Why the Devils Don't Need a Goalie

It sickens me, it really does: "Devils won't go anywhere with these two goalies." Oh please.

How about this: "Devils won't go anywhere unless THEY SCORE!" That sounds better.

See, us Devils fans are two-faced. When we're losing 1-0 in the second period, you hear left and right, "What kind of offensive talent can we get for Paul Martin? We have to be able to get SOMEONE!"

When we're losing 4-3 in the third, it's all, "Trade Patrik Elias for somebody, ANYBODY who will line up on the blueline. We need D." And, gasp, when we squeak out a win 6-5, all anyone can say is, "We need a goalie." So let's look at our options.

Option A

Nikolai Khabibulin is probably the name everybody came up with. He'll come quick, he'll come with virtual no trade cost, and he'll solve our issues. Right?

Here's the catch. Right now, the Devils have about $2.1 million in cap space. "'Bulin Wall" makes $6.75 million. For all of you math wizzes out there, we're about $4.65 million short.

The problem is, we'd need to send someone like Brian Gionta to Chicago in addition to whoever else we send, and all of a sudden we're trading one of our few proven (while underachieving) goal scorers.

Sure, we can continue to stop pucks (hopefully), but now we've lost someone putting them in. Some of you cry about seeing Petr Vrana on line two or three. Now how would you like to see him on a top line AND Niklas Bergfors on a near-top line? This is just brutal.

Option B

Dwayne Roloson is the other "big name" people love to throw around. I don't. First of all, his $3.7 million salary is about as appealing as Hillary Clinton's behind, and second of all, how much better is he than Weekes or Clemmensen?

Last year, he posted a 15-17 record, giving up over three goals a game, and seeing his GAA drop nearly a 10th from the previous year. If that doesn't scream "You're on the decline!" then I don't know what does. I'd have to pass.

Option C

Stay put. Keep Kevin Weekes (and his 600k salary) and Scotty Clemmenson (And his league-minimum salary) and wait to see if our scoring can pick up. In the NHL, a mediocre team CAN make the playoffs (look at the Islanders two years ago), and when Marty gets back we should be in contention.

If the trade deadline comes and (knock on every piece of wood you own) the Devils are out of playoff contention, we can quite easily shop John Madden, Brian Gionta, and maybe even Bobby Holik for some young talent. We can use some cap space to load up for next year with a nice UFA signing, and all is well again in Massuh' Lou's land.

On the other hand if we shop Gionta now to get a goalie with a bloated salary, then some of those options will go down the drain. 

-Norm Kennedy

P.S. Let's go Devils!