5 New Jersey Devils Who Are Most Impacted by the Team's Change in Management

When Lou Lamoriello hired Ray Shero to be the New Jersey Devils' new general manager earlier this month, most fans' first reaction was shock. Lamoriello was aging and on the hot seat, but the abruptness of the change caught nearly everyone off guard.

The change may have come as just as big a surprise for players, some of whom have worked with Lamoriello for five, 10 or even 15 years. 

Now, many of these players are left in a position of uncertainty. Lamoriello ruled the Devils with an iron fist for what seemed like forever, and no one on the team has ever played in New Jersey with any other general manager.

Some players are impacted by this uncertainty more than others. In particular, players who are out of contract, such as Scott Gomez, will now have to negotiate new deals with the new general manager, who may have different ideas than Lamoriello did about how much they are worth. Additionally, players who particularly struggled last year, such as Patrik Elias, will now have a new boss to assess what went wrong in 2014-15 and thus what role they ought to fill in 2015-16.

This list will look at the five players whose futures with New Jersey have the potential to change the most in the switch from Lamoriello to Shero. Two are out of contract this offseason, two struggled last season, and one is a wild card.

Steve Bernier

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Steve Bernier scores a goal against the Buffalo Sabres.

Steve Bernier was one of only a few pleasant surprises for the Devils during 2014-15. He had a miserable 2013-14, which included only three goals and a minus-15 rating in 78 games, and he started the season in the AHL as a result. 

But once he was called up in November, he brought energy, grit and scoring. In 67 games this season, Bernier had 16 goals and 16 assists, surpassing or tying career highs in goals, assists and points. 

His contract, worth just $600,000 per season, according to Spotrac.com, expired at the end of 2014-15. It seems reasonable to think that Lamoriello, who originally brought Bernier to New Jersey and was in charge of the 2011-12 team with which Bernier went to the Stanley Cup Final, would not have hesitated to sign him to a new contract.

Whether or not Shero will see things the same way is unclear. 

As I pointed out earlier this month, the Devils' third and fourth lines are set to be overcrowded if they add a few new forwards to the team this offseason. 

So, Shero may see the issue of Bernier's new contract differently. Bernier will likely be looking for a raise after a career-best season, something Shero may well hesitate to give if the Devils are looking to add new players as well. With doubts as to whether or not Bernier could repeat his performance from last season, such concerns could be justified.

Of course, Shero may also see things as Lamoriello would have and sign Bernier to a new contract, but his future with New Jersey has become less clear since the change in management.

Scott Gomez

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Scott Gomez prepares to take a shot against the New York Islanders.

Like Bernier, Scott Gomez had a surprisingly good 2014-15 season after a disappointing stretch of his career.

Also like Bernier, Gomez has a long history with Lamoriello, who drafted him. Gomez has won two Stanley Cups with the Devils.

Thus, he faces the same possible issue that Bernier does now that Shero is in charge. The new GM has no history with Gomez, who may well be in line for a raise. It is hard to tell whether or not Gomez could continue to perform as he did last season. Additionally, he is 35 years old. 

His seven goals and 27 assists in 58 games this season may not outweigh concerns brought about by his performances from 2011 to 2014, in which he had just 38 points in 123 games.

Shero has plenty of time to speak with players and staff before making such decisions, but there is little doubt that Gomez's future is less clear under Shero than it would have been under Lamoriello.

Martin Brodeur

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Martin Brodeur takes the ice during New Jersey's celebration of its first Stanley Cup victory.

Martin Brodeur might not technically be neither a New Jersey Devil nor a player anymore, but there is no doubt he will always be thought of primarily as the Hall of Fame goalie who led the Devils to three Stanley Cups. So, in a way, Brodeur fits into this conversation.

Some people used to believe that one day he would return to a management position with the Devils after retirement. But, as Brodeur told Tom Gulitti of Fire and Ice, the change in management removed Brodeur's closest contact in the Devils' organization, Lamoriello:

"

Especially with the change (the Devils) made, I think it's a great opportunity for me to take a step back and go somewhere – or stay somewhere – that I'll be able to learn and do things I want to do and try to learn as much as possible and who knows what the future. But, it's less and less likely it's going to happen in New Jersey for a few years, that's for sure.

"

Sure enough, Brodeur accepted a three-year contract as an assistant general manager with the St. Louis Blues on May 20. 

It would be surprising if Brodeur does not return to New Jersey at some point during the 2015-16 season to have his number retired, but with Lamoriello out and Shero in, if or when Brodeur will return to accept a management position with the Devils is unclear.

Travis Zajac

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Travis Zajac tries to convert from close range against the Ottawa Senators.

Travis Zajac, like many forwards for the Devils, struggled during the 2014-15 season. 

In 74 games, he had only 11 goals and 14 assists, his lowest totals in any season in which he has played in more than 48 games. The Devils need more from Zajac, whose cap hit is $5.75 million per year until the end of the 2020-21 season, according to Spotrac. 

Of course, Shero cannot change the contract that Zajac already has. But he can change the role expected of Zajac by signing other centers. 

Lamoriello's signings in recent years, such as Michael Ryder, Ryane Clowe, Martin Havlat and Michael Cammalleri, were all wingers, which indicated that the GM felt Zajac was still a No. 1 center. But with Shero in charge now, there is no guarantee things will stay that way.

One could argue that Zajac's struggles simply coincide with a lack of other offensive talent in New Jersey. He is foremost a playmaker, and it could be the case that without goal scorers around him, he has had to carry a heavy offensive burden.

If Shero takes this stance, his duty will be to add scoring wingers for Zajac to play with, a tactic Lamoriello attempted to adopt each of the last two offseasons with little success.

Otherwise, Shero could add a player he views as a better option as a first-line center, thereby reducing Zajac's role.

Patrik Elias

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Patrik Elias thanks the crowd after being named one of the three stars of a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Patrik Elias is coming to the end of an illustrious career with the New Jersey Devils that has included two Stanley Cups and four All-Star Game appearances. He will go down as one of the best and certainly one of the most important forwards to ever play in New Jersey.

But with Lamoriello out and Shero in, what will Elias' role be in New Jersey as he enters the final year of his contract?

Shero made the following comments to Gulitti about Elias:

"

I think he's going to be a big part of this team next year and we'll see where that's going to take us. When I sit down and talk to him, I'll find out further his thoughts and things like that, but we did have a really nice talk on the phone and he is an interesting guy to talk to. I'll find out more about him and where he's at and what he thinks about next year and all those things. So, I'm looking forward to sitting down and talking with him.

"

Shero may well be telling the truth and expect Elias to be an important player for the Devils next season. But the new GM has little else he can say about Elias at this point. Obviously, he is not going to say anything negative about a player who will more than likely be in his team's starting lineup come October.

Shero's view of Elias will also depend on how the team's new coach views the 39-year-old Czech forward. Elias has spent much of the last two seasons alternating between playing left wing and center. The position the new coaching staff thinks best fits Elias will, in part, determine his role.

If Elias is seen as a center, Adam Henrique would move back to center, and if Scott Gomez is re-signed, there would be little choice but to have Elias as a fourth-line center.

Even if he plays as a left wing, if Shero brings in one or two new wingers, Elias could have a reduced role anyway.

After putting up only 13 goals and 34 points in 69 games and having a team-worst minus-20 rating in 2014-15, it would be hard to argue with Elias being asked to take on a fourth-line role. 

It may have been hard to imagine him being demoted under Lamoriello, but with a new man in charge, anything is possible for Elias and the other players on this list.