Anton Volchenkov has been suspended by the NHL Department of Players Safety for four games for his hit on Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. The hit was obviously dirty and was well due for a suspension. Anton Volchenkov has had previous disciplinary action before which is why he probably received four games.

(Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

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The eight year term is now the maximum allowed under the new rules of the CBA.  In January, Travis Zajac was able to garnish such a contract of that length and with the cap hit size that goes along with an eight year contract you HAVE to assume a team knows what it is going to get out of that player.   Want to hear some cap hit comparables? Lucic, Franzen, Jordan Staal, Pavelski, Perron, Parenteau, and even Giroux (Yuck, Philly).  Not a bad list, right?  Well here is the “bad” part of it, Zajac on the year has four goals, three assists, is a zero plus/minus, and has no/none/zip/zilch special teams points.

In the past month alone Zajac has alone produced two goals, two assists, and is a +/- rating of (-3).  Leaving everyone in New Jersey scratching our heads and asking ourselves “Are we witnessing Travis struggling or is this life post-Parise on his line?”  But I think we are getting what we should have been expecting with Travis (Maybe a bit less than what we expected). Travis is a great two-way player in the NHL, but the guy was never a sniper or premium playmaker by NHL standards.  He is a Devil, he plays like a Devil, and it's in his DNA.  He knows it and Lou knows it.  And thats why it was easy deciding he should stay here for the next decade.  Is he worth upwards of almost 50 million? No.  

Lets be real for a second.  Does he play hard? Absolutely.  Can he play both ends of the ice? Absolutely.  But has Zajac ever blown you off the the Scoring Summary Reports? No.  I think Zajac is the right type of player to fit in between guys that can jump off the ice at you.  He is a complementary type player.  You do not put on a Zajac on a line and find players to fit Zajac’s skill set, you put a Zajac on a line to fit a Kovalchuk’s skill set.  You Follow?

A big problem here is that the Devils do not have a lot of offensive depth and it has been showing the past couple of weeks.  If we mash up the Devils top two profile players (Zaj and Kovster) on one line and it doesn’t produce? Yikes...  Yes, we are that thin.  Yes.. I know who Henrique and Clarky are, but did you know Clarkson hasn’t scored a goal since Feb 15? Just about a month ago, #ClarksonAWOL?  That is why Kovy plays with Lokti and Ponik, which may be the least intimidating line Kovy has ever played on. 

Which is why this team has Dany Heatley rumors following them.  In Lou we trust, of course, but I’d imagine four goals is not what he anticipated from Zajac this year.  I think a problem many fans and front office’s can have is that we tend to overvalue or overrate some players after a nice playoff run.  And 2012-13 was such a sweeeet playoff run too, so sweet  Zajac cashed in on it. The burning question will be, was Zajac worth it come the offseason because remember our own upcoming FA list which will include, Elias, Zub, Clark, Henrique, Ponik, and Lokti. 

(Getty Images)

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ummmmm.... Ok then!!

 

Bryce Salvador - D - Devils

Bryce Salvador wants to get the right deal in place rather than go for a quick solution in labor negotiations with the league.

"The way I look at it is I'm focusing more on having the right deal, not so much on how many games we'll be able to play," said the New Jersey defenseman. "We need the right deal so this doesn't happen every five or six years. That's what the players are striving for. We just have to get it right." Salvador also reiterated that he doesn't plan to play in Europe during the lockout.

Stefan Matteau - W - Devils

Stefan Matteau registered an assist in Blainville-Boisbriand's 4-2 win Sunday afternoon over Québec City.

Matteau is the son of former NHL'er Stephane Matteau and is one of the hardest working players taken in the draft this summer. The 18-year-old had 32 points and 166 penalty minutes in 46 games for the under-18 U.S. squad last season but is playing in the QMJHL this year. Matteau projects to be a bottom-six forward in the NHL, thus limiting his fantasy value.

Well it isn’t much of a frenzy anymore. The Devils made one move yesterday.
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MARK FAYNE

Yup, the same defenseman who missed an open net in Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals has been re-signed by NJ for 2 years, $2.6 million. Fayne was a restricted free agent who was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on August 2^nd but the Devils gave him a satisfactory contract before he took this issue to court. There are mixed opinions among Devils fans but I felt a bit eh about this because there are several defensemen in the minors that have the potential to be stars. Among these defensemen happen to be Eric Gelinas. But first, let’s see if Fayne improves into a defenseman worthy of a spot on the Devils roster.
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Meanwhile, wow…Alex Semin sure does like to take his time. At this rate, he might as well be headed to the KHL. I’m tired of hearing all these “sources” saying that the Devils are in contention for him. While he’d be an awesome fit for NJ, it’s irritating to hear something and then see a whole different result. Hopefully he decides to go to the Devils in the next week or so.

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Another day of free agency has come and gone. The Devils looked to get some key FAs but ended up losing one instead.

