My off-season advice to the Devils-2008 model

After the success (ha) of last years advice to the Devils with draft day just a few hours away,I figured that it should be about time to roll this version off the assembly line.
Please remember that this advice is somewhat flawed as I do not have the Devils exact number of money that they can spend for the big club from the salary cap.

1)Sign a puck moving offensive defenseman.
To be fair,this was a toss up between a defenseman and a forward for one of the top two lines.
But since this free agent crop appears to be stronger on the blue line,I made this selection.
New Jersey is painfully weak on the power play and only Paul Martin really fits the bill of a puck moving defenseman.
Rob Blake is available,but at the age of 38,I am not sure that Blake wants to come East and who knows how much tread is left on those tires anyway.
Ottawa is allowing 31 year old Wade Redden to walk away and ordinarily I would look at Redden closely.
However,the person that I trust more than anyone on Senators hockey says Redden has been horrid for the last two years and that he cannot wait to see him gone.
When Ryan Heimberger wants to boot a once productive player out the door-there is a good reason.
Bryan Berard would add help on the offensive end,but his defensive play is just brutal.
Do the Devils want to give up too much on the defensive end?
Bryan Campbell would be a great fit-he's 29 and played most of his career in the Eastern conference,but will the Devils meet his asking price?
I might even give Paul Mara a call.
Mara is still young at 28,has experience in the area from being a Ranger and signing a blueshirt is always good for a nose honk of the enemy.
In case,something has to be done to upgrade this glaring weakness.

2)Sign a top six forward
If Lou Lamoriello prefers to upgrade this instead of the defense,I am fine with that as well.
The problem is that the centers are older guys and the wings all have some issues.
Mats Sundin is 37,but still playing at a high level,but does he really want to leave Toronto?
And if so,would he even consider the Devils?
Craig Conroy and Doug Weight are each 36 ,but predominately passing centers and how much would they help wingers that have trouble finding the net to begin with?
Bobby Holik is available,but he too is 36,has baggage with the team and does not really provide the needed offensive pop.
An interesting name is Josef Vasicek,he is just 27 and although he is not an instant upgrade,I liked what I saw of him last season.
The wingers have a few names I like.
Pavel DeMitra is the scorer that they need,but he's 33 and very injury-prone.
I have always liked Vinny Prospal and wanted him in New Jersey,but it looks like he may return to Tampa.
Ryan Malone of the Penguins would be a super fit,but he is going to be wanted by many and will be costly as well.
Michael Ryder has fallen out of favor in Montreal and could prove to be a bargain for someone out there.
This team needs scoring production,if the Lou can add one player from each of these two columns,I will be one happy fan!

3)Try to keep some of OUR free agents
The biggest fish that we have to keep is Jay Pandolfo.
Pando was playing super on both ends of the ice before his mid-season injury and will be coveted by teams looking for Selke award quality help.
I am not sure that this will get done,but lets hope that it can be.
I would like to see Bryce Salvador stay,but if the choice is an offense minded blueliner or Salvador,I reluctantly pick the new player.
I like Arron Asham,although many Devil fans don't and I would like to see Asham stay in red and black.

4)Sign David Clarkson to a fair deal.
David Clarkson,as some of you know,is one of my favorite players.
I love his style of play and the hell on wheels way that he takes the ice with.
Clarkson is a restricted free agent,so New Jersey will keep him if they want,but the question is do you want to have the player happy or upset?
Give Clarkson a fair deal for a few years and we wont have to deal with this for a while.
And while you are at it-Brent Sutter,Let Clarkson crash the net more!
If he does that,he will score 5 to 10 more goals next year-Bank it!

5)Bring in a cheap veteran defensive forward.
This is a help if Pandolfo returns,but it becomes a MUST,if we lose him to another team.
An addition with Pandolfo can keep his shifts down and without it-this player must be added to ride shotgun with Madden on the defensive line.

6)The draft.
This system needs to add offense,if the Devils are going to continue to evolve into the Brent Sutter style of team.
The Devils pick at 21 and they need to select a forward or defenseman that has offensive capabilities.
This Devil team is not really a young team with a few exceptions and the farm system needs that offensive help!

7)Nicklas Bergfors and Petr Vrana need to be on the squad.
It is time for the Devils two closest to ready prospects to be brought to the big team and see what they can do with steady ice time.
Both can play center or on a wing (Bergfors left ,Vrana right) and both need to be given the chance to show whether they are true prospects or career AHLers.
Bergfors has more offensive potential,while Vrana is more of a pesty type,but both could be productive players next year,if they are given the chance.

That covers this years off season advice to the New Jersey Devils.
It will be interesting to see how much or little they follow!