Ending of a Loyalty Legacy

With the booming news that both Shane Doan and Martin Brodeur are going to test the free agency market is something that many have had people gasp in astonishment. More with the latter, but overall-- it just proves that almost nothing is sacred or protected when it comes to trying to get paid or putting yourself in a position to win again.

For Doan, the equation is simple: the unknown that is the Phoenix Coyotes' ownership issue is the main thing that is going to push Doan to look at his options. It's not that the league wouldn't provide the money for Doan to be re-signed, it's a matter of Doan trying to get into a stable place where he knows he won't be picking up and moving after next season. More over, Doan could have seen last year as possibly the closest he would get to the Stanley Cup with the team he's with and may want to go to a place where he knows he could be in contention for the duration of what could be his last contract.

The news of Brodeur hiring an agent like Pat Brisson is considered a serious ideal that the long-time Devils' legend could be on his way out. Of course, Brodeur had his father representing him for his career-- so the addition of Brisson, one of the biggest power brokers in the game, will turn heads and maybe make the Devils dealing with Brodeur much harder to deal with. Considering that Brodeur is 40-years-old, who knows what kind of contract he's looking for and what kind of role he would want to play with that team. If a Western Conference team were to get into the mix, the risk of travelling could be something that could hinder their look at Brodeur, as he has been graced with close quarters of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

Yet, you have to wonder what this means when it comes to the last of a dying breed when it comes to the loyal players being with their teams for the duration of their careers. Of course with Doan, it's an extenuating circumstance that has him on the lookout for a new team, but it is a bit of a downer to think he won't be on the Coyotes roster if things can't get sorted out between the two.

But with Brodeur, you would have thought that this is a guy who would have been a Devil from start to finish-- which could still be the case with Brisson only being brought in as leverage to get a better deal or to actually gauge his true worth. However, this could be the closest ever to Brodeur leaving-- which should be scary to fans and team management alike with not much going on with goaltender development in their future.

The idea of the long-term deals with the young players is almost a forceful push to get them to be the franchise player with that deal. It's almost, however, that without that long-term deal; the loyalty aspect of it all is going by the wayside-- if it hasn't already. Though, the shocking effect that these two long-time franchise faces possibly going out on their own could make a lot of hockey fans forever give up on the idea that a player will be with the franchise from start to finish, especially in a salary cap era.

But it goes back to that old adage-- if Wayne Gretzky can get traded, anyone can.

Friday Five: Injury Bug and Relief

It's the end of another week and time for the F5. First off, thanks to those who enjoyed the story of Matt Mitchell's pads and the goalie himself, as it blew up big time. Sadly, it won't get better than that, I'm afraid-- but hey, I won't stop trying.

1. With Zach Parise and Martin Brodeur hurting, will the bad luck end in Jersey??

At least the Brodeur injury doesn't seem that serious-- though if it is, there's going to be issue, moreso. The Parise injury hurts on the actual team side in terms of scoring, but for the salary-wise, it's quite the relief. Unless there's a drastic change in attitude, I don't know if there's anything that can save this teams right now. It's almost like this is the mulligan year for the Devils after the years of success; which happens every now and again to even the most elite of teams. The ebbs and flows of parity is showing right now.

2. What's Bobby Holik's deal and why does he have such an axe to grind with the Devils??

The thing you have to appreciate is Holik coming out and being the outspoken guy he's become on the NHL Network and beyond. That said, there has to be some kind of underlying issue which makes him more critical of the Devils, a team he has two Cup rings with. Granted, everyone and their mother have been critical of the Devils, but Holik has been beyond that and it's a bit refreshing at one end of it and a bit "enough already" at the other end. We all know the Kovalchuk deal was bad, we're seeing the result on the ice-- but there's a point where it just stops being a topic because it's widely known as a bad move for everyone.

3. Staying in the Tri-State area, are we seeing the true New York Islanders or is it a bump in the road??

This is more than just a bump in the road, but it's not something they can't get out of. The issue I have is that they left Rick DiPietro in for two games in a row after he let up more than four goals. While I know they want to get the most out of his contract and out of his body while he's healthy-- there's a point where you have to switch it up and put Dwayne Roloson in there to help stop the bleeding and give the team a chance to win. The injury issues are a bit much, but at the same time-- guys have to step up and not use it as an excuse. If they don't improve in another month, all is definitely lost.

