Devils Advocate: Questions That Need To Be Answered

As the trade deadline approached, the New Jersey Devils were poised to make a deep playoff run and were considered a favorite to win the Eastern Conference.

However, it only took the Carolina Hurricanes seven games and two shocking goals within 88 seconds of each other to crush the Devils dreams of Stanley Cup glory.

Much has changed since then.  The team is now coached by Jacques Lemaire after former coach Brent Sutter stepped down and was hired by the Calgary Flames.  Lemaire coached the Devils to their first championship in 1995.

The team also lost important players via free agency.  Brian Gionta signed a huge contract with the Montreal Canadiens, and former Selke trophy winner John Madden signed with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Perhaps the biggest question facing the Devils is, how can they replace those key players?

Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello believes that the answers lie within. 

On opening night of the 2008-09 season, the Devils were the oldest team in the league.  Lamoriello believes that now is the time for a youth infusion.

Winger Niclas Bergfors established career highs in goals, assists, and points last season playing for the Lowell Devils.  If he makes the team, he should be playing alongside veteran Patrik Elias, a skilled player who can feed him the puck.

Rod Pelley is also a favorite to make the team.  Pelley is a strong defensive center capable of taking key face-offs and playing the penalty kill.  Look for him to fill the void left by the departure of Madden.

Back for his second stint in the organization is right winger Illka Pikkarainen.  Originally selected by the Devils in the seventh round of the 2003 draft, Pikkarainen should add a physical element to the Devils' fourth line.

Patrice Cormier, Vladimir Zharkov, Ben Walter, Matt Halischuk, and Mike Swift are also vying for spots at forward.

Another major question facing the team is, what can Jacques Lemaire do that Brent Sutter couldn’t?

Age brings experience and at 62 years old, Lemaire has plenty of it.  He has an incredible 11 Stanley Cups to his name (eight as a player, two in management, and one as coach).  Lemaire also won the Jack Adams trophy as best coach twice in his career.

It’s hard to argue with a resume like that.  Lemaire knows what it takes to win and has a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to his players.

The Devils made no significant moves to bolster their defense over the offseason, other than re-signing Johnny Oduya to a four-year deal.  How can they fix last season’s biggest weakness?

Andy Greene is seeing his spot being threatened by rookies Matt Corrente and Tyler Eckford, as well as free agent Cory Murphy.

All are capable of contributing offensively and could help the Devils meager power play.  It’s possible that they may decide to carry seven defensemen and rotate the final pairing.

The Minnesota Wild were a trapping team under Lemaire.  Does this mean the Devils will go back to a defensive system this year?

Although he has a reputation for being a defensive minded coach, Lemaire wants to make the Devils a more offense oriented team.  This means no more of the line matching seen used by Brent Sutter.

Lemaire and assistant Mario Tremblay look to tweak Sutter’s system by placing more emphasis on turnovers and the transition game.  This more up tempo style should suit skilled players like Zach Parise and Patrik Elias quite nicely.

Goaltender Martin Brodeur is now 37 years old.  Is this the season that he finally starts to slow down?

After a roller-coaster season that saw Brodeur break the NHL record for all-time wins, despite missing 50 games due to an arm injury, some would be inclined to believe that this is the year Brodeur starts to show his age.

Physically, Brodeur is still the workhorse that he’s always been. Expect him to start around 70 games or so this year.  Mentally though, Brodeur’s durability has been questioned by many due to his recent lack of playoff success.

However, more goal support from the rejuvenated Devils offense should help reduce the mental stress considerably.  The Devils proved last year that they were able to score goals and win games regardless of who is in net.

If the Devils' offseason were to be summed up in one word, that word would be change.  Change in the roster, change in coach, change in philosophy.  But the more things change, the more they stay the same.  With their core still intact, expect the Devils to once again be serious contenders once April comes around.