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2017-18 Primer: New Jersey Devils

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With the NHL season now just a few weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the New Jersey Devils.

Last Season: 28-40-14 record (70 points), eighth in Metropolitan Division (missed playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $10.37MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: F Marcus Johansson (trade, Washington), F Brian Boyle (free agency, Toront0), F Drew Stafford (free agency, Boston), D Mirco Mueller (trade, San Jose), D Will Butcher (free agency, Colorado)

Key Departures: F Beau Bennett (free agency, St. Louis), F Mike Cammalleri (buyout), F P.A. Parenteau (PTO, Detroit), F Jacob Josefson (free agency, Buffalo), F Devante Smith-Pelly (buyout)

[Related: New Jersey Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Nico HischierPlayer To Watch: F Nico Hischier – There is no one else more exciting than the number one overall pick. The Devils won a lottery to move up in the draft, and it will pay off immediately as Hischier looks ready to impress right out of the gate. The 18-year old Swiss-born center scored in his first preseason game after stripping a Washington Capitals’ player, something Devils fans will hope to see more of this year.

Though some still see Nolan Patrick as the player most likely to make an immediate impact out of this year’s draft class, Hischier is ready for the big time. His ability to be forgotten in the neutral zone and cause turnovers is uncanny, and he has all the offensive finish to rack up points in his first season. It’s unclear who he’ll play with at this point, but with some of the talented wingers that New Jersey has it could be an impressive group.

Hischier is only 18 though, and despite his high draft stock isn’t as much of a lock as some former top picks. He’s still small enough to worry about him breaking down in a season—though much like Mitch Marner or Johnny Gaudreau he rarely gets hit—and is by no means a lock down defender yet. While there is clearly potential for him to grow into one, he’ll have to be sheltered somewhat this season.

Key Storyline: Even though the Devils haven’t been competitive since going to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011-12, doesn’t mean they’re exactly in a rebuild. The core of their team remains in the middle to latter part of their careers, and they need success quickly or else risk wasting the entire prime of Cory Schneider. Now 31, Schneider has yet to experience the postseason with the Devils despite putting up incredible numbers in his first three years.

Last year was a different story, as Schneider struggled mightily at times and ended the season with a .908 save percentage, easily the worst of his career. There were times that Keith Kinkaid looked like he might wrestle away at least part of the starting gig, but the Devils will need their starter to return to form this year.

There is a lot to like going forward for the Devils, with Hischier, Pavel Zacha, Micheal McLeod, John Quenneville and Damon Severson making up the next core of the team, but there is will also be a need to win now or start selling off assets. Adam Henrique and Taylor Hall are two and three years away from free agency respectively, and right in their prime. If it doesn’t work now, the team should start thinking about moving them to bring back as much value as possible, before potentially seeing them walk away on the open market.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/19/17

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After many teams opened their preseason schedule last night, there will continue to be training camp cuts this week. Teams will be paring down their rosters up to opening night, when they’ll carry just 23 skaters. Here we’ll keep track of all the days cuts.

Calgary Flames

F Brett Findlay – Stockton (AHL)
F Rod Pelley – Stockton (AHL)
F Hunter Smith – Stockton (AHL)
D Kayle Doetzel – Stockton (AHL)
D Oleg Yevenko – Stockton (AHL)
G Mason McDonald – Stockton (AHL)
F Sam Dove-McFalls – Saint John (QMJHL)
F Zach Fischer – Medicine Hat (WHL)
F Glenn Gawdin – Swift Current (WHL)
F Ben Hawerchuk – Barrie (OHL)
F Brad Morrison – Vancouver (WHL)
F Matthew Phillips – Victoria (WHL)
F Mark Rassell – Medicine Hat (WHL)
F Adam Ruzicka – Sarnia (OHL)
D Tyson Helgesen – Spokane (WHL)
G Nick Schneider – Calgary (WHL)
F Joel Lowry – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
D Daniel Maggio – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
D Dylan Olsen – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
D Sam Ruopp – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
D Cliff Watson – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp

Dallas Stars

F Shaw Boomhower – Missisauga (OHL)
F Zach Roberts – Owen Sound (OHL)
F Tomas Soustal – Kelowna (WHL)
F Cole Tymkin – London (OHL)
F Brett Davis – Kootenay (WHL)
F Jason Robertson – Kingston (OHL)
D Ondrej Vala – Kamloops (WHL)

Detroit Red Wings

F Givani Smith – Guelph (OHL)

New Jersey Devils

F Nikita Popugaev – Prince George (WHL)
F Marian Studenic – Hamilton (OHL)
F Nicolas Guay – Drummondville (QMJHL)
D Jocktan Chainey – Halifax (QMJHL)
D Colby Sissons – Swift Current (WHL)
G Evan Cormier – Saginaw (OHL)

New York Rangers

F Robin Kovacs – Hartford (AHL)
F Adam Chapie – Hartford (AHL)
D Brenden Kotyk – Hartford (AHL)
F Tim Gettinger – Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
F Ty Ronning – Vancouver (WHL)

Ottawa Senators

F Pius Suter – Zurich (NLA)

Vancouver Canucks

F Kole Lind – Kelowna (WHL)
F Jonah Gadjovich – Owen Sound (OHL)
D Matt Brassard – Oshawa (OHL)
D Cole Candella – Hamilton (OHL)
D Dylan Plouffe – Vancouver (WHL)
G Michael DiPietro – Windsor (OHL)

Vegas Golden Knights

D Scooter Vaughn – released from PTO
D Nikolas Brouillard – released from PTO
F Alex Barre-Boulet – Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
F Ben Jones – Niagara (OHL)
F Patrick Bajkov – Everett (WHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs – Moose Jaw (WHL)
D Keoni Texeira – Portland (WHL)
D Will Warm – Edmonton (WHL)
G Jiri Patera – Ceder Rapids (USHL)
G Dylan Ferguson – Kamloops (WHL)

Brian Boyle Diagnosed With Leukemia

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The New Jersey Devils announced on a conference call that free agent signing Brian Boyle has been diagnosed with a form of bone cancer (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia). The disease was caught early enough that Boyle will be able to treat it with medication, but more tests will be performed. Boyle is “looking forward to getting back on the ice” and his focus is still on October 7th when the season begins.

"<strongBoyle was signed to a two-year contract this summer after splitting time between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and is generally considered one of the strongest leaders around the NHL. Beloved by his teammates and coaching staffs, there will no doubt be an outpouring of support for him from all around the league. It’s wonderful to hear that he feels largely healthy, and is still committed to starting the season on time.

The 32-year old is expected to play a big role on a team that is looking to make it back to the playoffs this year, solidifying a position that will have several young names vying for spots. The Devils currently figure to have Nico Hischier start the year down the middle, with youngsters Pavel Zacha and John Quenneville potential options. Boyle will likely be used in a bottom-six and penalty killing role, one he has excelled at throughout his career.

Amazingly, Boyle previously wrote a piece profiling his father’s own battle with cancer, and how he has been free of the disease for more than 15 years. Boyle has been involved in the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer initiative ever since. As he wrote then:

When it comes to cancer, people don’t always want to talk about it. Unfortunately, it’s often a sad story. But it can also be an inspiring story about people who are fearless in times of adversity, people who have battled and people who are not afraid to put up a fight. Sometimes, it can be a happy story.

Everyone at PHR and around the hockey world is with you Brian. This will be another happy story.

Ryan Carter Announces Retirement

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Give Ryan Carter credit. Around this time last year, it seemed as though the veteran forward’s career was already over. Carter had been unable to secure a guaranteed contract for the 2016-17 season, but was working toward a new deal with the Minnesota Wild by way of a PTO. However, when a nagging shoulder injury – a torn labrum to be exact – ended his attempt, Carter decided that he needed to move forward with surgery and, at 33, did not know if he would play again. Yet, Carter underwent his procedure, rehabbed, and by mid-February, he was back skating with the Wild. Carter ended up playing in 18 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild and was one of Minnesota’s “black aces” come playoff time, though he never did get to fully make his NHL return.

It took a lot of effort just to get close to a comeback in 2016-17 and another try just wasn’t in the cards for Carter this year. The Athletic’s Michael Russo was the first to report that the ten year veteran has decided to hang up his skates. The Minnesota native can rest easy in retirement, knowing that he got to play his final two NHL seasons with his hometown team and gave it all he had to return for a third. Along the way, the Minnesota State standout also suited up for the Anaheim Ducks from 2006 to 2011 and the New Jersey Devils from 2011 to 2014, with brief stops with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers in between.

A hard-working, two-way threat, Carter was known more as a defensive specialist best-suited for a bottom-six spot and key penalty killing role than he was a point-producers. Yet, Carter finished his career off strong with a career high 15 points with the Devils in 2012-13 and three more double-digit totals to close out his NHL tenure. Carter will also be remembered for a very strong postseason performance for New Jersey in 2012, nearly matching his regular season production as the team charged to a Stanley Cup final appearance. In total, Carter notched 41 goals and 52 assists in 473 NHL games. While his scoring was far from the pace he exhibited in his college days in Mankato, Carter was still able to provide consistent two-way play, work ethic, and character throughout an NHL career built off of solid bottom-six play.

Evening Snapshots: Hischier, Hitchcock, Leafs’ Captaincy

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The New Jersey Devils’ top pick in the 2017 Entry Draft told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that it would be a “disappointment” if he didn’t make the Devils’ roster following training camp. General manager Ray Shero called him a “special talent,” and that if there’s a spot, it’s his to win. Teammate Taylor Hall reminisced about his first season with the Oilers, when the 2010 #1 overall pick learned a lot from then captain Shawn Horcoff. He added how important it was for younger players to have a veteran presence to “bounce things off of,” when beginning a career after being a first overall pick. Hischier is certainly saying all the right things–it’s just a matter of time if the youngster get a shot as a regular.

  • It’s the return of Ken Hitchcock in Dallas, and it’ll be the “new adventures of old Ken Hitchcock,” writes the Dallas Morning-News’ Mike Heika. The veteran coach and Dallas’ all-time winningest coach has promised a camp that “no one has ever seen before.” Heika adds that Hitchcock has to rein in an offensively “supercharged” team that failed to defend in its own zone. Unlike his 90’s teams or even more recently in St. Louis, “Hitch” plans to attack in the offensive zone while being responsible with the puck in their own zone. Center Tyler Seguin believes the team has more than enough offense to score goals and that it’s just a matter of being better defensively. Should the Stars stay healthy, they could certainly be a favorite in the West.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will once again go without a captain, and opt for three alternates reports the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. General manager Lou Lamoriello sees no reason to name a captain, citing a number of leaders in the room with no rush to name one player as the captain. McGran speculates that the C will eventually be sewn onto Auston Matthews’ jersey, but believes that keeping any additional pressure off of the second year forward may be the team’s motive for not bestowing that honor yet.

Damon Severson Signs With New Jersey Devils

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Another important—but perhaps underappreciated—restricted free agent is off the board, as Damon Severson has signed a new contract with the New Jersey Devils. The contract is for six years and $25MM, and does not include any trade protection. The salary breakdown is as follows:

  • 2017-18: $2.5MM
  • 2018-19: $3.0MM
  • 2019-20: $4.675MM
  • 2020-21: $4.675MM
  • 2021-22: $5.05MM
  • 2022-23: $5.1MM

Damon SeversonWhile many saw last season as a breakout for Severson, after Adam Larsson’s departure put more of the spotlight on him in New Jersey, he’s been playing at an extremely high level since he entered the league in 2014. Now 23, Severson has recorded 69 points in 203 games while logging 20 minutes a night nearly every game for the Devils. He is the leader on their blueline, and will now be rewarded with a long term contract.

The Devils of course moved Larsson to the Edmonton Oilers last summer in exchange for Taylor Hall, leaving Severson as the top right-handed option and powerplay quarterback on the team. His point total raised to 31 this season on the back of a big performance with the man advantage, but his defensive play is also up to snuff. Severson can at times look shaky in his own end, but generally drives possession with quick decisions. He doesn’t just clear the puck blindly, but moves it out with his feet or a quick first pass.

Speaking of Larsson, the new contract is exactly the same as the six-year $25MM deal they gave him in 2015, though that had some trade protection and was actually buying out three years of free agency. Severson will give up just two UFA seasons, and could hit the market at 28.

New Jersey, who’ve struggled the past five years to even ice a competitive team, have just a inked a shining star long-term that they can build around. The Devils are clearly still trying to compete for a playoff spot, but eventually they may need to do a slight tear-down and rebuild the team around young Nico Hischier, Mike McLeod, Pavel Zacha and others. Severson is now locked in as a top option on the blueline for some time.

The $4.167MM cap hit is plenty affordable for the Devils, and carries incredible value. As Larsson demonstrated, puck-moving right-handed defensemen signed for less than $5MM are very rare to find. It’s very plausible that Severson even takes another step forward this season and starts to compete with players like Tyson Barrie and Torey Krug in that next tier of offensive production. If he can do that without sacrificing anything in his own end, the Devils will be quite pleased with his cap hit for years to come.

Bob McKenzie of TSN reported the length and financial details. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 9/8/17

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The last 24 hours has been a busy one in hockey. There continue to be more and more PTO’s as well as a few traditional contract signings as well, both in the NHL, and the following minor league deals:

