Oilers Select C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins With First Overall Pick

The first overall selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft went to the same team that possessed the pick a year ago - the Edmonton Oilers. In 2010, the question presented to them was a simply matter of Taylor (Hall) or Tyler (Seguin). This year, it was a bit more complicated. Did general manager Steve Tambellini want to continue building his team's offense, fill a position that is lacking on defense or perhaps even trade the pick to move down and acquire more assets?

When it came time for him to kick off the selections at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, he went with the centerman from Red Deer, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Hopkins was the consensus top offensive players available and will be paired up soon enough with a couple of Edmonton's other top scoring threats, including last year's first overall pick Taylor Hall and 2011 Goal of the Year Award winner, Jordan Eberle.

In 69 games this past season with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL, he posted 31 goals and a league-high 75 assists for 106 points. He added four goals and seven assists in 11 postseason contests.

The Colorado Avalanche followed the Nugent-Hopkins pick with another offensive selection. The Avs grabbed 18-year old Swedish winger Gabriel Landeskog of the Kitchener Rangers. Playing a more North American style game, he netted 36 goals and 66 points in 53 games for the Rangers last season. He was also plus-27 with 61 penalty minutes.

The Florida Panthers grabbed center Jonathan Huberdeau with the third overall pick. A center with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, Huberdeau is coming off winning the Memorial Cup MVP. During the regular season, he had 43 goals and 105 points while adding 16 goals and 30 points during the playoffs.

The New Jersey Devils broke the offensive mentality of the draft by finally grabbing defenseman Adam Larsson out of the Swedish Elite League. The Devils are known for their defense, but it has been lacking in recent years. Larsson was the undoubted top defensive pick in the draft and TSN's Pierre McGuire considered him a steal at the fourth overall spot. The 6'3", 200-pounder is considered a great puck-moving defenseman that can play both ends of the ice well. He isn't an offensive dynamo, but can produce on the score sheet as witnessed by his four-point performance at the World Junior Championships.

League Hands Down Kovalchuk-Penalty To Devils

Even though the New Jersey Devils have their Russian sniper for the remainder of his career and the collective bargaining agreement has been amended to prevent future contracts like one Ilya Kovalchuk received from ever happening again, that does not mean all is well. The NHL still had the option of punishing the Devils for attempting to circumvent the salary cap in their original offer to the 27-year old that included $102 million in compensation over 17 years.

On Monday evening, the league handed down its ruling that includes a mixture of fines and loss of draft picks to New Jersey. Per the NHL's statement, the Devils will lose a first round selection in one of the next four years, as well as a third rounder in 2011. The Devils have the choice of which year between 2011 and 2014 they wish to cede their first round pick and must advise the NHL the day following the completion of the Stanley Cup Finals of that year. These picks are simply eliminated from their respective year's draft.

Additionally, the Devils will pay a $3 million fine. However, that is strictly money and the team will not suffer any kind of salary cap hit. According to Tom Gulitti, the money will go to the NHL Foundation.

In all, that's a pretty hefty price to pay for a move I'm still convinced General Manager Lou Lamoriello did not want to make in the first place, but likely did so at the pushing of ownership. The $3 million is not that big of a deal, but the loss of at least the first round pick hurts a team that always touts its drafting prowess and will need its minor league system more than ever as New Jersey transitions away from guys like Martin Brodeur and Patrick Elias.

The Devils have the option of appealing this ruling, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. But that appeals process goes through the NHL Board of Governors, so the Devils would likely have very little luck there.

NHL And NHLPA Accept Kovalchuk's Deal As Part Of Amending CBA Rules For Future Long-Term Contracts

The saga that started almost a month and a half ago has finally reached its conclusion (pending the completion of paperwork expected to hammered out very soon.) TSN's Darren Dreger has reported that Ilya Kovalchuk is on his way to becoming a New Jersey Devil for the next 15 seasons as part of an agreement between the NHL and NHLPA to amend the rules of the collective bargaining agreement regarding long-term contracts from here on out. Kovalchuk's deal, valued at $100 million over those 15 seasons, will be the last of its kind and any further contracts will play by new rules.

According to Dreger, long-term contracts are now clearly defined as those consisting of five or more years. The new rules essentially target the ages of 35 and 40 when it pertains to player contracts.

The first change calls for any contract signed by a player beyond the age of 40 years old to have his annual average salary (i.e., cap hit) only calculate for those years up to and including the season in which he is 40 years old.