4. Daniel Briere has been suspended and Joe Thronton has a hearing Friday afternoon-- will this send a message to star players that they aren't infallible??

It's definitely a good message if they actually receive it as something they need to tone down. You look at this week also having fights with Jarome Iginla and Sidney Crosby, which is the way it should be done if star players feel like throwing their weight around-- drop the gloves and settle it the way you can within the perimeter of the rules. If you're cheapshotting guys when you're an elite player, it's silly when you actually have a rule allowing you to settle stuff without resorting to cheapshots.

5. The SPHL has a rule where their overtime is immediately a 3-on-3 situation. Is this the way to go or is there another way??

You have to give the SPHL props for going to this drastic of a measure, skipping over 4-on-4 altogether. However, I'm with JonnyP and other guys saying they should extend the 4-on-4 to a ten minute segment and seeing how that goes before reducing the players or going right to the shootout. The NHL coming out of the lockout was supposed to be about creating chances and while 3-on-3 does create chances in overtime, the 4-on-4 for a longer period of time would do just the same, but closer to the spirit of the game rather than gimmicks.....though I love me some gimmicks

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Another week in the books, and if you have a topic that you'd want to be tackled, you can get in touch with me via electronic mail. Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com is the place to contact me and you can just get your question answered by me.....isn't that thrilling??

Short Changing the Coach Due To Short Bench

While this whole thing with the Devils only suiting up 15 players is definitely something that is going to bring a lot of heat to Lou Lamoriello and his mismanagement of the salary cap; which it should. For a guy to do all he did in order to get Ilya Kovalchuk under contract; he deserves this mess he's gotten himself into. He sacrificed the team for one player.

Yet, there's one person to feel bad for in all of this and it's head coach John MacLean. Here's a guy who has clawed his way to this spot in the coaching ranks, being passed over for the head coaching job a couple times and when he finally reaches the pinnacle...he has to deal with this mess. It's hard to coach in this league in the simplest of times, but to have a literally shortened bench because of it all-- what a rough issue for a rookie head coach to be put into.

That said, the good side to all of this is that he doesn't have to put out his fourth line because...well, he doesn't have one. He can actually play the top guys and know he'll be getting the most out of them. The downside is that the other team knows they won't have much energy late in the game if they power them with a dump-and-chase game early. It's hard for MacLean to coach from an advantage, even if they go up early-- because if they "blow their load" (I expect to be suspended for that one) early in the game; they'll be tired and be susceptible to a late-game comeback. If they lay back and get down early-- they may not have the juice to get back into the game.

It's one thing to have a mass of talent in order to justify the team having a rough time filling out the roster and staying under the salary cap; much like the NBA's Miami Heat. It's another thing to be like the Devils who have almost $32M tied to six players-- four of which have no-movement clauses-- and have issues trying to get a full team for another 12 players for $28M, especially since these guys had contracts prior. This is the backlash and almost karmatic result for the whole Kovalchuk situation.

It's obviously taking it's toll, as the Devils are 0-2-1, already short players via injury and not having the cash, and it seems Martin Brodeur is off his game, letting up 11 goals in three games and a .857 save percentage to boot. But, like I said during my post yesterday-- it's Chicken Little stuff right now. The bigger problem is what can be done to fill an entire team and actually win. They'll have to trade someone or shoot them in order to have the money in order to fulfill an entire roster and give MacLean the chance to actually coach a full team and show that the Devils should have hired him sooner rather than later.

Can Malkin Have "Hart" With Crosby as His Teammate??

Barring a huge disaster or a big surge from someone on the outside looking in, Evgeni Malkin will most definitely bring home the Art Ross Trophy for most points in the season. That, of course, will set him up, most likely, as a candidate for the Hart Trophy for league MVP. The big question that I will pose here is whether or not Malkin can be the considered the MVP with Sidney Crosby as his teammate and the "face of the league"??

I put this thought out there, mostly because the Hart is supposed to go to the player who is most valuable to his team. With two guys like Crosby and Malkin on the same team, you'd think they'd almost cancel each other out in terms of voting because how could you say one is better than the other?? It's not like last season where Crosby was out for a good chunk of the season and Malkin carried the team, for the most part, in the regular season. This year, Malkin has played only five more games than Crosby, so it's not like you could say Malkin was most valuable to his team when Crosby is just as valuable. Though, the Hart voters could be hackney and give a co-MVP award so no one on the Penguins gets their feelings hurt, but I doubt that would happen.

