New Jersey Devils

It was no secret that the New Jersey Devils have been scrambling to get under the cap the past few days. Sitting at roughly $3.5M over the limit, Lou Lamoriello has to do something before the deadline of 3 PM on Wednesday afternoon. There was a lot of speculation and excitement over a possible major waiver move (i.e Brian Rolston, or Dainius Zubrus) or a trade of a big-name top six forward to free up some space, but as the deadline passed, there was no word of a major move. Other teams in the league knew that the Devils had their back against the wall, and no GM was willing to take on any contract to help their cause. But before 3 PM on Wednesday even had a chance to pass, the Devils made...

It’s often debated how star players should be used in the pre-season, if at all. It can be devastating to lose a star player due to injury, but it’s even more devastating if that injury occurs during a (somewhat) meaningless exhibition game. When New Jersey’s Ilya Kovalchuk fell into the boards late in the third period of Thursday night’s pre-season loss to the Rangers, Devils fans were left collectively holding their breath. Then he got up. And we could breathe again. But of course the debate rages on. Should we even use star players during the pre-season? If a player already knows he is on the team, what does he have to prove by playing in the pre-season? Can you get into “gam...

The closer we get to the opening of the regular season, the tougher the decisions become for all 30 NHL general managers. It’s never a fun time when the GMs have to make cuts to their roster. At any level of hockey, it’s always sad to see the faces of players who are told they won’t be playing hockey for the club they were trying out for. Some of the rookies may use it as motivation to improve during the year, and hopefully make a stronger impression at next year’s camp. But for some of the veterans at camp, getting cut means the end of the line. Players that already have contracts aren’t even excluded; such is the case for New Jersey’s Brian Rolston. As it stands right now,...

New York, NY - It was announced by the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday that right winger Brian Gionta will be captain for the 2010-11 season. Gionta, who is an American born hockey player from Rochester, NY, is taking upon his shoulders an honor that very little gain from one of the elite NHL teams. The Canadiens, an Original Six team, are so rich in history. They have won 24 Stanley Cup championships. Names such as Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Ken Dryden and even Patrick Roy are among some of the great players to wear the ‘Habs’ uniform. Gionta has a wealth of championship playing experience, as the winger has not only participated in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals but was also ...