For long-term contracts extending beyond the age of 40, the contract's average annual value for the years up to and including 40, are calculated by dividing total value in those years by the number of years up to and including 40. Then for the years covering ages 41 and beyond, the cap charge in each year is equal to the value of the contract in that year. (credit: Darren Dreger)

The Kovalchuk Contract Saga Continues On

If patience wasn’t already wearing thin with regard to the Ilya Kovalchuk and New Jersey Devils contract situation, the NHL and NHLPA have allotted two more days of frustration before rendering their decision regarding the deal's legality under the collective bargaining agreement. An originally set deadline of 5 p.m. on Wednesday evening was extended just prior to that cutoff time by both parties, opting instead to mull over this decision until 5 p.m. on Friday.

"We remain confident that the terms of this contract comply, in every respect, with the CBA and meet both the NHL’s concerns and the principles of arbitrator Bloch’s decision," Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello said in a statement released by the team. "We remain optimistic that this extension will result in an approval of the contract and that Ilya Kovalchuk will remain a valuable member of the Devils for the balance of his career."

The Devils and Kovalchuk were forced back to the drawing board when a $102 million over 17 years was challenged by the NHL and rendered null and void by Arbitrator Richard Bloch. The deal was deemed a “retirement contract” that would never reach its conclusion, artificially lowered the salary cap hit with just $3.5 million set to be paid out in the final six years of the contract, and included a no-movement/no-trade clause shifting that would have given the Devils an “out” of the contract.

What General Manager Lou Lamoriello and Kovalchuk’s representatives came up with was a deal two years shorter and worth $2 million less than the original. According to sportsnet.ca’s Nick Kypreos, the new deal submitted to the NHL on Friday consists of $100 million over 15 seasons and includes a salary cap hit of $6.67 million, as opposed to the $6 million in the original offer. Additionally, the contract would expire when Kovalchuk is 42 years old instead of the 44-year old concluding age in the original.

The year-by-year breakdown of the new proposal is as follows:

2010-11: $6 million
2011-12: $6 million
2012-13: $11 million
2013-14: $11.3 million
2014-15: $11.3 million
2015-16: $11.6 million
2016-17: $11.8 million
2017-18: $10 million
2018-19: $7 million
2019-20: $4 million
2020-21: $1 million
2021-22: $1 million
2022-23: $1 million
2023-24: $3 million
2024-25: $4 million

While the point of this contract is essentially the same as the first one - get Kovalchuk under contract for the money he wants at an affordable cap hit to the team, it is more in line with other approved deals of this nature, does not go under $1 million in any given season and pays out reasonable salaries in the final few years. There is no word yet on any kind of no-movement or no-trade clause, which was a pretty big sticking point to Bloch in the old offer.

If the NHL chooses to challenge this contract, as well, and either the NHLPA does not file another grievance or fails in doing so, there is a strong chance the 27-year old sniper will return to his native country of Russia and play in the Kontinental Hockey League next season. Kovalchuk's Russian agent Yuri Nikolaev has already stated that Kovalchuk will spend at least one full season in Russia if he signs a deal in the KHL, meaning there will be no out-clause in his deal to return to the NHL at some point during the 2010-11 campaign. SKA St. Petersburgh is the most likely team to sign Kovalchuk and is believed to already have a big offer on the table for Kovalchuk's services.

If the deal is approved, then the Devils will need to act quickly in shedding just under $4 million in salary to become cap compliant for next season. They can remain 10 percent over the $59.4 million ceiling ahead of the start of the regular season on Oct. 7, giving them just over a month to clear salary.

Teams That Can Benefit Most From Adding Antti Niemi

It’s not common for a player to go from Stanley Cup Champion to unrestricted free agent in the fashion that 26-year old Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi did. Though he sought a salary believed to be in the range of $3-4 million a season on a long-term deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, he also filed for salary arbitration and accepted the possibility of making less. Unfortunately for him, General Manager Stan Bowman did not accept the very fair offer of $2.75 million given to Niemi by the arbitrator because of the ‘Hawks’ tight salary cap situation. Instead, they signed Marty Turco to a one year, $1.3 million deal and sent Niemi to the unrestricted free agent market one year earlier than he otherwise would have been eligible.

Now it is time to see if the offseason spent playing hardball by Niemi and his agent, Bill Zito, will result in a more fruitful situation for the 42-regular season game NHL “veteran.” Although no exact list of interested teams has come to light, let’s take a look at some teams that could most benefit from adding Niemi into their goaltending corp.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Over the years, the Columbus Blue Jackets have worked hard to get out of the basement and actually become a playoff contender. Two years ago, they realized that goal by making the postseason for the first time in the franchise’s 10–year history. The team’s ability to get there was due, in large part, to the play of then-rookie goaltender Steve Mason, who received the Calder Memorial Trophy for his phenomenal play throughout the season.

Unfortunately, Mason’s sophomore season included a slump and he didn’t play near to the level of his first year in the league. As a result, the Blue Jackets went back to the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Some doubt now exists over Mason’s ability to backstop this club into a perennial contender.

Of course, there is hope that he can find his game next season. That would truly be the best case scenario for Columbus, since his rookie play was far better than anything Niemi will offer. But if Mason’s career goes the way of Andrew Raycroft, it’ll be hard to hand over the keys to the car to him too much longer. The Blue Jackets may need to seek a more consistent net presence, which will be not Mathieu Garon either.

Niemi would provide an upgrade from what Mason offered a season ago and would be a suitable replacement. The Blue Jackets likely wouldn’t get rid of Mason and would figure out a way to work Niemi’s playing time around spotting Mason 20-25 games through the season, as well. It would just leave Garon as the odd man out. And his $1.2 million salary can either be dealt or very easily buried in the AHL, where he would spend a season in Syracuse before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch disagrees with this notion, and feels that Columbus is pretty well set with Mason and Garon. But as Bruce Ciskie of Fanhouse points out, it all depends on the confidence the Blue Jackets have in Mason. After last year, you have to wonder …

Kovalchuk, Devils Get Contract "Bloch"ed



It took several weeks for Ilya Kovalchuk to finally reach a decision on a contract this summer, and it now appears as if he will need to spend a few more finding a new one. On Monday, independent arbitrator Richard Bloch handed down his ruling in the case between the NHL and the NHLPA/Kovalchuk with regard to the 17-year, $102 million contract the 27-year old Russian winger inked with the New Jersey Devils on July 20. That ruling was in favor of the NHL.

Kovalchuk’s contract is now null and void, meaning he re-enters the unrestricted free agency pool with the option of yet against exploring offers from all NHL (and KHL) teams. The possibility exists that the Devils and he may return to the drawing board and re-structure the contract to be less circumventive. The Los Angeles Kings may also get back into the mix.

To many, this was a surprise decision by Bloch considering the numerous contracts prior to Kovalchuk’s that abused the same loophole as Devils GM Lou Lamoriello to reduce salary cap hits. Marian Hossa, Roberto Luongo and others all have "lifetime" deals that pay them far more money during their prime playing days than those when they are far less likely to even be playing at all.

Bloch, however, found this type of "retirement contract" (as Nick Kypreos puts it) to be the most egregious and agreed with the NHL's agrument, according to Sports Business Journal's Liz Mullen, that the contract is unlikely to reach its conclusion. Even if playing until 44 years of age is possibe,  it is "well beyond the typical retirement age of NHL players," Bloch said, according to Kypreos.

Hold That Thought: Kovalchuk's Contract Rejected By NHL

 

After 19 days of arduously tracking Ilya Kovalchuk’s free agency, it seemed just too easy for it to all be over with an announcement Monday afternoon of a 17-year pact for $102 million with the New Jersey Devils. And it appears that it was. Let this escapade continue.

Late Tuesday evening, approximately nine hours after the Devils formally reintroduced Kovalchuk in an afternoon press conference, news broke that the National Hockey League rejected the contract on the grounds that it circumvents the collective bargaining agreement. Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reported that the basis of this rejection is that the contract is a “retirement contract" with far too much money being paid out in the first 10 years. The league does not feel as if Kovalchuk, 27, will play for those backend years of the deal that would take him to 44 years of age, according to TSN's Darren Dreger. And both New Jersey and he mutually agreed to drastically lower the salaries for the final six years with the purpose of artificially lowering the hit against the Devils’ salary cap.

Circumvention is defined by Section 26.3 of the CBA:

(a) No Club or Club Actor, directly or indirectly, may: (i) enter into any agreements, promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent, or understandings of any kind, whether express, implied, oral or written, including without limitation, any SPC, Qualifying Offer, Offer Sheet or other transaction, or (ii) take or fail to take any action whatsoever, if either (i) or (ii) is intended to or has the effect of defeating or Circumventing the provisions of this Agreement or the intention of the parties as reflected by the provisions of this Agreement, including without limitation, provisions with respect to the financial and other reporting obligations of the Clubs and the League, Team Payroll Range, Player Compensation Cost Redistribution System, the Entry Level System and/or Free Agency.