Granted, many could bring up the run Wayne Gretzky had of Hart Trophies during the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty that he was on a team of great players, which in hindsight is true. However, when you look at the stats and the play, Gretzky far and away lead the team on the ice and made those around him better.

This brings up who could be considered as a candidate for the Hart Trophy. Tim Thomas in Boston could definitely be considered as a top choice with his performance this year (albeit, recently it hasn't been too good), he still leads the league in GAA and save percentage. A guy like Zach Parise could come to some voters' mind when you consider how much he stepped up into an offensive role on the Devils with their other top dog in Martin Brodeur out for the weight of the season. Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla are both unsung leaders on their teams and really don't get the press thanks to "East Coast Bias". And speaking of the ECB, last but not least-- Alex Ovechkin will definitely make a run at a repeat of Hart Trophies.

It'll be an interesting look at who the finalist will be for the big award at the end of the day and to see where the heads of the voters are when they actually cast it. I don't really envy their decision, but wish I could have a chance to take a hack at voting who could be deemed MVP. How does Scott Clemmensen for Hart sound??

How Not To Treat a Goalie 101

This is what happens when you keep your team at the top of the standings while your all-world goalie is injured for the majority of the season-- a trip back to the AHL.

That's right kids, with Martin Brodeur coming back; Scott Clemmensen was sent down to the Lowell Devils to make room for him. Clemmensen, who went 25-13-3 with a 2.39 GAA and .917 save percentage in Brodeur's absense, is back to riding the bus after pretty much putting together a dream season and keeping the Devils at the top of the Eastern Conference standings while Brodeur recovered.

Now, I understand that Brodeur is the best goalie out there today, but you would think that the Devils would be much more willing to part ways with Kevin Weekes than Clemmensen. Sure, it's good that Clemmensen doesn't have to go through waivers, but still-- where the hell did the loyalty go in the system when a guy like Clemmensen gets this as a reward from the team he held together.

We'll see how this all pans out in the end, but if I'm Clemmensen; this is leaving a bitter taste in my mouth, no matter what kind of front I put on for the media. And to be honest, the Devils will have to offer a damn sweet deal to get my services back next season, since Clemmensen will probably get plenty of offers this summer from every team who could use a solid goalie for a valued price.

While I don't have hatred or fandom for the Devils, I want karma to kick them in their ass for this. As much as I respect Brodeur, I'd like to see him fail for the rest of the season. I'd like to see an early exit with Brodeur between the pipes for the hockey gods to show the organization that you don't treat a guy who save the season for you like they did with Clemmensen.

Around The Rink 02.16.09

-The Penguins fired Michel Therrien, putting the fate of the Penguins dwindling playoff hopes in the hands of Dan Bylsma. It's something that seemed to be in the works as the divide between players and coach seemed to be expanding as the year went on. Though the injuries didn't help, the team didn't seem to get up for the games they needed to. With the come from behind blow out the Leafs put on the Pens Saturday night just cemented Therrien's fate. Here's hoping for the organization that Bylsma is the right change for the Pens in order to get them into the playoffs.

-I don't care how much people try to sell it, I don't see Mike Green as a Norris candidate right now. Yes, he's the highest scoring defenseman with 50 points, he's a +28 on the year, and is a big threat for the Caps scoring. However, I see Green as more of a fourth forward than a defenseman out there on the ice. Though he may not be considered a defensive liability as some people may want to point out, but when you're on a line with Ovechkin more often than not-- odds are that you won't have to deal with the defensive side of things too much. Unless Green becomes more of a Scott Stevens kind of player through his career (minus the limo incident we don't talk about), I can't really correlate Mike Green and Norris Trophy, because most points does not a good defenseman make.

-So, with Martin Brodeur coming back, the thought of a goalie controversy in New Jersey is almost unfathomable. However, with Scott Clemmensen's hot play, the thought of Brodeur being thrown back in net full time once he returns to the line-up is all but a sure thing. Many believe that the Devils would be fools not to put Brodeur right back into net, because he is Martin Brodeur. Yet, at the same time-- how can you bench a guy like Clemmensen who has held down the fort so well and then throw him to the curb for name appeal rather than ability?? I don't envy Brent Sutter for having to make this kind of decision in order to give the Devils the best chance to win the Cup.

-Hey, Sean Avery's back kids. That's right, the troubled forward debuted with the Hartford Wolfpack last night. Aside from a little skirmish during the game, didn't seem like Avery mattered too much at all. He also said that during the get-togethers he held back and didn't say anything "Old Sean" would have. Great, he's talking about himself in third person, past tense. Over under three weeks on when Avery goes back to his old self again.

-We're a year away and the 2010 Olympic talk is starting. Brian Burke, the US GM, and Steve Yzerman, the Canadian GM, are heavily under the microscope for this one. On top of that, the Canadians are under pressure to come up with something other than their traditional logo. With the logo debate almost as big of a headline as who Yzerman will pick, there's a lot riding on Team Canada's display in Vancouver and it seems they want to look their best if they feel like they'll play their best.

Devils in the Details

For the first time since the 1993-94 season. Martin Brodeur will not see an overwhelming majority of the starts in the New Jersey Devils net, as the legendary goaltender will be out three-to-four months, as he will undergo surgery to repair torn bicep tendons in his left arm. That leaves the duties up to Kevin Weekes to carry the Devils to the playoffs. In the words of Gregg "Opie" Hughes....good luck, bro.

To say this hurts the Devils is like saying the Atlantic Ocean is merely a puddle. This is a monumental loss and very well could not only effect the Devils in the future....but Brodeur's career as well. We'll get to that in a second.

But, for the Devils, they will need to hope that their young squad of unknowns on the blue line can really step it up and that the forwards can actually post up some amazing numbers to give some support to Weekes or whoever may end up in goal. While one player does not a team make, you can argue that a majority of the success over the years was due to Brodeur.

Let's be honest, Kevin Weekes will not be the savior of this team....or any team. He only has two winning seasons in his entire career, none in the NHL. In fact, his best winning percentage in the NHL is .500. For a career, Weekes has .397 winning percentage, which would be great if he was hitting clean-up for the Mets, but he's in net for the Devils. If his performance isn't up to par...Lou Lamoriello may want to start looking at some options out there.

As far a Brodeur is concerned, the big issue is how he will recover from this injury. Marty isn't a spring chicken anymore and it could take time to heal for the old veteran. Especially, considering that it's his catching arm, how well is he going to utilize that glove hand and will it effect his stick-handling ability that makes him a transitional threat when behind his net.

As of right now, I'm sure Devils fans are just shaking their heads and wondering if this is all a dream and when they wake up-- it'll all be okay. Sadly Devils fans, it's not going to be that easy and you may want to see if Chris Terreri, the goalie coach of the Lowell Devils, wants to take one more kick in the can. I mean, he's only 43 and really, probably a better option than Kevin Weekes at this point.

Why You Have Back-Ups 101

In the midst of a 6-1 beat down of the Atlanta Thrashers, the New Jersey Devils displayed a big reason why it may be a good idea to play your back-up when you're against the second-worst team in the league.

Almost seven minutes into the second period, Martin Brodeur let the game with an injury to his arm. Granted, if you listen to Al Strachan, even with Brodeur holding his arm close to his body, Brodeur suffered a groin injury and also Jon Bon Jovi is drawing up a better "umbrella" power play set up....though that should be better left to Rhianna.....get it?? Moving on.

Now, I'm not one to tell the Devils coaching staff how to do things, and I know that Brodeur is in the midst of gaining the all-times wins record, but maybe this was hockey karma telling the Devils they should have let Kevin Weekes have this lay-up of a game. It's not like it's going to kill you to let him have some PT for games like this and the Islanders every now and again. Not only does it keep Weekes sharp and allows him to show off if he's worth having as a back-up, but it'll give Brodeur to rest-- which is something he may need if the Devils are going to make a strong run in the playoffs, if they can get there.

However, that's all something that's a moot point at least right now. With the injury to Brodeur catching arm, it could take some time for him to heal, depending on the serverity of the injury. That pretty much hogties the Devils to actually play Weekes and hope to hell that Scott Clemmensen isn't plucked off waivers if he's called up. Now, if the injury isn't too severe, the Devils wouldn't have to risk Clemmensen and call up Dave Caruso, who will no doubt remove his glasses and say "It seems that the devils.....are in the details" with the classic The Who accompaniment.

However, for the time being, Devils fans are holding their breath-- and this time it may not be because of the sulfur smell coming from the state itself.