Devils keep Kinkaid,buy out Cammalleri..

The New Jersey Devils and general manager Ray Shero had plenty of cap space already with July 1st and the start of free agency looming,but they shuffled the available space just before the period started with a re-signing and creating even more space with two players being bought out on free agency eve.

First,the retention as the Devils re-signed backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid to a two season contract worth a combined 2.5 million to stay as the steady backup to Cory Schneider.
Kinkaid went 8-13 in 21 starts (played in 26 games total) with a goals allowed average of  2.64 last season.
Kinkaid might not be the future of the franchise,but I'm glad he's sticking around.
Kinkaid's effort isn't a question and it's not like the Devils would save any money bringing in another backup from elsewhere as the cost for backup goaltenders is right along the cost of this deal,so why not keep a popular and a player of similar skill in house?
The main trickle down with this signing is that it shows that the Devils aren't as enthused with Scott Wedgewood being a seriously challenger to backup Schneider and it also buys the Devils time to continue to develop former first round draft pick Mackenzie Blackwood to eventually take that role,if not the starting position.

That signing was somewhat expected,but today's buyouts of Mike Cammalleri and Devonte Smith-Pelly came as somewhat of a surprise,but the timing makes sense in hindsight,if the Devils are going to attempt to be somewhat of a player in free agency.
The 35 year old Cammalleri finished with 10 goals and 21 assists in 61 games last season,but over the course of his Devils career has never been able to stay consistently healthy and missed much of the final two months of the season.
Cammalleri scored 27 goals in the first season of his five year deal with New Jersey,but only scored 24 goals combined in the two seasons after that and with age and health concerns seemed to be a lag on the cap for the next seasons.
Cammalleri will still carry a 1.6 million cap hit over the next two seasons,but shedding his five million dollar contract still created a sizable amount of cap space.
Cammalleri was the final big free agency addition of the Lou Lamiorello era and will leave Newark as he came-with injury questions for any team that decides to ink him to a contract.
Much as with Ryane Clowe,it shows the dangers of expecting a veteran player with injury issues to overcome them with age-they rarely get past those problems and they usually get worse.

Devante Smith-Pelly burst onto the Devils scene with a strong 18 game cameo to end the 2015-16 season after being obtained from Montreal for Stefan Matteau,but that player never arrived last season in finishing with just four in 53 games,which was half as many as he scored in his initial month plus with the team.
Smith-Pelly will bring a small cap hit (average 200K) over the next two seasons,but Ray Shero has made the comment of "passengers" unwanted,which refers to players that don't always bring their top game every night and even dating to his Montreal days,that has been a rap on the right winger.
This is one of those "change culture" moves that you often hear about when bad teams are in the process of clearing players,so this one doesn't come as a huge surprise.

I'll have coverage of tonight's IBF lightweight title fight later and tomorrow,I'll be around with any Devils news from day one of the free agency cattle run!
I also have two features finished and on deck for a slow news day,so I hope you'll enjoy some good stuff soon to stick around for-especially for my Devils-only readers!

Devils rally past Toronto 5-4

The Toronto Maple Leafs ripped off three first period goals in Newark to seemingly send the New Jersey Devils to another defeat.
In fact,it was so bad that I was watching Charlie Brown Thanksgiving instead of the intermission show (which if you've heard Deb Placey,the adults in the Peanuts world are more intelligible) and I was resigned to an awful evening.
However,three goals in the first five minutes of the second period turned things upside down and returned the Devils to contention.
In the end,the game was decided by one shot as Jacob Josefson scored the only goal of the shootout to snap a three game losing streak and give the Devils an improbable 5-4 win.
New Jersey received goals from Travis Zajac (5).Michael Cammalleri (4),Yohann Auvitu (2) and Beau Bennett (1 Power Play) in the victory.
New Jersey will next host the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.

Hell Raisers

1) Michael Cammalleri returned to the lineup after missing the road trip and did so with a vengeance as he scored a goal and assisted on each of the other three goals that the Devils scored in regulation.
Cammalleri missed the road swing due to serious physical health issues with his daughter and his play upon his return was certainly inspired.
It's funny how often that happens in sports.

2) The power play finally returned to the scoresheet with Beau Bennett's first goal of the season.
Bennett had seemingly been in bad luck this season and his lack of success with good chances made me think of Jacob Josefson's similar problems through the seasons.
I like what I have seen of Bennett thus far and hope that now that the first goal has gone in that the dam has been busted...

3) Speaking of Jacob Josefson,Jacob has had some problems through the years in scoring,but he seems to have found a niche' as a shootout specialist.
Jacob shows the creativity in the shootout that he sometimes lacks in the flow of the game and in my opinion should be used early and often when the shootout situations are in order...

