed, the team can buy out the last year of his $2.5 million contract for roughly $1.67 million. If Peters is not claimed, his $500,000 contract can be bought out for $333,333.

3. Clarkson Signed to Multi-Year Contract Extension:

Right wing David Clarkson, 26, has signed a three year contract extension with the Devils. The contract is worth 2.6 million AAS.

Clarkson had 11 goals and 13 assists in 46 games last season. He missed a large portion of the season due to a broken right leg after he blocked a shot from defenseman Zdeno Chara. He has become a core player on the Devil's roster and he will continue to be a valuable asset to the team.

4. Devils ink Volchenkov, Tallinder and Hedberg

During the first day of Free Agency, the Devil's came out with some top notch players. Paul Martin made it pretty clear that he was not going to return to the Devils when he said he wanted to "test the market", so it was necessary to sign some top defenseman.

Volchenkov, 28, is a hard hitting defenseman who had 4 goals, 10 assists and a plus-2 rating last year with the Senators. He will make it tough to play in the zone and is known for his shot blocking.

Tallinder, 31, is an offensive defenseman who had 4 goals, 16 assists and a plus-13 rating last year for the Sabres. Tallinder will add some depth and can easily replace Martin due to similar playing styles.

Hedberg, 37, is a veteran goaltender with 9 years of NHL experience. Hedberg will be used to lighten the work load of Brodeur who played 77 games last year, the most of all goaltenders. Last year, he posted a 21-16-10 mark with a 2.62 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and three shutouts in 47 games with Atlanta. He will be a reliable No.2 goaltender for the Devils.

The Devils no doubt came out as winners in the Free Agency. Most fans were worried that the Devils defense would suffer with the loss of Paul Martin. I think we are actually better off without him. These two defenseman will add new depth to the team. Keep in mind he missed 60 games last year and the team was just fine.

5. Ilya Kovalchuk Returns

After hearing many news reports of Kovy making a decision soon and "sources" that he would sign to various teams, he has finally signed a contract with the Devils. He signed a contract worth $102 million over 17 years. The official numbers can be found here. This means that we will have him until he is 44.

I've heard alot of negative comments about the amount of money we are spending on him. Although if you look at the previous website i posted, the numbers are spread out so that re-sign players such as Parise and Elias because we are not spending all the money at once. This still puts the Devil's over by $1 million dollars. So what do they do? I have come up with some ideas of how to clear some cap space:

1. Put Salvador and Zubrus on waivers:
-Salvador will be making $2,900,000 the next two seasons and if he clears then we will only pay $966,667.
-Zubrus will make $3,400,000 the next three seasons an the buyout will be $1,133,333.
2. Don't resign Brian Rolston.
-Rolston will make $5,062,000 and at 37 that is quite expensive.

Don't get me wrong i love all these players, but with Volchenkov and Tallinder added to the roster, Salvador is not needed. We also have Anssi Salemla and Rob Davison who are solid defenseman. Rolston still has alot of talent scoring 20 goals and 17 assists for 37 points and a plus-2 rating. But paying $5 million is just too much.

If you still think Kovalchuk is not worth it, remember in 27 games he tallied 10 goals and 17 assists in 27 games with a plus-9 rating (talk about not being defensive). Including Elias and Parise, thats THREE 40 goal scorers on the team.

Contract details found via Capgeek.com

6. Devils avoid arbitration, sign Fraser

The Devils have re-signed 23 year old defenseman Mark Fraser for a one year contract worth $500,000. Fraser was drafted 3rd(84th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Fraser initially filed for salary arbitration which was set for July 30th but it has now been avoided.

Fraser had his first NHL season with the Devils playing 61 games tallying 3 goals, 3 assists for 6 points and a plus-3 rating. I was hoping to see a longer contract but with a lot of other issues at hand, hopefully this is just a temporary contract

Welcome Back Johnny Mac

After Jacques Lemaire retired, there was alot of speculation as to who the new coach would be. Some rumors were Ken Hitchcock, Mario Tremblay and Michel Therrien. After a long wait, it was announced that John MacLean will be the new head coach of the Devils.

MacLean was an assistant coach for the Devils for seven seasons and last year he was the coach of the Lowell Devils. He led them to a playoff berth and their best record since the franchise was formed.

I think MacLean is the best for the Devils. He is a "players coach" which might be exactly what the team needs. It may be a rough start but the Devils are in for a good season

Devil's Top Prospects

Devils Top Prospects:
With the Devil’s season over, it is time to take a look at some possible players that the Devil’s could bring up. The Devil’s have a long line of talented prospects, but there are three that stand out over the rest.

1. Mattias Tedenby (LW):

Career: Tedenby made his debut in the 2005-2006 season with the Swedish U16 team. In the 2007-2008 season, he was brought up to the Swedish Elite League to play for HV 71 where he helped his team win the championship. In 2008-2009, he was mostly fourth lined but he showed his talent when brought up in the playoffs with six goals and three assists in 18 games. Tedenby was drafted in the first round, 24th overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Future: He had a year left on his contract with HV-71 of the SEL. He has signed with the Devils for the 2010-2011 season.

Plays like: Tedenby is an exciting player who is all about speed. Not only can he add to the offense of the team, but he will be a playmaker as well and bring excitement to the
Devil’s roster. He has a similar playing style to Martin St. Louis.


2. Jacob Josefson (C):

Career: In 2007-2008 Josefson spent most of his time in the SEL with Djurgardens where he totaled 31 points in 34 games. He also played in the U17 and U18 WJC. In 2008-2009 he played for Djurgardens and represented Sweden in the U18 and U20 WJC. He was drafted in the first round, 20th overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft

Future: With his contract up in the SEL, the Devil’s recently signed Josesfon. Contract details have not been released.

Plays Like: Josesfon is someone who can play a two-way game. He plays similar to Henrik Zetterberg and Vincent Lecavalier


3. Adam Henrique (C):

Career: In 2007-2008 he made his debut with the Windsor Spitfires where he recorded impressive numbers. In 2008-2009, Henrique had a +39 rating with the Spitfires and he helped lead them to a Memorial Cup Champion. He also tied for most goals in the tournament. Windsor made it to the Memorial Cup Final again in the 2009-2010 season. Henrique currently has 2g and 3a for 5 points. He is only trailing #1 prospect Taylor Hall. Henrique was drafted in the 3rd round, 82nd overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Future: It is likely to see Henrique to play some time with the Devils. He will most likely turn pro this upcoming season.

Plays Like: Henrique is not a flashy player but he plays a style that will fit into the organization well. He has great leadership skills and he can play a two-way game.

Welcome to the DA

Welcome to the Devil's Advocate. I have been a New Jersey Devil's fan since i was five years old and i will be analyzing the team during the season. I hope you enjoy it.

First post coming soon