MadDevil
5-15-06, 2:26 AM
Now that the Devils season is over, I thought I'd reflect on the season that was.
The Devils went through a lot of changes this season, including:
- Losing their heart and soul (Scott Stevens) to retirement.
- Losing one of the best defensemen in the NHL (Scott Niedermayer) to free agency.
- Losing their head coach (Pat Burns) to cancer.
- Losing their best offensive player (Patrik Elias) for half the season to hepatitis.
- Lou making a rare mistake in signing Malakhov, Mogilny, and McGillis.
- Larry Robinson stepping down due to health issues.
Through all of that, the Devils battled their way back from a bad first half to rally and win another Atlantic Division title, winning their last 11 games of the regular season in the process. Then they knocked out the hated New York Rangers in 4 games in the first round, before bowing out to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
Player Performances
Albelin - Veteran was a stable influence on the blueline. Performed admirably for an older player in the new NHL. Would be nice to see him back next season, but will probably retire.
Brylin - Had another Brylin-like season. Nothing flashy offensively, but his work ethic and veteran leadership were valuable as always. He'll obviously be back next year.
Brodeur - After a slow start, he was one of the best goalies in the entire league. He was a very big part of the Devils turnaround, and can not be blamed for the Devils loss to the Canes. He's still "The New Jersey Devils", and I expect his second half performance to carry over into next season. Marty's Marty after all.
Clemmensen - Played well for most of the games Brodeur either missed or was rested. He's a solid backup, and I think he'll fill that role again next season.
Elias - His absence in the first half of the season was glaringly obvious. Had a great season when he finally came back, and was dominant against the Rangers in the first round. Re-signing him is a major priority this offseason. I'm 90% sure he'll be in a Devils jersey next year.
Gionta - What can I say? He set the Devils record for most goals in a season, and was a big part of the Devils making the playoffs. He had a bad series against Carolina, but so did the rest of the team. He'll be back.
Gomez - Added a scoring touch to his already great playmaking ability. One of the best playmakers in the game, he's a huge part of the Devils offense, and should be for years to come. Another major priority to be taken care of in the offseason for Lou.
Hale - Played solidly when in the lineup. He's physical, and given time will be a very effective defensive defensemen, possibly in the mold of a Ken Daneyko. Still takes some bad penalties, but then so did Colin White when he was young.
Janssen - Simply put, how can you not love the kid? He hits everything in sight, drops the gloves with anybody in the league, and is there to backup his teammates. He's the kind of energy guy that every team needs, and he'll be even better with experience.
Klee - Up-and-down in the limited time he had with the Devils. Not as bad as some people think, but not really that good either. I don't think he should be back next year.
Kozlov - While he was great in the shootouts, he didn't do anything else. Never really given a chance to play consistently with a scorer, his lack of production isn't really surprising. As good as he is on faceoffs, I hope he's gone.
Langenbrunner - Fits perfectly into "Devils Hockey". Had stretches of inconsistent offensive play, but came up big again in the playoffs. He's the kind of clutch player the Devils need, and he should be back next season. Hopefully he won't be a cap casualty.
Lukowich - Unfortunately will end up being the scapegoat for many Devils fans, but I don't think he's really all that bad. Give him a full season in the Devils system, and I think he'll be solid. I don't know if he'll be back next year or not.
Madden - Didn't put up big numbers (he's not being paid to anyway), but was again an important part of shutting down the other teams best players. Still one of the best defensive forwards in the game, and a solid leader. Could possibly be captain next season.
Malakhov - Simply put, a complete failure. Thank god he retired.
Martin - Showed signs of turning the corner the second half of the season. Like Rafalski, he was asked to step up, and struggled with it at times. He's still young, and will get better with time. Hopefully a part of the Devils for years to come.
Marshall - Didn't have a very good season, but really what do you expect? He's a role player, who is really more effective in the playoffs than the regular season. If he comes back, he'd be decent, if he doesn't, no big deal.
Matvichuk - Took him a while to adjust to the new NHL, but once he did he became a very effective defensive defenseman. Never really healthy late in the season, I'd like to see him return next year. He fits in very well with the Devils philosophy.
McGillis - Not as bad as some Devils fans seem to think, but is overpaid for his role. Just cost too much, and didn't play well enough. Not sure of his future.
Mogilny - Complete failure of a free agent signing by Lou. Was expected to help replace Elias' offense early in the season, but it didn't really happen. He's only getting older, and hopefully will not be back next season.
Parise - Struggled early in the season, but was constantly being juggled between lines. Improved in the second half of the season, and was one of the best Devils in the playoffs, even though it didn't result in a lot of points. His energy and work ethic will create those points as he gains experience. Already one of my favorite Devils players.
Pandolfo - One of the best Devils all season long. He's one of the most underated defensive forwards in the league, and seems to be attached at the hip to Madden. The kind of player the Devils need, he'll definitely be back again.
Rafalski - Struggled with consistency issues all season, but was also asked to shoulder the load that Niedermayer used to handle. Now that he's had a full season with those responsibilities, I expect him to be better next season. Give him another chance.
Rasmussen - While not all that effective in the regular season, he played very well in the playoffs, especially with Wiemer and Janssen on the fourth line. His size and willingness to hit make him a valuable enough player to bring back. I'd like to see him back next season.
Wiemer - Didn't really play all that much. His big body and physical play are his biggest attributes. He's a role player at best, and I don't know if he'll be back next season.
White - Became more of a leader, and a very dependable presence on the blueline. One of the best Devils all season long, he was sorely missed against the Hurricanes. Definitely should be back next year, potential captain material.
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Overall, it was a pretty good season for Devils fans. Obviously not winning a Cup feels like failure to most of us Devils fans, but I'm still proud of the Devils, no matter the outcome.
