New coach, new attitude for Devils?
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 2, 2002 | 12:47 PM ET
CBC Sports
RECORD: 41-28-9-4 (95 pts); 6th in East; 10th overall
INCOMING: LW Jeff Friesen; D Oleg Tverdovsky; G Corey Schwab
OUTGOING: D Mike Commodore; G Jean-Francois Damphousse; C Bobby Holik; LW Valeri Kamensky; LW Sergei Nemchinov; RW Stephane Richer; RW Petr Sykora; G John Vanbiesbrouck
For the past nine years, Martin Brodeur has been a rock in goal for the Devils.(CP PHOTO)
GOALTENDING (A): He's cool, durable and incredibly consistent.
That pretty much sums up New Jersey starter Martin Brodeur, who has logged an incredible 592 games over his nine-year career.
Brodeur rarely gives up a soft goal and that's what makes him so valuable to the Devils.
Nothing seems to bother him and his approach to the game is exactly the same no matter the opponent.
Although he hasn't won a major individual award, he's considered one of the top goaltenders in the NHL and demands a great deal of respect from the league's top players.
But what sets Brodeur apart from other goaltenders is his ability to get involved in the offence.
Brodeur is the best stickhandling goaltender the league has ever seen.
He will often pick up an errant puck in his own end and flip it over the blue line to an awaiting player, essentially giving the Devils a third defenceman.
DEFENCE (A): New Jersey + Pat Burns = Neutral Zone Trap.
It's a dirty word in the NHL, especially when everyone is talking about eliminating obstruction, but defence is definitely going to be one of the Devils' biggest strengths.
While general manager Lou Lamoriello hired Burns in the hopes that an emphasis on defence will bring back a championship, a quick look at the roster reveals that New Jersey has enough skill on the blue line to compete with the league's best.
Not only can Burns throw out consistent point producers Scott Niedermayer and Brian Rafalski, but offensive-minded Oleg Tverdovsky is also on the bench. These three defencemen combined for 112 points.
Scott Stevens is back for another year. Although he can't contribute offensively anymore, he's still an intimidating physical presence.
OFFENCE (B+): How will the departure of Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora affect the Devils?
That's the biggest question surrounding the Devils as they head into the 2002-03 regular season without two of their biggest offensive contributors.
The Devils struggled to score goals last season and it looks like they might encounter the same problem again. With Arnott and Sykora gone, the pressure is suddenly on Patrik Elias to produce more.
Elias led the team in scoring, with 61 points, but it was a significant drop in production and the Devils need him to score 40 goals and 90 points again.
It's still unknown what kind of impact Joe Nieuwendyk will have in his first full season with the team. Nieuwendyk, a trading deadline acquisition, can't stay healthy and hasn't reached the 30-goal mark since 1998.
Lamoriello hopes the acquisition of Jeff Friesen from the Ducks will help out playmaker Scott Gomez. The Devils lack depth down the right side.
GAME BREAKER: Martin Brodeur
The Devils are making a noticeable shift to defence and that turns all of the attention on Brodeur. Not that Brodeur will mind.
He's used to playing a lot of games under pressure. As shown by his gold-medal performance at the 2002 Salt Lake Games and two Stanley Cup wins, Brodeur plays well when the game is on the line.
PREDICTION: 4th in East