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MATT TAORMINA

Today, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they signed former Devils defenseman Matt Taormina to a one-year, two-way contract. The salary was not mentioned. Taormina had a great start to his career in New Jersey but unfortunately, he was injured after and for the most part, stayed that way. In the few times he did play post-injury, he was rusted. Still, I think he has potential and I wish him the best of luck in Hockey Bay USA.

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The watch on Alex Semin continues. Sources say he has narrowed down his choices and the Devils are a strong contender in the Semin sweepstakes. Most likely, he will make his decision tomorrow and let’s hope he picks New Jersey! After all, we have Six Flags, great parks, 130 miles of beaches, great schools, great transportation, great malls - the list goes on! So pick NJ, Alex!

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Well, the truth is, Parise isn’t coming back anymore. But hey, the sun rose up and I’m still breathing! In other words, the Devils moved on and continued their summer searching for beneficial free agents. Today though, not much went down.

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KRYS BARCH

I apologize for my ignorance but I really do not know this guy. Barch signed a 2 year deal with the Devils. I may have heard of him a really long time ago but this player is Greek to me. Apparently he is a tough guy so maybe he’s a better replacement for Boulton. Let’s see how he does and whether he scores. I doubt he gets past 5 for the year though.

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In other news, defenseman Mark Fayne filed for arbitration. If he earns even a million though, I might flip because he certainly does not deserve that. Maybe he deserves at least a million if he could hit that open net in Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals.

A lot of people on Twitter have been saying that Alex Semin’s agent is in New Jersey. Could the Devils possibly land Semin? Is there a need for the Devils to get him? Many questions can be asked about his effectiveness long-term on this franchise. He has a history with laziness and defensive miscues but when he gets hot, he can be one lethal player. Semin has a nasty shot too so the Devils should study this option thoroughly because he just could be the replacement for Parise. However, Lou Lamoriello did say that “Parise is irreplaceable”. Do you agree with that, Devils fans?

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Well I hope everyone had a fun Fourth of July! In an overall sense, I did. But in the afternoon, I'm sure the hearts of every Devils fan got shattered. The decision that was made by our (former) captain today will forever rest in the hearts of NJ fans. In my opinion, the only way to get rid of the curse is to defeat this demon at a big stage that will donate him a long-lasting sense of humility and shame.

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ZACH PARISE 

In the afternoon, Zach Parise decided he would return to his home state of Minnesota and sign a contract with the Minnesota Wild. He will spend his next 13 years (aka life) earning a total of $98 million. His average salary per year would be around $7.5 million, which is much less that what the Devils were offering. So why would he “take his talents to Lake City” if money wasn’t the issue. LeBron took his “talents to South Beach” because he wanted to earn more money AND win a championship. I’m confused how the Wild entertain Parise with those two incentives because his raise is $1.5 million and albeit, the State of Hockey isn’t going to host a Stanley Cup Final game in a long time. Again, I will bite these words and come out with a strong apology because I’m humble. However, I’m pretty confident that the Phoenix Coyotes can win 3 championships before the Wild can make the finals. One of Sports Radio 66 WFAN’s famous personalities, Craig Carton (co-host of the Boomer and Carton show), even mentioned that “Minnesota is a dump. Parise won’t go far there”. I understand that the statement might be a little exaggerated (that’s what Carton does) but if we analyze his point, he is right. While Parise was born in the Twin Cities Metro Area (which is where the Wild play), did he really have that big of an urge to return back home? Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said that “Zach never insisted on including money in the deal”. That being said, this decision was not based on monetary advantage, but rather on the fact that he would be playing home. Still, I can’t fathom how making a run to the Stanley Cup Finals doesn’t indicate a sure return to New Jersey. But then again, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Parise and his buddy Ryan Suter were communicating the whole year about their future. I’m not a 100% sure about this but I’m pretty confident that Suter was forced to join Parise because all signs were pointing for Suter to join the Red Wings. It’s a bit of a conspiracy when you see that both of them signed with one team for the same amount of years for the same amount of money (13 years, $98 million). I could say that the Devils had one of the best records in the NHL in the 10-11 season without Parise but that would just be a daily case of sour grapes. Good riddance though! November the 11^th of this season features a matchup with the Wild and I hope the Devils crush them and show Parise no mercy! Do not give up on this team and the organization if one liar betrays the franchise! New Jersey will return back fiercer and faster. Let’s go Devils!

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First of all, a Happy Fourth of July to everyone! Yesterday, the Devils and their fans were expecting a decision from Zach Parise. Unfortunately, he fooled us again by delaying the decision for one more night. Now, Parise and his buddy Ryan Suter are expected to really make their decisions today and according to recent social media news, the situation does not look too good. I hope he finds a motive to change his mind from Minnesota to New Jersey.

The Devils did make one key move in free agency yesterday.