19-Day Free Agency Marathon Comes To An End: Kovalchuk Remains a New Jersey Devil

 

UPDATE: TSN has reported salary figures in line with what Michael Russo previously laid out. Kovalchuk's $102 million deal over the next 17 years will pay him $6 million in Years 1 and 2, $11.5 million in Years 3-7, $10.5 million in Year 8, $8.5 million in Year 9, $6.5 million in Year 10, $3.5 million in Year 11, $750,000 in Year 12 and $550,000 in Years 13-17.

ORIGINAL: It took him 19 days to make his decision and he didn’t need a flashy one-hour primetime special to let the world know about it. On Monday afternoon, it was announced that Ilya Kovalchuk will remain with the team he finished out last season with and return to the New Jersey Devils on a lifetime contract. No official terms have been disclosed, but it has been widely reported that the agreement is for 17 years and will pay out a total of $102 million. This is just the latest contract intended to circumvent the current collective bargaining agreement by utilizing a greater number of years to stretch out the overall salary for the purposes of lowering the annual cap hit, while still paying the player the amount of money he wishes to accumulate during his playing tenure. Kovalchuk, who was believed to be seeking an annual salary in the $8-10 million range, will now represent a $6 million annual cap hit to New Jersey.

“This was a long arduous process that has taken frankly a little longer than I thought,” agent Jay Grossman said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “But you know what, nothing is worth anything unless you work for it. I can tell you he is very happy to be with the New Jersey Devils.”

As is the case for most contracts of this nature, it is safe to assume that Kovalchuk will be paid on a frontloaded basis to accommodate the years he will actually be playing. Then the financial terms will take a sharp decline when he is expected to be retired. Since he will not be 35 years old by June 30 of the upcoming season, Kovalchuk will cease to be paid and his cap hit will be erased from the Devils’ books should he retire before the completion of the deal. Kovalchuk, now 27, will be 44 years old when the contract expires in 2027, making it unlikely he will honor it in its entirety.

With no official terms announced and the Devils planning to re-introduce Kovalchuk to their fans in a press conference tomorrow at 1 p.m., there still has yet to be firm indication into how this contract breaks down on a year-by-year basis. Two unconfirmed figures have been reported, however.

Kovalchuk Nearing Deal With The Devils?

When we last check in on Ilya Kovalchuk, three teams were at the forefront of his free agency status. The Los Angeles Kings were perceived as out of the mix per comments by General Manager Dean Lombardi. The New York Islanders were preparing to fork over a $100 million, 10-year offer. And the New Jersey Devils were, somehow, still in the running.

That somehow part was given a bit of clarity today by The New York Post. At first, Mark Everson reported that Kovalchuk was expected to sign with the Devils on a seven-year pact worth $60 million. Everson's tune changed shortly thereafter, simply stating that Kovalchuk was expected to make a decision today and the Devils remained the favorites with their $8.57 million per season offer.

Unsure of what the Kings' last offer to Kovalchuk was, this seems like surprising news considering Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman reported that Lombardi just could not get Kovalchuk to get under his request of a $100 million contract (Source 1/2). If that's the reason he dropped out, then why is Kovalchuk accepting a lower bid from New Jersey?

The Market For Ilya Kovalchuk: Islanders Prepared To Offer $100M, Devils Still In Mix, Kings Out?

 

A flurry of activity was expected to surround Ilya Kovalchuk when the free agent market opened for business on Thursday. Not only was he leaps and bounds better than any other available player, but the 27-year old Russian sniper also possesses a unique ability to dramatically change the face of any NHL franchise. It therefore came as a bit of a surprise that there was little to report on his situation as Day 1 came to a close.

The Los Angeles Kings were at the forefront of negotiations with Kovalchuk, which was to be expected considering their interest dating back to the trade deadline. New Jersey Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello believed his team was very much in the mix despite having added at least $8.625 million against the cap with previous signings throughout the day. And any number of unconfirmed teams were also posturing for the left wing’s services.

One of those other teams was revealed late in the day on July 2. TSN’s Darren Dreger pondered the idea of the New York Islanders going after Kovalchuk and indicated a source informed him of the team’s possible intentions to offer a $100-million, 10-year contract. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun followed up with a text confirmation from Isles’ GM Garth Snow that they were in the mix.

