Rolston's Numbers: In 80 games, Rolston scored 20 goals and had 17 assists. He found the net 7 times on the powerplay and had 3 GWG's over the season. He ended the season as a +2 and served 22 minutes in the penalty box. In the series against the Flyers, he found the net twice and registered one assist. It's probably important to note that the two goals scored were done so on the powerplay and both scored in the same game.

My Thoughts: If you go through the 2009/2010 archives on this site, you will notice a theme early on. I was proudly spear-heading the "We Hate Brian Rolston" campaign. After Lemaire signed on to coach this team, everyone was talking about how Rolston was going to have this incredible season and that 30 goals was a realistic number for him. He was a Lemaire type of guy and he was going to be the guy that carried this team. Early on, Brian Rolston was awful. I don't know if the expectations being put on him were just too much but he wasn't delivering. I can't tell you how many times I watched Rolston sail a shot wide of the net. When the first month and a half of the season were completed, Rolston had a pathetic 4 goals and 3 assists.

As the season progressed, Rolston seemed to get a little more comfortable. Sure, 20 goals isn't what people expected but its a much better number than what I thought we were going to get out of him by the middle of November. With that said, I guy who makes $5 Million per season should be putting more pucks in the net or helping other guys do so.

Rolston's Future: If you read the various Devils forums around the internet, there is a common thought among Devils fans which is Rolston must go this summer. In fact, on a poll on NJ.com. 77% of the voices said Rolston needs to go but unfortunately it just isn't that easy. Rolston is among a group of Devils who currently holds a No Trade Clause on his contract, meaning unless he says "Ok Lou, I will go" we are stuck with him and his mega contract. (My hatred of No-Trades is a topic for another day) So, since Rolston holds the keys to whether or not he stays, we have to assume he is staying and lets hope whoever takes over as the next Devils coach can find a way to get more production out of Brian Rolston. I will say this, when Ilya Kovalchuk and Brian Rolston were on the ice at the same time, the Devils were downright scary when it came to the velocity of their shots. Accuracy not so much but I wouldn't want to be a defending getting in the way of those two.
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McAmmond's Numbers: In 62 games played this season, McAmmond scored 8 times and assisted on 9 other goals. He scored once on the the power play, assisted on another and tallied two GWG's for NJ. Against the Flyers, he failed to find the scoresheet.

My Thoughts: The signing of Dean McAmmond on October 20th was a little surprising but we never really thought he'd make it out of Lowell. After the Devils suffered numerous injuries, the Devils and McAmmond agreed to a two-way contract that would find McAmmond up in the NHL for the remainder of the season. Early on in the season, the Devils 4th line was at best, pathetic. Once McAmmond came to the Devils, the 4th line had its moments. There were various points during the season that McAmmond would score a critical goal that would seem to light a fire under the rest of the team. For instance, most Devils fans can recall the Feb 5th game against the Toronto Maple Leafs that saw the Leafs up 3-1 with only a few minutes to play and McAmmond took a pass from Zharkov and beat Gustovson glove side, which seem to wake up the Devils who would go on to stick 2 more goals in the net in the next 3 mins and shock the Leafs. The question I always had about McAmmond was whether or not he could do these things when it really mattered. As I pointed out above, he went pointless in the series against the Flyers so the answer to my question was no.

McAmmond's Future: He's an UFA on July 1st and really not much of a value to this team. Sure, he made the 4th line a little more reliable once he got here but honestly I would rather see some young guys from Lowell get a chance rather than bringing him back. He's 37 which means he's not quite done yet but the window of oppurtunity is probably closing on him rather quickly. I have a hunch he might try to return to the Senators for one year before calling it quits. no comments

Parise's Numbers: In 81 Regular Season games, Parise scored 38 goals, had 44 assists, was a +24 and registered 32 minutes on the powerplay. He led the team in goals, assists, points and +/- numbers. In the first round series of the playoffs against the Flyers, Parise had 1 goal and 3 assists.

My Thoughts: How can you not look at this kid and not know what he means to this organization. Say what you will about the talent that Ilya Kovalchuk has and what he brings to the table but for me personally, Zach Parise is far more important to this team in my mind.

On a team who's Power Play struggled for most of the season, Parise scored 9 Power Play goals and assisted on 17 others which means that Zach Parise had factored in on 26 goals scored this season on the Power Play. The Devils only scored a total of 51 goals when up a man (they had 273 oppurtunities) so you can see how important Zack Parise is to the New Jersey Devils special teams unit. Parise also scored one shorthanded goal this season.