  • The New York Ranger’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, have signed 2016-17 AHL All-Star Joe Whitney to a one-year contract, the team announced. A Boston College alum and former captain of the Eagles, the 29-year-old Whitney has had a fine AHL career and has played an important leadership role for many teams, but has not lived up to the potential many saw in college. Whitney spent the first half of his pro career with the AHL’s Albany Devils, eventually earning an NHL contract with New Jersey and appearing in five games with the team between 2013 and 2015. More recently, he has been more of an AHL gun-for-hire, signing one-year deals with the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche to be a veteran mentor for their young minor leaguers. Whitney was traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Brendan Ranford at the trade deadline this past season to help support the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners down the stretch. However, the Coyotes and seemingly all other AHL teams weren’t interested in a two-way deal for Whitney’s services this season, leading to his AHL deal with the Wolf Pack. Whitney will still be a valuable research in Hartford, bringing leadership and guidance to a locker room with developing young scorers like Ryan Gropp and Adam Tambellini.
  •  Like Whitney, another former Boston College captain has found AHL employment in Chris Calnan. The big, two-way winger has signed with one of the AHL’s newest teams, the Binghamton Devils, the relocated affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The announcement of the deal by Binghamton received excited recognition from both New Jersey and ECHL-affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms. The whole chain of teams hope that Calnan can bring the same character, tenacity, and leadership that he showed at BC to his pro game, regardless of what level he plays at. Calnan, 23, was a 2012 third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, but became a free agent in August after failing to reach terms on an entry-level deal with the team after four years in college. In Binghamton, Calnan will look to show that he has the intangibles to be a reliable bottom-six forward at the NHL level. He may not be his uncle, Jeremy Roenick, but Calnan looks like he may have pro chops.
  • Unlike Whitney, a pair of fellow former Coyotes have been unable to lock down even an AHL job this off-season. Branden Troock signed on with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits earlier today, while Henrik Samuelsson came to terms with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads yesterday. Samuelsson, 23, was a first-round pick of the Coyotes back in 2012, but never came close to reaching his potential, beginning with a scoreless three game stint with the ’Yotes in his first pro season in 2014-15 and only going downhill from there. The team ended up trading Samuelsson to the Edmonton Oilers last season for Mitch Moroz, who signed with none other than the Idaho Steelheads this summer. Samuelsson has just 55 points in his three-year AHL career and will have to work if he wants to add to that point total any time soon. Troock, on the other hand, is neither an Arizona draft pick nor an NHL veteran. The 23-year-old was a 5th-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2012 and was traded to the Coyotes this past February alongside the aforementioned and quickly flipped Brandon Ranford for veteran goalie Justin Peters. Arizona did not make any attempts to re-sign Troock, who was a -7 in 20 games with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners to close out the season. Troock is more familiar with the ECHL than Samuelsson, having skated in 28 “AA” games over his three pro seasons.
  • A player with similar luck is former San Jose Sharks prospect Patrick McNally. A 2010 fourth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks and a standout at Harvard, the bruising defenseman just couldn’t find any production at the pro level, scoring 18 points in two seasons with the AHL Barracuda. McNally today signed with the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, who ironically play in the former home of the Barracuda, then the Worcester Sharks.
  • A pair with better fortunes today was Alex Wideman and Tyler Sikura. The ECHL forwards are now AHL forwards, after inking deals with the Rockford Ice Hogs today, as per a team announcement. Wideman, the younger brother of Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Wideman, is back in the AHL after two full seasons of ECHL playing following a quick stint with his brother on the Binghamton Senators in 2015. The 25-year-old scored 55 points in 70 games last season, the best offensive production of his entire career. Sikura is on an AHL contract for the first time, having only played in the American League on loan after signing with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye out of Dartmouth College in 2015. The former Big Green captain has yet to record an AHL point yet, which will surely be his “goal” when he first hits the ice with Rockford.
  • Journeyman goalie Mark Dekanich will be staying stateside this year. He has re-upped with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The 31-year-old Dekanich is a ten-year pro; a 2006 draft pick of the Predators, he made one NHL start in Nashville and many more starts with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, then jumped overseas to the KHL before returning to minor league duty in North America. While Dekanich could end up playing much of the season down in the ECHL, as he has the past two seasons since returning from the KHL, Dekanic’s veteran presence could prove helpful for promising young Flyers goalie prospects Alex Lyon and Carter Hart, especially while Anthony Stolarz remains sidelined. However, between that trio of up-and-coming keepers, the veteran duo of Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth in Philly, and Leland Irving and John Muse also on AHL deals, there may be a few too many goalies in Lehigh Valley and Reading this season.

League Notes: Bettman, Peluso, Nassau Coliseum

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, along with deputy commissioner Bill Daly and Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello, have been subpoenaed to testify in a worker’s compensation case brought by former NHL enforcer Mike Peluso against the New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames, according to a report by TSN’s Rick Westhead. Peluso, now 51 years old, retired from the NHL in 1998 after a nine-year career in which he recorded nearly 2000 penalty minute and was known as a fearless fighter. However, five years ago, Peluso filed a worker’s compensation claim against several of of his former teams, alleging that they breached the duty of care owed to him by insufficiently advising him of health risks and withholding key medical records during his playing time. Peluso argues that, but for this negligence, the severe head trauma that has caused his permanent disability could have been prevented. Peluso suffers from frequent seizures, early onset dementia, and overall neurological impairment that leaves him unable to work. Peluso has previously clashed with Lamoriello, the former New Jersey GM when Peluso played, and the Devils in regards to gaining access to medical records, and now seeks to depose his former general manager as well. Additionally, Peluso has filed a lawsuit  against the Devils and Blues alleging battery, intentional and/or negligent infliction of emotional distress, fraud and misrepresentation in relation to their knowledge and alleged cover up of his brain trauma.

