Scott Stevens.

The Devils have fulfilled their promise to complete the coaching staff and added Devils ex-Captain Scott Stevens and Matt Shaw as assistant coaches. Here’s the official press release.

In an anvil-to-the-heart kind of offseason, the addition of Stevens is welcome news. A part-time assistant under Jacques Lemaire in the 2009-2010 season, Stevens will now join Pete DeBoer on the bench. He will fill the departed Larry Robinson’s role and work with the blue line youngsters.

“I think this is the deepest we’ve been on defense for young, upcoming defensemen in a long time. (…) I always saw myself as a teacher and at some point an assistant coach and I guess things just seem right right now,” Stevens said. “I’ve enjoyed what I’ve been doing, but I feel like I’m ready to jump in full-time.”

In other words, you’re next.

Matt Shaw has had history with Jacques Lemaire in Minnesota, working for him for two seasons before being hired as an assistant coach by the San Jose Sharks. He will not be on the bench for the Devils. Shaw will be responsible for the power play (certainly not what it could’ve been this past season) and will be watching the games from above. As for Shaw’s prowess, the Sharks ranked second in the NHL with a 21.1% success rate on the power play, so the addition of Matt Shaw is definitely welcome. I don’t foresee the Devils’ power play suddenly rising to the top three, as development takes time, but it has the capability to be higher than it was at 14th in the league with a 17.2% rate. It should also help cut down on the number of short-handed goals allowed by the Devils, who led the NHL with a whopping 13 SHGA this past season. The Sharks, for comparison, allowed only four.

» Continue reading “Devils Add Stevens and Shaw To Coaching Mix”

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello.

A week or so after ex-Devil Zach Parise signed with the Wild, we’ve now also lost assistant coach Larry Robinson to the San Jose Sharks. Let us not forget that even before that, Adam Oates left the Devils to became head coach of the Washington Capitals. In a way, Pete DeBoer said it best: seeing other organizations turn to the Devils is flattering. Both Oates and Robinson were integral parts of DeBoer’s coaching staff who were commended often by the players, and the Devils fanbase can only wish them both luck.

But where does this leave us? What is Lou Lamoriello’s Plan B?

Inside: Scott Stevens and Mike Haviland: possible assistant coaches?; the shrinking UFA market: Semin, Ryan, and Doan; assorted videos for your offseason needs.

» Continue reading “Plan B?”

Credit to carleeeee/Tumblr.

November 11, 2012. The ex-Captain comes back to New Jersey for the first time.

From the reactions I’ve seen on Twitter, there will be a mad scramble for tickets. It might be a rare regular season, outside-the-Atlantic-division sell-out crowd. A typical Minnesota-New Jersey match-up (they normally meet once a year) would have been nothing special at all in past years — but the bird has flown the coop. Drafted by the Devils, developed by the Devils, granted captaincy by the Devils, Zach Parise has signed with the Minnesota Wild.

And New Jersey fans will boo him.

» Continue reading “Booing Zach Parise”

2012 FREE AGENT FRENZY #PARISEWATCH

Good morning to all! It is currently 9:24AM E.T. and every hockey fan knows the significance of July 1st – Canada Day. Wait, I mean Free Agency Day. I’m sorry for being absent from the blog this past week. We are now back online and will be tracking any Devils free agency developments live.

12:29 PM E.T. The wait is over. Parise has signed with the Minnesota Wild on a $98 million, 13 year deal. Good luck!

– Day 4 (July 4 2012) –

8:00 PM E.T. #PariseWatch continues. Parise by text: “Nothing is happening tonight.” Move on, ladies and gents.

12:14 PM E.T. More on Salvador. Said that ‘half the NHL’ had interest and many offered 3 year contracts, but it would’ve taken a lot to take him away from the Devils. Playoff performance warranted the 3 year offer from the Devils.

11:37 AM E.T. D Bryce Salvador has chosen to re-sign with the Devils. The contract is 3 yr/$9.5mil with an AAV of $3.16mil. What does everyone think regarding the length of Salvador’s contract? — Does this definitively mean that Parise isn’t coming back? In my honest opinion, not at all. As for Parise, his camp has announced that a decision is coming ‘probably later today.’ Which means that at 5 PM there will be a press conference to announce no decision made. He deserves to take his time.

9:50 AM. E.T. Morning all. Another day of #PariseWatch begins.

– Day 3 (July 3 2012) –

5:41 PM E.T. A decision from Parise could still come tonight. More likely, tomorrow. If a decision is reached today, whether it will be announced or not depends on how late it is made. Devils still in the mix.

» Continue reading “Free Agency Live Blog”