When it came time to decide a game in the shootout, Parise was also the man in that category going 5 for 11 which means he appeared in all the shootouts for the Devils this season. One of his 5 goals was a game-deciding goal for the Devils.

Sure, Parise fell off from 45 goals the previous year to 38 this season but became the first Devil ever to register back-to-back 80-point seasons. One has to wonder how much Kovalchuk going the Devils ate into Parise's production because when Ilya first arrived, the Devils seemed to have a "get Kovy the puck at all costs" mentality. You cannot argue that Zach Parise's effort night in and night out is anything but superb. The kid skates hard, rarely gives up on a puck, doesn't shy away from giving/taking hits and rarely lets an opponent outwork him. Sadly, that can't be said for a number of his teammates.

Parise's Future: He's a franchise type of player, a guy that you would do anything to keep in your locker room. With Lemaire retiring and making the Devils search for yet another head coach, I certainly do wonder if Zach Parise will become the Devils next Captain. I know Jamie had issues with the coach this season, (and we will get to his review next week) but right now, Parise is probably the best choice to replace Langenbrunner as Captain because of his never say die work ethic. The Devils need a guy like Parise to take control. Zach Parise is a RFA after next season but you have to believe that Lou will do everything to make sure Zach stays in NJ for a long time.

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For the first time in our 2009/2010 player reviews, we get to focus on a guy whos main job it is to put pucks in the net rather than try and help keep them out of the net. Today we focus on #8 Dainius Zubrus

Zubrus's Numbers: Due to injury, Zubrus only played in 51 regular season games. He scored 10 goals, had 17 assists and found his way to the penalty box 14 times for 28 minutes. Zubrus found the back of the net once in the series against the Flyers.

My Thoughts: On November 19, Zubrus blocked a shot by Predators defenseman Kevin Klein that ended up fracturing his right patella (kneecap). His 2009/2010 numbers are pretty close to the numbers that we have gotten out of him since his arrival in NJ. He missed 31 games this season due his kneecap injury but only ended up 5 goals shy of what he had last season a 8 assists shy of what he's had the past 2 seasons.

Zubrus's Future: Zubrus is in the middle of a 6 year $20.4 million deal that he signed back on July 3, 2007. That was the year that the Sabres lost Brier, Drury and Zubrus in the free agency market. While most thought Zubrus was probably the least desireable of those 3, he certainly fits well into the Devils system. Sure, he's not a point a game type of player but he's a large guy that can throw his weight around and is extremely effective at crashing the net. Need some proof, watch his gwg against the Bruins on Ocotober 29th. (watch it here!!)

Zubrus is here to stay so we certainly don't need to discuss whether or not he should be but the answer to that question in case you were wondering is yes he should stay. At times, I feel like we don't use Zubrus enough and I am hoping that who ever is behind the bench next season can figure out how exactly to make the most of Dainius Zubrus and return him to his 20+ goals per season. no comments

Here’s a few notes from today’s news:

Pandolfo’s Surgery A Success

Jay Pandolfo’s surgery to repair a torn labrum went well, and the left-winger will soon begin his recovery. While the recovery time will be extensive, general manager Lou Lamoriello feels the left-winger will be ready in plenty of time for training camp. Usually, these injuries take four months to heal. If that’s the case, the Devils will be unable to buy out the remaining part of his contract.

Albany Deal Close To Completion

The Devils have been in talks to move their AHL affiliate from Lowell, Massachusetts to Albany, New York. While the deal to move the team to the Time Union Center is near completion, the deal isn’t done yet. The Devils submitted a letter of intent for a five-year lease last week, and the Albany County Legislature was scheduled to meet last night to approve the deal.

Extent of Salmela’s Injury Unknown

Anssi Salmela flew back to New Jersey last week, but thee is still no word on the severity of his knee injury. Salmela injured the knee playing for Team Finland in the LG Games. Lamoriello said the team is awaiting results from doctors overseas before releasing the injury information.

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Martin's Numbers: Paul Martin had 2 goals and 9 assists in the 22 games that he played this season. He only made one trip to the penalty box, a hooking minor against the Leafs on March 18th. In the series against the Flyers, Martin was kept off the scoresheet.

My Thoughts: It was a tough year for Paul Martin only because of an injury that seemed to take a very long time to heal. He was injured on Oct. 24 in Pittsburgh when he was hit by a shot from Penguins forward Bill Guerin. He had hoped to be back in action 4-6 weeks later, but due to a setback, he required surgery on Dec. 22 in which he had a bone graft and a titanium plate was inserted in his left forearm. The setback kept Martin out of the lineup until after the Olympics and forced Martin to give up his spot on Team USA. When Martin was in the lineup, he played like our #1 defenseman should play. In his first game back he recorded a goal and an assist.

Martin's Future: He's an Unrestricted Free Agent on July 1st and say what you will about how important it is for Lou to sign Ilya Kovalchuk to the Devils but the Devils, who still haven’t replaced Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens or Brian Rafalski can’t afford to let Martin go. Martin is the Devils best player on the backline and if this team is going to be successful moving forward, he's a piece that MUST remain.

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Today's focus is on #6 defenseman Andy Greene who is currently in the middle of a 2 year, $1.4 million dollar contract.

Greene's Numbers: This was Andy Greene's fourth season playing for the Devils and by far his best one yet. In the 78 games that he played this season (which is a career high), he recorded 6 goals and 31 assists and only spent 14 minutes in the penalty box this season. He led all Devils defenseman in goals, assists and points (also all career highs).

My Thoughts: I look at Andy Greene like I looked at Paul Martin a few years back. This kid has great potential and with Martin's injury this past season, he really got a chance to show us that potential. Sure, he might not be the strongest defenseman in the league but he certainly seems to fit in with the Devils system.

Greene's Future: He absolutely is a keeper. He's a UFA after the 2010/2011 season so Lou will have to do some work to make sure he remains in NJ. As these player reviews go forward, you will see that when it comes the Devils defense, I am only suggesting that a few remain with the team but Greene is certainly one of those guys. As time goes on, he will become a stronger defenseman and could easily be our #2 defenseman.

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Throughout the offseason, I’ll recap the Devils 2009 – 2010 season, covering the good, the bad and the ugly. I’ve already covered the Devils overall season, their solid record against the Atlantic Division, and the team’s powerplay. In this post, I’ll take a look at Martin Brodeur, who had a strong bounce-back season after last season’s torn biceps injury.

Coming into the 2009 – 2010 season, the Devils, for the first time in what seems like forever, had a question mark in goal. Brodeur, the career leader in wins, missed four months with a torn biceps injury. Despite his absence, the Devils still soared, reaching 51 wins last year. Everyone realized Brodeur would come back an excellent NHL goalie. But the injury did raise a slight red flag, and the smallest question mark loomed over Brodeur.

Whatever questions critics or fans had, Brodeur answered this past season. Brodeur started 77 games this season, going 45-25-6 with nine shutouts. The 77 games started were the first time in two years Brodeur started that many games. The 45 wins and nine shutouts were tops among NHL goaltenders. On April 19, the NHL named Brodeur a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, along with Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres and Ilya Bryzgalov of the Phoenix Coyotes. Brodeur clearly came back strong after the first major injury of his career.

Brodeur, in what seems to be normal the past few years, set several career milestones this season. On November 27, 2009, Brodeur broke the record for career minutes played by a goaltender, breaking Patrick Roy’s record of 60,275 during the second period of the team’s 2-1 shootout win. Ten days later, the Devils’ goalie tied Terry Sawchuk for first-place on the all-time shutout list with 103 in a 3-0 win over the Sabres. On December 19, Brodeur broke another Roy record, this for the most games played by a NHL goaltender. Then, on December 21, 2009, in one of the sweetest moments of the season, Brodeur shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-0, to break his tie with Sawchuk for the shutout record. Brodeur also reached the 600 win plateau with a 3-0 shutout win over the Atlanta Thrashers on April 6. Brodeur, as has been commonplace the past few seasons. continued to shatter records throughout the year.

Continue reading after the jump for my take on Brodeur's playoff performance!

 

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Both Andy Greene and Ilya Kovalchuk will play in this year’s International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championships, beginning Thursday in Germany.

This is Greene’s first time representing the U.S. in the worlds. The Devils’ defenseman had a career year, finishing with six goals, 31 assists and 37 points during the 2009 – 2010 season.

Kovalchuk will be heading to the worlds for the seventh time. The Devils’ left-winger has scored 19 goals and collected 24 assists in 48 career games during the tournament. In 2008, Kovalchuk scored the game-winning, overtime goal to defeat Canada and give Russia the gold medal.

In last year’s tournament, Kovalchuk totaled five goals and nine assists in nine appearances. He was also named the tournament MVP.

Devils’ defenseman Anssi Salmela was slated to play for Team Finland, but sustained an undisclosed injury earlier this week. According to a tweet from his agent, Jay Grossman, Salmela injured himself playing for Finland in the LG Games earlier this week.

Greene and Team USA debut Thursday, when they face Germany. Kovalchuk and Team Russia open the tournament Saturday against Slovakia.

For all the news on the tournament, check out the IIHF’s website here.

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