Devils (on way to the playoffs) fire Julien; GM Lamoriello to coach

Can the Ducks afford to get in a likely bidding war for Gomez, with two top-notch defensemen already occupying a large chunk of Anaheim's cap?

Marty is human - it's kind of part of our profession not to treat athletes as superhuman. But if you're saying Jersey's overall roster needs an overhaul, then that makes what Brodeur did all the more remarkable. Flaws or no ...

HB, losing Scott Stevens was huge ... something neither the Devils nor any other team in the league (save MAYBE the modern version of the Ducks) could quickly overcome. Getting a top-notch defensemen will almost certainly require the type of financial commitment that won't allow them to keep Gomez. How does losing Gomez affect the likes of Patrik Elias and Co.?

 

Elias was re-signed last summer to a six or seven year deal. So he won't be going anywhere. The question of who is most affected by the probable Gomez departure is Brian Gionta. Gionta and Gomez had an innate knowledge of where the other was going to be on the ice. Gionta will probably end up skating with Zach Parise or Travis Zajac and having to learn where they like to go.

I don't think the Rangers sign Gomez. Sather has done a pretty good job in developing the Rangers farm system (Lundqvist, Prucha, Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Nigel Dawes, Lauri Korpikowski, Jarko Immonen, amongst others). I think Slats will pass on Gomez, who will want a big-time contract. Gomez is good, but he's not good enough to justify a long term, big money contract. That money probably will be used to re-sign Brendan Shanahan and put back into the MSG coffers, as they wait for the day when Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby or Evegni Malkin or Dion Phaneuf become unrestricted free agents.

For what it's worth, I think Gomez signs with the Kings.

 

I knew Elias had signed that big contract and wasn't going anywhere. But he always came across as the most dangerous player on the ice when I saw the Devils play. That's why I threw out his name in particular.

The Kings could use some help up front ... and just about everywhere else. Gomez is also from Alaska, so he'd probably like to be closer to home.

 

The Devils WAY overpaid to keep Colin White after the defection of Niedermayer and the loss of Stevens and Daneyko. No Cups and no real deep playoff runs since. Brodeur did a hell of job this regular season, but as I said a few posts ago, it's time for Marty to play 65-70 regular season games tops. Clemmensen might have to stay as a cheap backup, but can they find a decent veteran who'd be willing to be the No. 2 as long as he knows he'll get to play at least 10-15 games (say, on a few of those back-to-back game nights)?

Elias also has a fat deal, but he's not going anywhere. It'll suck to replace Gomez, but there needs to be a change. Newark needs to have a winner playing in that new building.

 

Gomez has at least 100 friends and relatives at Devils games when they come to SoCal. If not the Rangers, then yes, I could see him in a Kings uni instead of the Ducks, but could Niedermayer sway Gomez to come play for the Ducks if they don't win the Cup this year (or even if they do)?

 

There was something wrong with Elias this year. Maybe it was the contract. Maybe it was wearing the captain's 'C.' Maybe it was the after-effects of the hepatitis. But whatever it was, Elias wasn't nearly the offensive force this year as he was in seasons past.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/player?statsId=1389 21 goals, eight of which came on the power play. 48 assists. 69 points. Plus one for the season. Those aren't good numbers for a guy making $6-to-$7 mil a year.

 

Kevin Weekes is an unrestricted free agent. Do the Rangers let him go, knowing that they have Valiquette and Al Montoya in the system and neither makes much. Weekes could be a viable option for Lamoriello.

Clemmensen doesn't make much at all, only $800K.

 

Lou's gonna be looking to cut corners -- gee, I wonder if he asked Vanbiesbrouck to come play as Marty's backup after tonight's game -- in some places. All I know is that I am really going to be interested to see what transpires this offseason. Also, something that wasn't said yet is that Lou did NOTHING at the trade deadline. At least in the past he's made a few big moves or at least ones that could help the team (yeah, there's a cap now and it hurt his chances of this, but he's probably made so many enemies in the league that no one wants to help him after his ability to get Gomez under the cap and other cap money transactions he was able to get clear).

Like I said, it figures to be an interesting offseason for the Devils.

 

Lou didn't make a move at the deadline because he couldn't make any moves. The cap robbed him of any bullets he might have had in the chamber.

 

HB, I'm going to look at the UFA list closely and come back on here with my thoughts on who Lou should seek out and who he should let go of for the 07-08 season (at least wishful thinking on my part since we both know he builds through the draft and with team-first players).

 

Eastern Conference UFA's
http://proicehockey.about.com/od/nhlfreeagents/a/07nhlfreeagents.htm

Western Conference UFA's
http://proicehockey.about.com/od/nhlfreeagents/a/07nhlfreeagents_2.htm

 

I'd enjoy the Devils a lot more if they still had green and red jerseys. My favorite colors and all.