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BRYCE SALVADOR

Wow, my apologies. I will admit I did say (and was confident) that Salvador would be gone. But, this was only because I was underestimating the Devils’ financial situation. Bryce has re-signed with the Devils for 3 years, $9.5 million (he will average $3.16 million/year). If this is the case then…it seems like New Jersey has more money than we think! This being said then signing Parise SHOULD NOT be an issue but hey, in this time, anything can happen.  Coming back to Salvador though, I think his confidence has raised a lot from the recent playoff year. If he can keep it up consistently then I fully support this re-signing.

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A reminder: Keep refreshing your NHL.com/TSN.com pages. Also be sure to be alert on twitter at all times because a lot of news travels fast through there. I wouldn’t trust the HockeyBuzz but occasionally they are helpful but since we don’t live in Canada, we can’t rely on NHL Network US because they’re too lazy to show the decision. Instead you will see them broadcasting old playoff games and/or reruns of NHL 36 episodes. The internet is your best shot at understanding where he signs (or re-signs) in the quickest manner.

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Hey everyone! If you recall, my last issue of Masala Monday said that it would be my last piece for the season…and it was. However, now it’s a new season! Ah July 1^st… all fans look forward to it and are even anxious during this time as well. The 2012 Free Agent Frenzy (oh and a Happy Canada Day to our Canadian fans) included several transactions. Even though the New Jersey Devils have a lot on their shoulders, they had a relatively quiet afternoon and evening since they did essentially nothing. I will get to Parise and Marty in a moment but let’s see who the Devils got/let go.

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ERIC BOULTON

Eric Boulton is now part of the New York Islanders! The Devils did buy out his contract and the Isles signed him for a year. While he did bring nominal physical presence, in an overall sense I’m glad he’s gone because a player like Boulton is simply excessive for a franchise. So, a big thank you to the Islanders for taking him off NJ’s shoulders. I’ll be biting these words if he has a breakout season on Long Island but you can put it in the bank that he won’t.


ALEX PONIKAROVSKY


To be honest, this hurts a little bit. Unlike Boulton, Poni did work! He signed a 1 year deal, worth $1.8 million with the Winnipeg Jets. This is only a $300k increase from his previous contract. I will miss Poni because after he scored a goal in his Devils debut, I knew he would be a factor if the Devils were to take the road to success. Surely enough, from an unbiased viewpoint, the Devils’ presence in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals was assisted by Poni. After all, who’s going to forget that Game 3 OT goal vs. Philly in the 2012 Eastern Conference Semis?
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The Devils did not sign Zach Parise or today and they didn’t lose them either. However, I truly believe they’re losing their grip – and fast! He left many Devils fans hanging in the morning by declaring at 10 AM (Eastern) whether he would come back or hit the market. Instead, not only did he make the Devils Army wait an extra hour, but he eventually chose to entertain offers from other teams. To be honest, my approach to this decision was expected and while keeping a nonchalant attitude, it was a bit amusing to see the anxiety in the eyes of Devils fans everywhere, particularly on twitter. Nonetheless we are, arguably, all anxious right now. Parise will most likely follow his US Olympic teammate and buddy, Ryan Suter, who the Predators might not re-sign. Recent reports (via TSN and Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet Canada) have confirmed that Ryan Suter is interested in Hockeytown. If this is true and the Detroit Red Wings are successful in grabbing Suter, don’t be surprised if Parise decides to “take his talents to Motor City”. He (Parise) is expected to make his decision around tomorrow (or maybe even Tuesday) but don’t count the Devils out of it yet!

What really puzzles me is why the Devils have not signed Marty Brodeur yet. Today, the Chicago Blackhawks and Marty (via ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun [what if that “u” was an “o”?]) admitted have “mutual interests”. In words that might make more sense to Devils fans, this is more along the lines of “Lou, wake up! Marty might be a hair away from signing with Chicago!” Now, will this definitely happen? In the end, most probably not. But a safe assumption should be to expect the worst. Rumors from the HockeyBuzz site and from Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke suggest Marty will return to the Garden State. Honestly though, at the moment, 50% of the Devils Army believes he comes back and the other 50% would think otherwise. I say he does! But if not, well... there's always Jonathan Bernier!

As for Bryce Salvador, there isn't much to say except a big goodbye. I loved watching him play 4.5 seasons with NJ! However, if Operation Parise fails, then is it worth signing Bryce back? You also have to consider whether you would sign him or not had he not had that great playoff year. Though I'm a believer in each player's ability, I have to say Salvador's 2012 playoff year was a fluke. You can put it in the bank that he won't do that on a consistent basis, considering the fact that he is past his prime and a liablity for potential concussions. 

If there is anything I have to say about the first day of NHL Free Agent Frenzy, it’s that the Devils are a complete mess! Hopefully everything gets better in the following days.

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