The New Jersey Devils are in an awkward position coming out of the Olympic break as the team needs to make some key decision on both the present and the future.Lou Lamoriello has the oldest team in the game,which can be tolerated if you have a team that is at least a playoff team and better if they are considered a title threat.
Decisions need to be made and soon on this season and those decisions will spin off into affecting the Devils and how they will deal with the next few years.
The time up to the trade deadline and the next off season will make those decisions into focus.
The decision really comes down to this-Are the Devils buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?
The Devils are currently in 12th place in the conference,which is the half empty glass.
The half full glass has the Devils just three points out of the eighth and final Eastern playoff spot.
The Devils are not filled with scoring prospects in the system to bulk up the parent teams main weakness-scoring of course.
Only Reid Boucher appears to have a chance of being a top six forward,but the Devils do have a backlog among the defensive corps and could use one or two of those for a younger forward.
The Devils (Pete DeBoer) apparently have problems with Adam Larsson,also seem to have issues with Eric Gelinas and Mark Fayne isn't exactly a grizzled veteran.
Jon Merrill also fits the bill,but seems to have favored nations status of this crew.
That appears to be the only move that the team could make that sends a younger player for a younger player without disrupting the later season run.
The Devils could decide to move some players in an attempt to make the playoffs,but I don't see where they would have the ammo to do so.
Most of their assets with the exceptions of the young defensemen would fall into the robbing Peter to pay Paul department and would likely not make a large improvement for a playoff chase.
The most likely move would be for the team to make a small move that might ship a mid round draft choice for someone that might help on one of the bottom two lines.
Other than that possibility,I fail to see a match for the Devils in gaining someone that would make a difference for this season.
If the Devils wanted to sell,the team might gain some resources in a year that they lack a first rounder.
Jaromir Jagr has played very well on his one year deal and might fetch a decent return from a contender.
Martin Brodeur has begun to rumble about being amenable to a deal,since he has clearly fallen into the number two slot behind Cory Schneider.
I'm not sure what team would be interested in dealing for Brodeur to be their number one guy,but if Marty's OK with a deal,the Devils might get something for him.
Andy Greene would bring the most in return as he is having his best year and is signed through next year at a reasonable three million per,but that would rob the team of their best defenseman and with Pete DeBoer's reluctance to use Larsson and/or Gelinas,the Devils might not be able to replace him.
Marek Zidlicky might bring a middle pick from a team that needs power play help and maybe Mark Fayne could be on the block too as he enters free agent time after the season.
The players that you'd like to move simply aren't going anywhere in trade,although there is the off season compliance buyout that can be used for one of these.
Anton Volchenkov would be my choice,but Bryce Salvador is saddled with a similarly large contract that pales with their production.
In both cases,I just cannot see anyone giving up anything for those contracts.
When you are the New Jersey Devils with a fan base not as large as some of their neighbors,you rely on being a playoff team every year.
Can you commit to a total rebuild in the Devils situation?
My answer might be yes,but a cursory look at the Devils roster shows you that Lou Lamoriello is trying to build a team for one last run before he hands the team off to his son to run.
Keep this thought in mind-does Lou want to hand a creaky,aging team to his son (or David Conte) to struggle with and then possibly cost them their jobs?
Lou may decide to take the hit of rebuilding (knowing he is somewhat bullet proof) so that the successor has a chance to succeed.
The big questions are do you play for the now or shoot for the future.
That will determine the road that the team takes-rebuilding or rigging things on the fly.
Back tomorrow with a look at the teams play and coaching over the year thus far....
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