The Devils' Offseason To Date

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

I suppose it's high time I weighed in on the Devils utter lack of offseason action.

Aside from re-signing Johnny Oduya and Andy Greene and bringing in former draft pick Itkka Pikkarainen, the Devils have brought in exactly zero players (unless you count AHL center Ben Walter) and have watched four of their own find new homes.

Admittedly, it's frustrating. I've always been a big fan of Brian Gionta and would have loved to see him stay. John Madden has been a superb defensive forward for years, and despite his off year, would have been welcome back.

But those two players were let go for a reason. The other two players, Mike Rupp and Scott Clemmensen, were unlikely to return anyway and most Devils fans were happy to see Clemmensen earn his deserved paycheck and playing time elsewhere.

Madden wasn't brought back due to age and the presence of ready rookies. With Rod Pelley poised to make the team, Lou Lamoriello opted to let the old Madden walk and save some money.

I would not have been upset if Lamoriello had opted to match Chicago's offer to Madden. A one-year deal would certainly be worthwhile, as there is minimal risk. If he continues to show his age, he's gone after the year, but if he returns to form, it's a great investment.

But Lamoriello never made an offer to Madden, probably because he assumed Madden would draw a bigger deal. He was willing to let the guy walk and didn't even consider matching anybody's offer, as he felt it wouldn't be worthwhile anyway.

While I do think a one-year gamble on the longtime Devil would have made sense, it was not an option that crossed Lou's mind. I disagree with the move overall, but I understand it.

Still, I doubt the return of Madden would have satiated Devils fans. As stars moved all around the league, the return of an old third-line center would not be so appealing. Brian Gionta's return certainly would have made fans happy, but that didn't happen either.

But Gionta's dismissal is easily understandable. There was a mutual interest between the team and the player, but they disagreed about the money. After earning a $4 million-per-year contract following a 48 goal season, Gionta has never matched that output and has only reached a high of 25 goals since then.

Yet, Montreal was willing to spend $5 million a year over five years to attain him. For those not keeping score, that's a raise of $1 million a year over five seasons.

There was no way Lamoriello would have paid Gionta even the same salary after three years of 20-25 goals, let alone pay him even more. Especially when one considers that Brian Rolston is expected to replace Gionta on the second line, there was absolutely no reason for Lou to overpay to bring him back.

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