A situation that had little movement in the first day of free agency suddenly transformed into the high-priced bidding process anticipated for Kovalchuk. Even in light of the Islanders' potential offer, the Kings were still believed to be the favorite to land Kovalchuk, with the Devils not too far behind pending Lamoriello’s ability to work around the less-than $5 million in cap space still left on the payroll. But with a proposed offer of $10 million annually for the next decade, the Islanders instantly emerged as a contender for Kovalchuk.

Devils Add Volchenkov, Tallinder On D; Snag Hedberg To Backup Brodeur

 

The New Jersey Devils were one of those teams to watching heading into this free agency period. Not only were they the rights holder before today to the hottest UFA on the market - Ilya Kovalchuk, but they were also in danger of losing Paul Martin while being linked to Tomas Kaberle and Dan Hamhuis.

Well, Kovalchuk still hasn't signed anywhere as of this writing and Martin in now a Pittsburgh Penguin. But what the Devils did was build upon their strength - defense.

General Manager Lou Lamoriello committed $39 million to defensemen Henrik Tallinder and the prized defensive-defenseman of this class, Anton "A-Train" Volchenkov, while also forking over a one-year, $1.5 million deal (bonuses and no-trade clause included) to backup goaltender Johan Hedberg.

Volchenkov is not a sexy pickup but one that will make the Devils even more frustrating to play against. He is a top-notch shutdown defender who is well-regarded for his shot blocking and penalty killing. The 28-year old is limited offensively and will miss games throughout the season thanks to putting his body on the line so frequently. But when he's there, it will be even tougher to score against New Jersey. Volchenkov will be around for the next six years on his this contract and will earn $25.5 million, or $4.25 million per season. The deal also includes a no-trade clause.

Tallinder, 31, is another shutdown defenseman who Lamoriello grabbed, in part, because of his mentoring ability. According to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun:

One thing Lamoriello mentioned to me is that he's got young Swedish kids on D and he loves the way Tallinder helped Tyler Myers in Buff

Outside of teaching the kids, Tallinder will be another presence in the Devils' zone and limited offensive abilities on the other end. In a full 82-game slate last year, he posted four goals and 16 assists for 20 points.
He will cost New Jersey $13.5 million over four seasons - an annual cap hit of $3.375 million.

Of course, neither of these signing addresses who will replace Martin's offense, who will be the power play quarterback and if the Devils intend on having any defenseman actually join the rush next season. But good luck to any opposing forward who wishes to get past the neutral zone.

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In addition to adding to the options guarding the crease, the Devils secured their No. 2 inside it. Playing the role of the guy who will see about three games while Martin Brodeur takes on the other 79 this year is Johan Hedberg. Hedberg is as good a backup as any team could get this summer and comes on over for $1.5 million in a one-year deal that includes bonuses and a no-trade clause. That's a bit expensive for a backup, especially a backup to Brodeur. But maybe, just maybe, this is the year the Devils play him less? If so, the extra expense for a proven 37-year old veteran is worth it.

Devils Re-Sign Clarkson, Waive Veteran Pandolfo

 

Sometimes New Jersey does keep its own players, as opposed to trading back for them several years later. On Wednesday, General Manager Lou Lamoriello inked winger David Clarkson to an extension worth $8 million over three years. That will count as a $2.667 million annual cap hit and pays Clarkson actual salaries of $2 million next season and $3 million in both 2011-12 and 2012-13, according to Rich Chere of The Newark Star-Ledger. Clarkson was set to become a restricted free agent tomorrow. He earned $875,000 last season.

The 26-year old Toronto-native is one of the Devils' key hometown assets going forward. He is not a big-time point producer, but can net the puck. He posted 11 goals last season following a career-high 17-goal campaign two years ago. His true contribution to the team, however, is his size and agitating style. Sometimes it leads him to taking bad penalties, but Clarkson definitely keeps opposing players on their toes and off their games.

Predators Deal Arnott, Right To Hamhuis

The Nashville Predators made two cost-cutting deals Saturday afternoon with a couple of Eastern Conference contenders. The first of those saw them ship the rights to pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Dan Hamhuis and a conditional draft choice in 2011 to Philadelphia in exchange for Ryan Parent.