The Devils will be back again next year, count on it.:thumb:
The Devils went through a lot of changes this season, including:
- Losing their heart and soul (Scott Stevens) to retirement.
- Losing one of the best defensemen in the NHL (Scott Niedermayer) to free agency.
- Losing their head coach (Pat Burns) to cancer.
- Losing their best offensive player (Patrik Elias) for half the season to hepatitis.
- Lou making a rare mistake in signing Malakhov, Mogilny, and McGillis.
- Larry Robinson stepping down due to health issues.
Through all of that, the Devils battled their way back from a bad first half to rally and win another Atlantic Division title, winning their last 11 games of the regular season in the process. Then they knocked out the hated New York Rangers in 4 games in the first round, before bowing out to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
Player Performances
Albelin - Veteran was a stable influence on the blueline. Performed admirably for an older player in the new NHL. Would be nice to see him back next season, but will probably retire.
Brylin - Had another Brylin-like season. Nothing flashy offensively, but his work ethic and veteran leadership were valuable as always. He'll obviously be back next year.
Brodeur - After a slow start, he was one of the best goalies in the entire league. He was a very big part of the Devils turnaround, and can not be blamed for the Devils loss to the Canes. He's still "The New Jersey Devils", and I expect his second half performance to carry over into next season. Marty's Marty after all.
Clemmensen - Played well for most of the games Brodeur either missed or was rested. He's a solid backup, and I think he'll fill that role again next season.
Elias - His absence in the first half of the season was glaringly obvious. Had a great season when he finally came back, and was dominant against the Rangers in the first round. Re-signing him is a major priority this offseason. I'm 90% sure he'll be in a Devils jersey next year.
Gionta - What can I say? He set the Devils record for most goals in a season, and was a big part of the Devils making the playoffs. He had a bad series against Carolina, but so did the rest of the team. He'll be back.
Gomez - Added a scoring touch to his already great playmaking ability. One of the best playmakers in the game, he's a huge part of the Devils offense, and should be for years to come. Another major priority to be taken care of in the offseason for Lou.
Hale - Played solidly when in the lineup. He's physical, and given time will be a very effective defensive defensemen, possibly in the mold of a Ken Daneyko. Still takes some bad penalties, but then so did Colin White when he was young.
Janssen - Simply put, how can you not love the kid? He hits everything in sight, drops the gloves with anybody in the league, and is there to backup his teammates. He's the kind of energy guy that every team needs, and he'll be even better with experience.
Klee - Up-and-down in the limited time he had with the Devils. Not as bad as some people think, but not really that good either. I don't think he should be back next year.
Kozlov - While he was great in the shootouts, he didn't do anything else. Never really given a chance to play consistently with a scorer, his lack of production isn't really surprising. As good as he is on faceoffs, I hope he's gone.
Langenbrunner - Fits perfectly into "Devils Hockey". Had stretches of inconsistent offensive play, but came up big again in the playoffs. He's the kind of clutch player the Devils need, and he should be back next season. Hopefully he won't be a cap casualty.
Lukowich - Unfortunately will end up being the scapegoat for many Devils fans, but I don't think he's really all that bad. Give him a full season in the Devils system, and I think he'll be solid. I don't know if he'll be back next year or not.
Madden - Didn't put up big numbers (he's not being paid to anyway), but was again an important part of shutting down the other teams best players. Still one of the best defensive forwards in the game, and a solid leader. Could possibly be captain next season.
Malakhov - Simply put, a complete failure. Thank god he retired.
Martin - Showed signs of turning the corner the second half of the season. Like Rafalski, he was asked to step up, and struggled with it at times. He's still young, and will get better with time. Hopefully a part of the Devils for years to come.
Marshall - Didn't have a very good season, but really what do you expect? He's a role player, who is really more effective in the playoffs than the regular season. If he comes back, he'd be decent, if he doesn't, no big deal.
Matvichuk - Took him a while to adjust to the new NHL, but once he did he became a very effective defensive defenseman. Never really healthy late in the season, I'd like to see him return next year. He fits in very well with the Devils philosophy.
McGillis - Not as bad as some Devils fans seem to think, but is overpaid for his role. Just cost too much, and didn't play well enough. Not sure of his future.
Mogilny - Complete failure of a free agent signing by Lou. Was expected to help replace Elias' offense early in the season, but it didn't really happen. He's only getting older, and hopefully will not be back next season.
Parise - Struggled early in the season, but was constantly being juggled between lines. Improved in the second half of the season, and was one of the best Devils in the playoffs, even though it didn't result in a lot of points. His energy and work ethic will create those points as he gains experience. Already one of my favorite Devils players.
Pandolfo - One of the best Devils all season long. He's one of the most underated defensive forwards in the league, and seems to be attached at the hip to Madden. The kind of player the Devils need, he'll definitely be back again.
Rafalski - Struggled with consistency issues all season, but was also asked to shoulder the load that Niedermayer used to handle. Now that he's had a full season with those responsibilities, I expect him to be better next season. Give him another chance.
Rasmussen - While not all that effective in the regular season, he played very well in the playoffs, especially with Wiemer and Janssen on the fourth line. His size and willingness to hit make him a valuable enough player to bring back. I'd like to see him back next season.
Wiemer - Didn't really play all that much. His big body and physical play are his biggest attributes. He's a role player at best, and I don't know if he'll be back next season.
White - Became more of a leader, and a very dependable presence on the blueline. One of the best Devils all season long, he was sorely missed against the Hurricanes. Definitely should be back next year, potential captain material.
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Overall, it was a pretty good season for Devils fans. Obviously not winning a Cup feels like failure to most of us Devils fans, but I'm still proud of the Devils, no matter the outcome.
The Devils will be back again next year, count on it.:thumb: