| 02 July 2012
Day two of the free agency frenzy is wrapping up and it is time to take a look at what the New Jersey Devils have accomplished so far. With the departure of Eric Boulton and Alexei Ponikarovsky, the 2012-2013 Devils will have some new faces. With those new faces, however, will be some familiar ones.
Both Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg have re-signed with New Jersey. It is interesting to note that Brodeur's salary will decrease in the next two years, while Hedberg's will rise. Brodeur's contract is worth $9 million over two years, while Hedberg will receive $2.8 million in the same time span. The re-signings guarantee that Marty will remain a Devil until he is at least 42 years of age and Hedberg until he is 41.
Johan Hedberg talked about the Devils sticking with a pair of older goaltenders, rather than going with a younger tandem.
"Everybody has to go to someone younger sooner or later," he said, "but I'm not surprised because I know Lou doesn't really care too much about your age. It's more about if you can do the job. If you're in shape, he doesn't really care if you're 40, 60 or 20. I'm very happy he believes in that."
Brodeur joked that David Clarkson was "more worried" about him being an UFA than Marty himself was.
My Thoughts: I'm extremely happy with the decision to bring Marty and Moose back. In order for the Devils to repeat their recent success, it is essential to keep all of the pieces of the puzzle together for quite some time. Brodeur and Hedberg bring great qualities to the Devils' locker room and ensure another two years of smart, fundamental net-minding.
Above: Johan Hedberg #1 and Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils celebrate Brodeur's 4-0 shutout over the Florida Panthers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Prudential Center on April 19, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils shutout the Panthers 4-0 and Martin Brodeur became the all time NHL playoff shutout leader with his 24th shutout. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)
In other news, "Parise Watch 2012" as some are calling it will last for at least one more day. Devils' captain Zach Parise has yet to make up his mind as to where he will spend next season--and possibly the rest of his career.
At around 5 PM on July 2, Parise held a press conference on TSN. "Parise" trended worldwide on twitter; however, Zach let seemingly everyone down when he announced that he has not made a decision yet. Parise will fly back home to his home-state of Minnesota to discuss things over with his family. When asked about a time frame for his decision, Parise indicated that it would be some time "in the near future." The thirty-goal scorer also indicated that the Devils were still in the mix of teams that he had in mind.
Rumors have circulated that Parise will choose between Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and even Carolina. At this point, though, nothing is believable until it comes directly from Zach. The Devils have made a very "competitive" offer (10 years, $90 million) according to sources in addition to the $12 million signing bonus that Parise reportedly wants.
My Thoughts: WE NEED PARISE. Again, if the Devils want to repeat their recent success, they will need ALL of the pieces of the puzzle. The centerpiece is our captain, Zach Parise. Hopefully, Parise cares more about his teammates and winning than he does money. Only time will tell as we enter day three of Parise Watch 2012.
Above: Zach Parise #9 of the New Jersey Devils is presented with the Prince of Wales Trophy by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly after in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New York Rangers at the Prudential Center on May 25, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