This trade was an indication of just how badly the Flyers wanted Hamhuis on their blue line, and how little faith or little desire the Predators had in retaining him based on the contract he is likely to demand. Philadelphia has targeted Hamhuis for quite some time, even creating speculation last season that they were looking to acquire him in a trade deadline deal. And they managed to gain a 12-day window for sole negotiation opportunity with him. This is not the first time Philadelphia has utilized this strategy for bringing in pending free agents, especially not with Nashville in particular. In 2007, the Flyers acquired the rights to defenseman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell in exchange for a first round selection pick in that year’s draft just 13 days prior to the opening of free agency. Both players were signed almost instantly.

Hamhuis just finished off a contract that earned him $8 million over four years. He made $2.5 million of that last season and counted as a $2 million cap hit annually during its duration. Now, it’s believed Hamhuis could be seeking a deal worth about $4 million per season, which is a bit too rich for Nashville’s blood.

John MacLean finally named head coach of New Jersey Devils

Just when it seemed as if he was never going to get the job, John MacLean was finally afforded the opportunity to prove himself as the lead man behind the New Jersey Devils’ bench. The Devils announced on Thursday that the team’s first ever draft pick would become its 19th head coach.

“John MacLean is an astute hockey individual who has spent the past eight years preparing to be an NHL head coach,” Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “He knows out personnel from the veterans through our prospects, having worked with them as a coach during that time.”

In the eight years MacLean has been with the Devils as a coach, he played the assistant role for seven of them. A rotating door of head coaches put MacLean in position to be a potential replacement on three previous occasions, but he lost out to Claude Julien (2006), Brent Sutter (2007) and Jacques Lemaire (2009). When Lemaire was brought back to New Jersey last summer, MacLean was granted an opportunity to branch off on his own and prove his head coaching capabilities with the Devils’ AHL affiliate, the Lowell Devils. He guided the team to its first postseason berth in five years. That was all Lamoriello needed in order to give the keys to the car to MacLean.

“It has nothing to do with knowledge or confidence. It just has to do with being the one who had to make that final decision. Not the recommendation,” Lamoriello said. “Assistants in any organization don’t know what it’s like. John went to Lowell and found out what it’s all about. In my opinion, that’s all he needed. John knew what I was thinking all the time.”

The 20th Anniversary Of Martin Brodeur Legitimizing The New Jersey Devils Franchise

The face of the New Jersey Devils changed forever 20 years ago to the day. During the 1990 NHL Entry Draft on June 16 of that very year, the Devils completed a swap of draft picks with the Calgary Flames that included first rounders. The Devils sent their 11th overall selection over to the Flames, who used the pick to selected the top ranked goaltender in the draft, Trevor Kidd. The Devils, in turn, received the 22nd overall selection. And they grabbed the No. 2 ranked goaltender - Martin Brodeur.

"It was an interesting day because I was ranked a lot [lower] than the first round,” Brodeur recalled. “I was somewhere around the 30th pick and back then there was only 21 picks [in each round], so I didn’t really expect to get drafted until the second round. When I got the call of being drafted by the Devils, I was in shock more than anything. I didn’t have a clue where New Jersey was, but it was just nice to be taken in the first round and nice to know where my future would be, which organization I was going to be a part of.”

In commemoration of the 20th anniversary since the Devils solidified themselves as a legitimate franchise in the NHL with the selection of Brodeur, the team's official Web site has an interesting write-up looking back at this very special moment for the future Hall of Famer.

New Jersey had minimal success before Brodeur came along. They were re-located to East Rutherford back in 1982 from Colorado and only made the playoffs twice between then and 1990. A conference finals appearance in 1988 was the team's highest achievement.

Brodeur brought the team to much greater heights. He wasn't given the starting nod right away. He remained with his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team, St-Hyacinthe for the next two seasons and suited up for in the AHL for Utica during the 1992-93 campaign. He emerged on the scene for the Devils during the 1993-94 season, and would proceed to backstop them all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals where they were ousted in seven games by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers.

Failure turned to immediate success the next season for the Devils, however. And the success of making it all the way to the conference finals as a rookie was of benefit to Brodeur. New Jersey went on to win the Stanley Cup in 1995, defeating the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings in the finals via a sweep. That championship transformed the Devils from a "Mickey Mouse" franchise to one of the most frustrating defensive squads in the league. They would go on to capture two more Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003 with the same shutdown philosophy and Brodeur getting the job done in between the pipes.

