Report that Devils are Cutting Zubrus "Inaccurate"

The Bergen Record’s Tom Gulitti debunked the report of Sportsnet’s John Shannon, saying that the Devils are not putting center Dainius Zubrus on waivers.

Devils Cut Five Players, Reduce Roster To 23

In Lou We Trust is reporting that the Devils have cut five more players from training camp, thinning their roster to 23 players. From that story:

Today, the big news from the New Jersey Devils is that they’ve made another set of cuts. As reported by Tom Gulitti this afternoon, Rob Davison, Jacob Josefson, Matthew Corrente, and Mattias Tedenby have been sent down to Albany of the AHL. Davison has to clear waivers, which is likely.

Goaltender Mike McKenna was already placed on waivers to be sent down last week (and cleared them); but has been re-assigned today. The Devils go from having 28 left in camp to 23, the maximum number of players allowed on a NHL roster.

The Devils, who are now at the maximum number of players allowed to be on an NHL team during the year, still need to trim over $3 million in cap space to get under the NHL salary cap. It will be interesting to see what the Devils do to get under the cap, like John said we’ll learn more tomorrow.

The Devils had a nice young core in training camp, and are looking for most of those players to impact the lineup next season. The Devils will obviously keep a close eye on their development.

Devils Reduce Roster To 32 Players

The New Jersey Devils have trimmed their training camp roster to 32 players.

From the team’s official website.

Sent to Albany were: defensemen Tyler Eckford and Olivier Magnan-Grenier; and forwards Patrick Davis, Stephen Gionta, David McIntyre, Brad Mills, Tim Sestito, Michael Swift, Alexander Vasyunov, Chad Wiseman, and Vladimir Zharkov.

Devils’ President/CEO/General Manager Lou Lamoriello indicated some of those players could be back with the parent club before the regular season begins.

Kovalchuk Wanted To Be In New Jersey Even After Contract Rejection

Ilya Kovalchuk said Friday he was not surprised that his original free-agent contract with the New Jersey Devils was rejected by the NHL.

“But I wasn’t really happy,” he said. “But we found a way how to make it work and that’s the most important thing.”

Kovalchuk said he never considered signing with another NHL team after his first contract was rejected and arbitrator Richard Bloch upheld the league’s rejection with his ruling on Aug. 9.

“I told [Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello] right away that the only team where I want to play in the NHL was New Jersey and that’s the only team we were talking to after that,” he said.

As a result of Bloch’s ruling, the NHL fined the Devils $3 million and took away their 2011 third-round draft pick and one first-round pick in the next four drafts. Kovalchuk said the penalties were “definitely not” fair.

“It’s always bad when your team got penalized,” he said. “But that’s the relationship between the owner and the GM and the league. It’s nothing to do with me.”

Kovy still ended up with a 15-year, $100 million deal. So, he has a lot to be happy about.

Training Camp Preview: New Jersey Devils Edition

As all of you know, NHL Training Camp is right around the corner, and to help keep you guys in the loop we are going to be doing a preview of each local team's camp. Starting, of course, with the New Jersey Devils. 

The New Jersey Devils have had their name is the news all summer, thanks to their continuous (and seemingly never ending) negotiations with Ilya Kovalchuk. Now that the Kovalchuk saga is settles, however, there are questions as to who will (and who wont) make the team out of camp. 

The Devils do have a few staples that you know will be in the line-up on opening night. Guys like Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Patrik Elias and Martin Brodeur; but who will be fighting for a spot? John Fischer, from In Lou We Trust, helps us break it down: 

The New Jersey Devils largely have depth spots on the roster available in training camp.  Mark Fraser will be looking to hold down his spot, as Matthew Corrente and Tyler Eckford from the AHL will look to move past him on the depth chart.  Alexander Urbom has been touted as another young defensemen in the system who could make the jump this year, but he may need more a full professional season in the AHL first.  The other main area of interest is at center, with the third and fourth line center spots up for grabs.  Dainius Zubrus may have the third spot locked down now, but if he gets dumped, the Devils may use a prospect like Jacob Josefson or Adam Henrique.  Down further, Rod Pelley will attempt to remain on the team as Tim Sestito, among others, will try to break through along with Josefson and Henrique.  Goaltending is not an issue this year, and wing is largely locked up, though Vladimir Zharkov would do well to show he can score goals to remain in New Jersey for a full season.       

Who's in: 

Ilya Kovalchuk: The Devils made a few acquisitions this off-season, including re-signing the biggest name on the free agent market in Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk does bring a ton of talent to the table, and it certainly gives the Devils another offensive weapon that they can utilize on the power play and at even strength.

Johan Hedberg: The Devils aren't stupid, and they know that Brodeur isn't getting any younger. So in order to keep Brodeur fresh throughout the season, and have a back-up plan in case he goes down with an injury, the Devils went out and got one of the best goalies on the market. The role of a back-up goaltender is a vital one for any successful hockey team, and the Devils did good to grab Hedberg while they could. 

Anton Volchenkov: After losing Paul Martin to the Pittsburgh Penguins the Devils knew that they had to have answer on defense. So they went out and got the best defensive defenseman on the market in Volchenkov. Volchenkov is a shot-blocking machine, a big bruising defenseman in the corners and a guy who should help keep the flies off of Brodeur. 

Henrik Tallinder: Tallinder is another great signing for the Devils, he's another nice addition to the defensive corps. Tallinder is a big defenseman with tons of playoff experience with the Buffalo Sabres, he should help keep the Devils their normal defensive self this year. 

Who's out: 

Paul Martin: Martin was one of the steadiest defenseman on the Devils since his call-up to the big club in the 2003 NHL season. When Martin signed with Pittsburgh this off-season the Devils lost an overall great defenseman who was really a perfect fit for the club. The Devils were able to, however, replace him with Volchenkov.  

Rob Niedermayer: Niedermayer was one of the more serviceable centers for the Devils, but his play was truly nothing special. The Devils have plenty in the system to replace his departure.  

Final prediction: 

The Devils truly only got better this off-season. Although there are worries about Brodeur's age the acquisitions of Tallinder and Volchenkov should certainly help him when he is playing, and the addition of Hedberg should help him stay fresh for a playoff run. A playoff run which I expect the Devils to make.