2005 NEW JERSEY DEVILS PREVIEW

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2005-06 New Jersey Devils preview

(MySportsbook.com) - It's a season of change in the revamped National Hockey League and the New Jersey Devils will be no stranger to that idea, featuring a number of big changes for the 2005-06 campaign.

Gone are two stalwarts of the franchise's three Stanley Cup championships -- defensemen Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer. Stevens decided, with help from the lockout, that hockey was no longer the most important thing in his life and called it a career. Niedermayer, meanwhile, chose blood over the blood red jerseys of the team he called home for 12 full seasons and signed with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to play with brother Rob.

There is also a change behind the bench, but with a familiar face. Pat Burns, who guided the Devils to their third Stanley Cup title in 2003, is again battling cancer and will be unable to coach the club this season. Team CEO/president/general manager Lou Lamoriello decided to turn to the man who led New Jersey to its second Cup crown, Larry Robinson.

Robinson, of course, took over the club with eight games remaining in the 1999-2000 regular season and pushed all the right buttons -- while also reportedly kicking a garbage can -- for a team that erased a 3-1 conference finals deficit against Philadelphia before toppling the defending champion Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals. He then led the Devils to the seventh game of the Cup Finals the following season against Colorado before finally being relieved of his coaching duties in January 2002.

The Hall of Fame defenseman will have to work with a slightly different cast, particularly on the blue line, a new captain -- Stevens and Niedermayer wore the coveted 'C' in 2003-04 -- and the rule changes that are designed to open up the offense and hinder the old Devils' system of trapping.

That shouldn't be much of a problem, though, as Robinson was among the best offensive defensemen in the history of the game and his first stint as coach featured a New Jersey offense that led the league in goals scored during the 2000-01 campaign.

Robinson will also have to work without star forward Patrik Elias, who is recovering from hepatitis and will miss the start of the season.

FORWARDS - Without Elias -- a 40-goal, 96-point producer in Robinson's first stint, the Devils will turn to another familiar face to help a talented group of forwards, as Alexander Mogilny returns for his second go-round with the club. Mogilny helped the Devils to the 2000 Stanley Cup as a mid-season acquisition, then scored 43 goals during the 2000-01 campaign. Of course, he is 36 years old and had hip problems during the 2003-04 season with Toronto.

The Devils also have depth at center with Scott Gomez, John Madden, Sergei Brylin and Viktor Kozlov. Gomez usually centered Mogilny's line and could do so again to give the team its top unit. Madden's fierce checking line with Jamie Langenbrunner and Jay Pandolfo produced great results in 2003-04 and will be counted on heavily this season.

Jeff Friesen could take Elias' spot on the top line to start the season. He has scored as many as 30 goals just once in his career -- 1997-98 with San Jose -- and this season will need to produce close to the total of 40 goals he has scored in his first two years with New Jersey. The veteran failed to score a goal in the 2004 first-round playoff series with Philadelphia after finding the net 10 times during the Devils' Cup run in 2003.

The Devils also hope Brian Gionta's 21-goal season in 2003-04 was no fluke, and could get a boost from 2003 first-round pick Zach Parise. The muscle up front will come from Grant Marshall, Darren Langdon and Krzysztof Oliwa.

DEFENSE - Without Niedermayer -- the 2004 Norris Trophy winner -- and Stevens, the Devils quickly re-signed Brian Rafalski and inked veteran blueliners Dan McGillis and Vladimir Malakhov to boost a unit that features holdovers Colin White, Paul Martin and 2004 free-agent signee Richard Matvichuk.

Rafalski is an agile puck-mover who is also solid in his own end. He flourished under Robinson during the 2000-01 season, notching career-bests with nine goals, 43 assists and 52 points.

White is the bruiser among the group, prone to taking foolish penalties, but a force in front of his own net. Martin was a plus-12 with 24 points in 70 games during his first NHL season of 2003-04. The Devils see big things from him in the coming years.

Malakhov returns to New Jersey, where he was a member of the 2000 Stanley Cup team, while Matvichuk -- signed before the lockout -- and McGillis -- signed after the lockout -- bring a wealth of experience to help make up for the loss of Stevens and Niedermayer.

GOALTENDING - There is always one way to neutralize the loss of key players on offense and defense -- strong goaltending -- and the Devils still have Martin Brodeur. The backbone of the three Stanley Cup titles, Brodeur is, arguably, the best netminder in the game right now. He has won each of the last two Vezina Trophies as the league's top goaltender and could threaten Patrick Roy's records -- if he stays around long enough and has enough help.

Backups for Brodeur are usually not much of an issue -- he has played more than 70 games in each of the last seven seasons -- but the competition will likely come from Scott Clemmensen and Ari Ahonen.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - Brodeur alone can keep any team competitive in a season of change, but Elias will have to return soon -- and at full strength -- to kick the offense into high gear. The Eastern Conference will be ultra- competitive with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Ottawa and Toronto at the top of the heap. As long as Robinson can keep his troops motivated, something that wasn't a problem under Burns, the Devils should be a playoff team and the experience factor could make them dangerous in the postseason.

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