Jamie Langenbrunner On His Way Out Of New Jersey; Trade Imminent

Jamie Langenbrunner has been asked by the New Jersey Devils to waive his no-trade clause. 

In a move that certainly is not too surprising, it has leaked out through several media outlets that Langenbrunner's locker at Prudential Center was empty of his equipment and that he was not at the arena as of 5:30 p.m. ET, even though the Devils drop the puck with Philadelphia at 7:05 p.m. 

Langenbrunner, who won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2003, has been the captain of the team the last three-plus seasons. 

Originally brought in from Dallas with Joe Nieuwendyk at the 2002 trade deadline, Langenbrunner has been very productive with the Devils: a career that spanned 564 games as a Devil, scoring 142 goals and adding 243 assists for 385 points as a Devil, which puts him 10th on the all-time list for points as a Devil.  The 35-year-old, for his entire career (996 games), has 232 goals and 388 assists. 

His biggest highlight as a Devil is pretty easy to identify, as his NHL-leading 11-goal postseason in 2003 made him a Conn Smythe candidate.  There were also some big-time clutch performances and overcoming injuries to help the team, especially when it was needed most, earning him the nickname "Captain Clutch" when he became captain of the team in 2007.

As many highlights as there were (and there were many), there were a few low-lights as well.  Run-ins with the head coach seemed to be an annual event, especially the last couple of years, magnified by the well-publicized rift with Jacques Lemaire towards the end of last season.  Was it over publicized?  Possibly.  But, clearly, there was a rift, and the return of Lemaire as head coach probably finalized Langenbrunner's exit.

Best of luck to Jamie Langenbrunner, who will be remembered fondly for his Devils career.  With Langenbrunner dealt, who do you see being sent packing next?  Jason Arnott?  Andy Greene?  Brian Rolston?

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