As far as individual accomplishments are concerned, the 38-year old Brodeur has plenty. On top the three Cups he has won as a member of the Devils, he also possess two Olympic gold medals, the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year in 1993-94 and four Vezina Trophies. Brodeur's owns several NHL all-time records, as well, having recently taken ownership in wins (602) and shutouts (110).

Meanwhile, the top ranked goaltender in the 1990 Draft, Kidd would play from 1992 through 2006 for the Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He played 387 career NHL games (almost 700 fewer than Brodeur) and never topped more than 22 wins in any particular season (while Brodeur has a record nine campaigns with 40 or more wins.)

For as fond a moment as this is to look back on, though, it should also serve as a kick in the butt to the Devils and general manager Lou Lamoriello. Brodeur has just a few more seasons left on his career and there is nobody in the organization capable of carrying the load in net once he retires. Perhaps it would be a good move for the 20th anniversary of Brodeur's selection to also be the moment that the Devils look hard for his replacement.

Kaberle An Option For The Devils?

Once again ousted in the first round of the playoffs and sitting just a few years away from the retirement of Martin Brodeur, the New Jersey Devils look primed to exhibit a win-all philosophy heading into next season. From their current head coach search to filling out the roster of players, general manager Lou Lamoriello is believed to be pulling all punches in trying to make the final years of Brodeur's career as successful as possible.

A key area that the Devils would love to improve is offense provided by their defensemen. According to The New York Post, Tomas Kaberle might be on New Jersey's radar.

Per an e-mail sent out to general managers throughout the NHL by Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, Kaberle's current no-trade clause will be lifted for a limited amount of time between the NHL Draft (which starts on June 25) through the end of July. Burke would like a young player capable of stepping into the Leafs lineup right away, as well as a high draft pick in a few weeks.

The former of those requests shouldn't be too big a problem for the Devils, depending on who Lamoriello is willing to part with. David Clarkson or maybe even Travis Zajac, who unbelievably didn't have to be a part of the package sent to Atlanta for Ilya Kovalchuk, would probably be enough to please Burke. The draft pick part might not be as easy. As a result of the Phil Kessel trade last summer, Burke is left without a first round pick at this year's draft and remains very interested in getting back into the top 30. New Jersey dealt its first round pick to the Thrashers in that same Kovalchuk trade, leaving the team without a selection in the first. However, there might be some hope for the Devils in that department. As The Post points out, there was a swap of second rounds pick. And that gives the Devils the 38th overall pick in the draft. If the Devils package Clarkson (since Zajac is probably unlikely), the second round pick from Atlanta (38th overall) and a player from the minors, Lamoriello might just be in business. I doubt the market is going to be that much better for Kaberle.

Before Lamoriello goes and pulls the trigger, he needs to decide whether he's interested in bringing back Paul Martin, who currently stands as the Devils' top offensive option from the blue line. He played just 22 games last season courtesy of a broken left arm, but he still posted 11 points - nine of which came during the final 13 games of the season he played since returning on March 13. At a price of $4.5 million last season and heading into unrestricted free agency on July 1, Martin is going to cost a pretty penny. And it will likely be more than the $3.833 annual cap hit from his current contract.

It will, therefore, be very difficult for the Devils to retain Martin and trade for Kaberle, who is scheduled to make $4.25 million - with a similar cap hit - next season in the final year of his contract. The Devils have some cap flexibility, as right now they have $41.1 million already committed to their 2010-11 payroll between 15 players. That's not including Ilya Kovalchuk, though, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and is likely to command at least $8 million a season. He alone could kill any cap space they have if Lamoriello is intent on retaining his services. Plus, New Jersey better start worrying about Zach Parise, who is in the final year of his current deal before becoming a restricted free agent next summer. You can bet he'll demand a mighty raise from the $5 million ($3.125 million cap hit) he's set to earn in 2010-11.

So, it could boil down to one or the other if New Jersey wants to avoid eating up too much cap space for other areas. Kaberle is the older of the two at 32, but only by three years. And he is a much better option offensively. Kaberle has the ability to post 50+ points a season, a lot more than the 30 or so Martin will hover around during a healthy campaign. And he will be a major upgrade on the power play, where the Devils haven't had a really reliable quarterback in a number of years.

If money is going to be relatively similar between the two, Kaberle has to be the obvious choice for the Devils. New Jersey could sorely use a player with his skills, which will be necessary if it seriously intends on getting past the hurdle of the opening round of the playoffs to make a serious push for the Cup.