Tue Sep 23 15:36:46 2008

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2008-09 New Jersey Devils Preview

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(Sports Network) - In recent years the New Jersey Devils have gone from perennial Stanley Cup contender to a mere participant in the annual postseason.

The Devils rode goaltender Martin Brodeur to an 11th straight playoff appearance in 2007-08, but were promptly ousted in the opening round by the hated New York Rangers.

Sensing the downturn, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello decided to bring back a few familiar faces via this summer's free-agent market.

Firstly, Lamoriello signed centerman Brian Rolston to a four-year, $20 million deal, bringing the 35-year-old Michigan native back to the club that selected him in the first round of the 1991 draft. Rolston played parts of five seasons in New Jersey and won a Stanley Cup title with the team in 1995.

The Devils also brought back centerman Bobby Holik on a one-year basis. Holik spent 10 seasons in New Jersey and won two Cups with the Devils before departing for free agency after the 2001-02 campaign.

Detractors will say that those moves show that the Devils are still living in the past, but it's never wise to doubt Lamoriello, after all, he is the man responsible for turning the swamps of Jersey into a frequent home for Lord Stanley.

FORWARDS - Rolston's ability to continue the success he had in Minnesota over the last three years will be key for the Devils this season.

Rolston has become one of the better two-way players in the game and was a 30- goal scorer in each of the last three seasons with Wild. Last year, he recorded 31 goals and added 28 assists in 81 regular season games.

Meanwhile, Holik, at 37 years of age, will try to recapture the dominating form he had lost since leaving New Jersey. The Czech native had averaged nearly 57 points a year in his last six seasons with the Devils, but was good for an average of just over 37 points in his last five NHL campaigns.

Both signings made sense for the Devils, as the veteran centermen will give head coach Brent Sutter some much-needed depth down the middle.

Zach Parise was the Devils' leading goal-scorer for the second straight year in 2007-08, adding 32 tallies -- one more marker than he had the previous year. The 24-year-old left wing could set another career high in goals if Rolston is his centerman.

Brian Gionta, the Devils' top right wing, had his second-straight down season after scoring a career-high 89 points in 2005-06, but still registered 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists) in 82 games.

With Rolston scheduled to take over the No. 1 center role, pivot John Madden will be free to play the defensive style that has made him such a success in New Jersey. Madden was a finalist for the Selke Award as the league's top defensive forward in 2007-08 and should be even more effective this year with less offensive responsibility. The 35-year-old tallied 20 goals and 23 helpers for the Devils last year.

Veteran wingers Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner had 55 and 41 points, respectively for the Devils last year and could play on Madden's line this year.

The added depth at center could also help wingers Travis Zajac and Dainius Zubrus improve their production this year. The 23-year-old Zajac is saddled with high expectations after being selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2004 draft, but had just 14 goals and 34 points in his sophomore campaign a year ago.

Zubrus, meanwhile, failed to deliver the goods after signing a six-year, $20.4 million contract prior to last season. The 30-year-old is expected to do much better than the 13 goals and 25 assists he put up in 82 games in his debut season with New Jersey.

DEFENSE - Playing in front of the legendary Brodeur has to make things easier for a defenseman and Lamoriello has once again gone without signing a big-name blueliner as a result of that fact.

Paul Martin was New Jersey's go-to guy on defense for points and minutes last year. He led the Devils in both categories, posting five goals and 27 assists and averaging nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game.

Still, Martin proved to be no replacement for Brian Rafalski, who signed with Detroit in the summer of 2007, as a power-play quarterback. That should change this year as Rolston gets to show what he can do from the point on the man advantage.

Outside of Martin, the Devils have a handful of steady veterans with the most notable being Colin White, who at 30 years old, is entering his ninth season with the Devs. White has just 89 points in 522 career NHL games, but knows how to throw his 6-4, 215-pound frame around.

The remaining four defensive positions will likely go to Bryce Salvador, Johnny Oduya, Andy Greene and Mike Mottau.

GOALTENDING - Brodeur won the fourth Vezina Trophy of his career in 2007-08, claiming the title of the league's best goaltender with another busy season.

Prior to last season, the Devils hinted that Brodeur's workload would decrease somewhat with the arrival of backup netminder Kevin Weekes, but that wasn't the case at all. Instead, the 36-year-old started 77 games, marking the 10th straight season that Brodeur played 70 or more games. Then again, he's been the team's MVP for so long that it's difficult to sit him down.

Brodeur also notched his third straight campaign with 40 or more wins, going 44-27-6 with a 2.17 goals against average and .920 save percentage. The future Hall of Famer did appear tired in the playoff series against the Rangers, yielding 16 goals on 147 shots for an un-Brodeur save percentage of .891.

Weekes will be back to spell Brodeur again after earning $650,000 for nine games (five starts) of action in 2007-08.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - The signing of Rolston and Holik should make a noticeable difference for a team that garnered 99 points a year ago, meaning that the Devils will likely be headed for a 12th straight appearance in the postseason. And if the Devils are able to lighten Brodeur's workload this season, the club may even make a deep run in the postseason.