Devils add Tuomo Ruutu!

Sometimes,you get that feeling of happiness when you get an unexpected gift.
I'm sure that you know that feeling,but I didn't expect to get that feeling today at the NHL trade deadline,but Lou Lamoriello did that with his acquisition of Tuomo Ruutu from the Carolina Hurricanes for Andrei Loktionov and a conditional third round pick in 2017.

I think I did a list a while back about the guys that I have always thought would be good Devils and even last night was talking about that during the game with Rachel and many times Tuomo Ruutu was on that list.
Ruutu is a high energy,gritty,competitive pain in the rear and likes to put the puck on the net with a good percentage doing it.
In other words-we might have a David Clarkson type of player back.
Ruutu is not the fighter that Clarkson was and might not bring the goal scoring that Clarkson flashed on occasion,but is a solid all around player and can fit comfortably on the second line.
Add that with Ruutu's solid recent performance for Finland and their Bronze medal winning team at the recent Olympics,what's not to like?

Well,there are a few things.
Ruutu is 31,has two more years left on his contract (that can be good or bad),occasionally gets nicked due to his physical style and will carry a high cap number at five million,so there is a bit of a gamble there.
However,Ruutu traditionally has been a big game player and he was a standout on a few Carolina playoff teams,so I have a feeling that he is going to come to New Jersey fired up and ready to add some things that this team lacks.

I wish the cost was not Andrei Loktionov,who has just four goals,but I always liked his game at an affordable price and appeared to me to be one of the myriad of players that Peter DeBoer never truly seemed to believe in,or least used him in an erratic manner that prevented him getting into a groove that Loktionov could settle into.
Loktionov still may develop into a very useful NHL player,so it's not like the Devils gave away a useless part in the trade.

This is a risk with Tuomo Ruutu's contract for two years at five million per (Say goodbye to Anton Volchenkov with the buyout) and I'm not thrilled in losing Andrei Loktionov,but I can see why the Devils went after Ruutu.
The team needed some fire and they may have gotten a player on the upswing (for this season at least) that has some motivation with the scenery change.
At best,the Devils added a player that can bring an attitude change and considering the coaching staff love for veteran players could be a help.
At worst,they have added another older player with a sizable contract (Carolina is picking up some of the deal) for two years and took away the benefit of the buyout of someone in the off season.

I'm happy for the present playoff run and think Tuomo Ruutu is going to help this edition of the Devils.
The bigger question is-Can he help for the next two seasons and at the value that his contract carries?
I'll go with a hesitant yes for now...