4) I've been critical of Travis Zajac,not as much as a player as the ridiculously long contract that Lou Lamoriello signed him to.
Zajac is off to a strong start this season though ( 5 goals 8 assists) and finished last night with a goal and two assists.
The Zajac,Cammalleri,P.A.Parenteau line has shown some chemistry,but occasionally against Toronto,Nick Lappin spent some time in Parenteau's place and the line didn't look out of place...

5) Cory Schneider started slow in net in allowing those three first period goals and one would not have blamed John Hynes for calling on Keith Kinkaid as it seemed like one of those off nights that all goalies suffer through.
Schneider stepped up thereafter and was huge in net in both overtime and the flawless shootout in notching the victory.
Sometimes,the coaches patience can be rewarded...

6) Finally,I was very impressed with the latest young star in the league with Toronto's Auston Matthews.
Matthews scored two goals and while I haven't seen enough of him to truly compare with the most recent first pick Connor McDavid,I think the Maple Leafs have themselves a player to build around..

Cammalleri Capitalization give Devils Washington Win!

Mike Cammalleri grabbed a bad clear of the puck by Washington's Braden Holtby and fired it into the net before Holtby could return to the crease in the third period as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Washington Capitals in Washington 1-0.
The goal was the seventh of the season for the veteran and allowed the Devils to slide out of Washington with two points.
Cory Schneider finished with 30 saves for the shutout for New Jersey,
The Devils finish the back to back games against Colorado at the Rock on Saturday.

Hell Raisers

1) The game winning goal by Mike Cammalleri was very similar to the miscue that bedeviled Cory Schneider on the only goal allowed by the Devils against Minnesota.
When your goalie goes out of the crease to play the puck,he had better play it and play it hard.
The slightest error can cost you and this one gave the Devils two points..

2) I have to admit that as I wrote about Mike Cammalleri's signing that I had concerns,but when he is healthy (and already that has come up),he is exactly what this team has lacked-a sniper that goalies have to respect.
Cammalleri has also been the clutch scorer that the Devils didn't have last year as three of his seven goals have been game winners.

3) Cory Schneider had his second strong game in a row with 30 saves.
Schneider has been the main reason for the two game winning streak and if not for his puckhandling mistake vs Minnesota,he would have had two shutouts in a row...

4) The Devils went back to playing old school "Devils Hockey".
Very defensive minded and taking few chances.
This not always is the most exciting hockey ever created,but looking at this team,it does increase the chances for victory...

5) The penalty kill improved with a perfect four for four night in killing off penalties.
Nice to see that hopefully be the beginning of a turnaround.

6) Something to look at for the future-the Devils did kill off the six on five at the end of the game,but missed an opportunity to put the game away with Marek Zidlicky missing the open net.
This was a quiet problem last season and something to look at as the season progresses...

Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat Newest Devils!

Lou Lamoriello didn't wait long with his attempt to revitalize the New Jersey Devils offense as the team quickly added two players that will hopefully add numbers to the teams sagging offense from last season.

The big news is the signing of Mike Cammalleri from the Calgary Flames to a five year deal worth 25 million over the course of the contract.
Cammalleri looks to be the big scorer that the team needs,but is he?
Well,Cammalleri scores everywhere he's been and if he plays a full season-he's good for 30 goals.
The last time,he was able to do that,he scored 39,but that was five years ago!
Cammalleri scored 26 last season in 63 games,so I think the goal scoring touch is still there,but still he missed 19 games.
A season after signing the concussion-prone Ryane Clowe to a long term deal,Lou Lamiorello is rolling the die again that Cammalleri can be healthy to somewhat plug the gap in the offensive lineup.
If Cammalleri plays,he'll score.
The big question is to me is how much will he play?

The Devils kept throwing at the craps table (dice not players) with a one year contract with Martin Havlat worth a million and  half at the right winger.
Havlat does add offense at the right wing,which is the weakest spot of the Devil forwards, and at 33,should have enough left in the tank for 20-25 goals.
IF indeed he plays enough to do that,that is.
Havlat has not played more than 48 games in any of the last three seasons and was never known for toughness in his prime.
On the positive-he should score if healthy,the cost is right,the risk is small and his friendship with Patrik Elias is a plus.
Elias has tended to be a huge influence on players brought to the team in the past and perhaps Havlat could be the latest steal for the Devils.

To sum up-Mike Cammalleri is the type of offensive producer that the New Jersey Devils need and Martin Havlat could easily be a supporting character on an improved club.
However,the Devils have gambled (especially with Cammalleri) that these players can stay healthy.
I understand why the Devils may have overpaid a bit for Cammalleri,but for a player that will hit 37 at the contracts end,this could be an issue near the end of the deal.
I'm OK with the deals,but being realistic and after the questionable signing of Ryan Clowe last season with health issues that returned to Clowe,there are some concerns on my part...

Back later with Cavaliers news....