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.

For all the latest Devils news, follow us on twitter: @RWTDblog, @Rvaidya33, @RealScottRobb, and @DEVIN88MATTERA and you can like us on our Facebook page!

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!

For all the latest Devils news, follow us on twitter: @RWTDblog, @Rvaidya33, @RealScottRobb, and @DEVIN88MATTERA and you can like us on our Facebook page!

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?

For all the latest Devils news, follow us on twitter: @RWTDblog, @Rvaidya33, @RealScottRobb, and @DEVIN88MATTERA and you can like us on our Facebook page!

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.

For all the latest Devils news, follow us on twitter: @RWTDblog, @Rvaidya33, @RealScottRobb, and @DEVIN88MATTERA and you can like us on our Facebook page!

Day two of the free agency frenzy is wrapping up and it is time to take a look at what the New Jersey Devils have accomplished so far. With the departure of Eric Boulton and Alexei Ponikarovsky, the 2012-2013 Devils will have some new faces. With those new faces, however, will be some familiar ones.

Both Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg have re-signed with New Jersey. It is interesting to note that Brodeur's salary will decrease in the next two years, while Hedberg's will rise. Brodeur's contract is worth $9 million over two years, while Hedberg will receive $2.8 million in the same time span. The re-signings guarantee that Marty will remain a Devil until he is at least 42 years of age and Hedberg until he is 41.

Johan Hedberg talked about the Devils sticking with a pair of older goaltenders, rather than going with a younger tandem.

"Everybody has to go to someone younger sooner or later," he said, "but I'm not surprised because I know Lou doesn't really care too much about your age. It's more about if you can do the job. If you're in shape, he doesn't really care if you're 40, 60 or 20. I'm very happy he believes in that."

Brodeur joked that David Clarkson was "more worried" about him being an UFA than Marty himself was.

My Thoughts: I'm extremely happy with the decision to bring Marty and Moose back. In order for the Devils to repeat their recent success, it is essential to keep all of the pieces of the puzzle together for quite some time. Brodeur and Hedberg bring great qualities to the Devils' locker room and ensure another two years of smart, fundamental net-minding.


Above: Johan Hedberg #1 and Martin Brodeur #30 of the New Jersey Devils celebrate Brodeur's 4-0 shutout over the Florida Panthers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Prudential Center on April 19, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils shutout the Panthers 4-0 and Martin Brodeur became the all time NHL playoff shutout leader with his 24th shutout. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

In other news, "Parise Watch 2012" as some are calling it will last for at least one more day. Devils' captain Zach Parise has yet to make up his mind as to where he will spend next season--and possibly the rest of his career.

At around 5 PM on July 2, Parise held a press conference on TSN. "Parise" trended worldwide on twitter; however, Zach let seemingly everyone down when he announced that he has not made a decision yet. Parise will fly back home to his home-state of Minnesota to discuss things over with his family. When asked about a time frame for his decision, Parise indicated that it would be some time "in the near future." The thirty-goal scorer also indicated that the Devils were still in the mix of teams that he had in mind.

Rumors have circulated that Parise will choose between Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and even Carolina. At this point, though, nothing is believable until it comes directly from Zach. The Devils have made a very "competitive" offer (10 years, $90 million) according to sources in addition to the $12 million signing bonus that Parise reportedly wants.

My Thoughts: WE NEED PARISE. Again, if the Devils want to repeat their recent success, they will need ALL of the pieces of the puzzle. The centerpiece is our captain, Zach Parise. Hopefully, Parise cares more about his teammates and winning than he does money. Only time will tell as we enter day three of Parise Watch 2012.


Above: Zach Parise #9 of the New Jersey Devils is presented with the Prince of Wales Trophy by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly after in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New York Rangers at the Prudential Center on May 25, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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.

For all the latest Devils news, follow us on twitter: @RWTDblog, @Rvaidya33, @RealScottRobb, and @DEVIN88MATTERA and you can like us on our Facebook page! 

We are days away from the start of the Free Agency Frenzy so I would expect that the word of the day would be “speculation.” There is A LOT of it going on this morning but being that these rumors came from reputable sources, maybe there is some substance to them.

