Memo to Devils Fans: Stop Worrying
There's hope on the horizon
Posted on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 4:40 PMThis is the time of year when Devils fans make their most frequent excursions to the medicine cabinet in search of the aspirin bottle.
They are suffering the usual headaches over their traditional worries. Viz and to wit:
PLAYOFFS:
Lou Lamoriello hasn't snagged a free agent such as Marian Hossa or Martin Havlat, so how the dickens do they expect to make the postseason?
GOALTENDING:
Marty Brodeur is NOT getting any younger. Scott Clemmensen went bye-bye. No back-up goalie has been signed – yet. Yikes!
SCORING:
Brian Gionta is a Canadien – still doesn't sound right! – and a second-line center is absent from the roster.
JOHN MADDEN:
He won Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003. Can the club thrive without its veteran defensive center, who's now a Blackhawk?
COACH:
Who is he? Where is he since the HE isn't Brent Sutter?
First things first; put away the aspirin. Second things first; Lamoriello almost always delivers when things look worst. Third things first; the Devils almost always make the playoffs. And you can look it up.
In the summer of 1999, when the situation looked dismal, Lou imported two unknowns. Both Madden and Brian Rafalski went on to help the club to its second Stanley Cup.
Signing big-name, big-salaried free agents is not Lou's style. That's why the Devils won Cups in 2000 and 2003.
No question, goaltending COULD be an issue; although it usually works out favorably, as Clemmensen demonstrated during the dark days immediately following Brodeur's injury last season. Kevin Weekes still could wind up as Marty's back-up; although Lamoriello may yet pull a surprise such as a Joey MacDonald, just to name one possibility.
Brodeur's age would suggest that he play a reduced schedule, but we've been through that drill before; only now it may become a necessity. That will be between Marty and whomever the new coach happens to be.
Losing Gionta is tough, tough, tough. I loved watching the gamester battle through the tough guys and camp in front of the net. But he's getting way more dough from the Habs than he's worth. Brian Rolston will move into the spot and score as much as Brian did. A second-line center of quality is needed. Lou will have to look, hard.
As for the exited Madden ... for whatever reasons – age, attitude – Johnny was no longer the asset he had been through two Cup years. There was no way the Devils were going to re-sign him. If he has a good year in Chi-town, more power to JM.
Ah, the coach. THAT is the genuine stumper.
Lou fooled all of us when he imported Jacques Lemaire. Ditto Pat Burns and a host of others. Beats me who Lamoriello has in mind, but I'd take Lemaire in a Newark minute.
This much is certain: Sutter's exit hurt, big-time – and in a lot of ways. But, look at it this way: who would want a coach in New Jersey who'd rather be in Alberta? Not I, sir.
I'm certain that Brent's replacement will be just as good – if not better.
My advice to Devils fans: same as always – STOP WORRYING!
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