By being subpoenaed, Bettman, Daly, and Lamoriello are now scheduled to make depositions in early November as to the role of injury reporting in the NHL and, should they refuse to show up, could be legally compelled to do so. These depositions could play a major role in the ongoing concussion issues facing the NHL, if either of these three prominent and respected executives were to admit that teams did not share information with players in a proper manner. Peluso has already turned down a $325K settlement offer and is on record as saying “I want the world to hear Bettman and Lamoriello have to answer for what they have done… so many players have been abandoned by the NHL. When you can’t promote their game anymore, if you’re not a big name or a star, they toss you aside.” Peluso seems just as motivated to expose the league as he does to recover for his medical condition and this could be the beginning of a highly publicized and heated exchange. The concussion issue has publicly plagued the National Football League for years and could soon hit the NHL in such a way.

  • Bettman has yet to comment on his subpoena, but in fairness has been dealing with another league issue that has many upset. No, not the Olympics, but the future (and past) home of the New York Islanders. Bettman recently shut down rumors of a possible Isles’ return to the Nassau Coliseum, telling Newsday’s Jim Baumbach and Steve Zipay that he doesn’t see the location as a viable option. Bettman adds that the Islanders have not yet inquired with the league whether they would be allowed to return to Nassau County or not, but Bettman’s “gut reaction” was that it would not happen. Local legislators have been doing their part to try to woo the Isles back home, but have not gotten anywhere to this point. For now, the Islanders will continue to play at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center, which is poorly-suited for hockey, but can opt out of their 25-year-lease without issue if they do so prior to January 30th, 2018. There has been no word as to whether the Islanders are ready to make that commitment or not, but the Newsday article does mention that plans are moving forward for the Islanders to move on from both Barclay’s and Nassau, opting instead to build a new facility near Belmont Racetrack in Queens.

Minor Moves: Erixon, Strachan, Robidas

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The New Jersey Devils have signed Tim Erixon to a professional tryout, bringing in the former NHL defenseman after two years spent entirely in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Erixon is a former first-round pick of the Calgary Flames who has bounced around the NHL during his short career. Suiting up for 93 games split between the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks, Erixon will try to prove that he deserves a permanent home. He’ll join Jimmy Hayes in Devils camp on a PTO.

More news from around the league…

  • The Arizona Coyotes have added journeyman Tyson Strachan on a PTO of their own, bringing him in after a year with the Rochester Americans. The 32-year old Strachan has 186 NHL contests under his belt, but has never had much of an impact in the league.
  • Toronto has officially hired Stephane Robidas as their Assistant Director of Player Development, where he’ll continue many of the duties he took on last year as an unofficial development coach. Robidas was technically still under a player contract last year, but effectively retired due to injury after the 2014-15 season. In 937 career NHL games, he recorded 258 points, but was a bust for the Maple Leafs, who signed him for three years but only saw him suit up in 52 games.
  • Gabe Vilardi, the Los Angeles Kings’ first-round pick this year, will miss training camp with the team due to a back injury that flared up this offseason. Vilardi had an outside chance at cracking the Kings’ roster right away if he exceeded expectations at camp, but this likely confirms he’ll head back to the Windsor Spitfires for next year. Should he get through the year healthy he’s a near-lock for Canada’s World Junior team and could challenge for the OHL’s goal scoring title.

Butcher Can't Wait To Work With Andy Greene

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Simmons writes that Toronto leadership knows the importance of defense. Coach Mike Babcock, who has won a Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings, had a team that was first in goals against that year. General Manager Lou Lamoriello won his last Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003, they were also first in goals against.

  • Sports Illustrated featured New Jersey Devils Will Butcher after he chose the Devils last weekend. Butcher claims he sees similarities in his game to three NHL players including Chicago’s Duncan Keith, Boston’s Torey Krug and New Jersey’s Andy Greene. ”If I was fortunate to make the big team, he would be a great mentor to me, just because he does everything,” Butcher said of Greene. ”He penalty kills, power play, all situations. He is a smart player, not necessarily the biggest guy, but he uses his abilities to defend well and play the game of hockey.”

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