• Brodeur has hired agent Pat Brisson, who represents Sidney Crosby, among others, to represent him. Keep in mind, Marty hasn’t had an agent in many, MANY years (I want to say 96 but can’t confirm that!!) Brisson has told Darren Dreger of TSN that if Brodeur isn't re-signed by Sunday he will test free agency and listen to offers.

OK..WOW, that’s a big deal. I really see Brisson being a tool used to squeeze as much money out of NJ as he could, nothing more than that but I guess you also have to entertain the idea that Marty might not be in NJ come the start of next season. The only really thing to take away from this that there is no positive from a Devils perspective of him hiring an agent.

• Zach Parise still looks to be headed to UFA market on Sunday.

He’s been rumored to just about every team over the last week or so and it remains a wait and see kind of situation. No way do I believe Zach signs a deal before Sunday, that he has every intention of testing the market. I would hope, that in both Marty’s and Zach’s case, they both give Lamoriello the option to match whatever they're offered but we could see some silly numbers.

• Devils have re-signed Ryan Carter and Steve Bernier. Expect an announcement from the team in the next day or two.

There is also a rumor that Stephen Gionta will probably be back as well so that 4^th line that was so important in the playoffs should be back. Of course, no Parise and no Marty might make that irrelevant anyway.

Hart (Henrik Lundqvist/Evgeni Malkin/Steven Stamkos)

Who should win: Evgeni Malkin

This is a bit of a tough call. Both Malkin and Stamkos make a great case as to why they should win the Hart. Stamkos hit the 60 goal mark this season while Malkin hit the 50 goal mark and was the only player to crack the 100 point mark, which is why he will win it tonight. If that’s not enough, Malkin is the big reason Pittsburgh was able to make the playoffs without Crosby in the lineup for most of the season. The Lightning took a big step back despite the huge performance from Stamkos.

Vezina (Lundqvist/Pekka Rinne/Jonathan Quick)

Who should Win: Quick

Lundqvist has A LOT of help in front of him. The Rangers play a game where sacrificing the body is a must so the Ranger defense keeps a lot of pucks from getting through to Henrik. Jonathon Quick was the backbone for the Kings and the main reason a team unable to score goals throughout much of the regular season scratched and clawed their way into the 8^th spot.

Norris (Zdeno Chara/Erik Karlsson/Shea Weber)

Who should win: Shea Weber

You could make a case for Erik Karlsson but I think his offensive numbers don’t quite make up for his defensive liability. Shea Weber is a force and with Lidstrom not up for it this season and Chara having won it already, it think it is Shea Weber’s time.

Calder (Adam Henrique/Gabriel Landeskog/Ryan Nugent-Hopkins)

Who should win: Landeskog

This is one of those categories you wish would include postseason abilities because if it did, it would be Adam Henrique without question but it doesn’t. Which means, I pick Landeskog to win it because he was the most impactful rookie in the field this season. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the best offensive rookie but Landeskog did more.

Lady Byng (Brian Campbell/Jordan Eberle/Matt Moulson)
Who should win: Brian Campbell

He’s the only defenseman on the ballot and its much harder for a defenseman to stay out of the box.

Selke (David Backes/Patrice Bergeron/Pavel Datsyuk)

Who should win: Bergeron

Patrice Bergeron was so important to the Bruins this season that I think he should win this.  I mean Bergeron is to the Bruins offense what Chara is to the Bruins defense.

Adams (Ken Hitchcock/Paul MacLean/John Tortorella)

Who should Win: Hitchcock

The Blues were a threat all season long because of Hitchcock. The guy is a genius. His impact on this team was far greater than the other two had on there teams.

Masterton (Daniel Alfredsson/Joffrey Lupul/Max Pacioretty)

Who should win: Pacioretty

We remember the hit on Pacioretty and if you don’t, go reminder yourself why he should win this hands down.

Lindsay — Player MVP (Lundqvist/Malkin/Stamkos)

Who should win: Malkin

Again you could make an argument for Stamkos but I will again point out that Pittsburgh was without Crosby most of the season and Malkin carried this team for most of the season. I wouldn’t have put Lundqviust in this categorty instead I would have put Giroux in his place.

GM of the Year (Doug Armstrong/David Poile/Dale Tallon)

Who should win: Tallon

Tallon went into Florida, made a crazy amount of deals and signings and got them to the playoffs. People in southern Florida were talking hockey once again. That’s enough for me to give it to him but you have to applaud Armstrong for bringing in the right head coach.