by Kevin SchultzFiled under: Devils
Did you hear anything about the Devils this summer? I didn't. These guys were the quietest team in the league. Re-signing their core players, not making any splashy free agent signings and doing everything they could to appease the commissioner's office. Oh wait, they actually did the exact opposite of all that this summer. The Devils had arguably the busiest summer in the league overhauling their defense, while losing Paul Martin to Pittsburgh. They also brought back Jason Arnott for another go-around and found an apparently suitable backup for a 38-year old Martin Brodeur. All the while there was that whole Kovalchuk thing that we've all heard so much about. After a tough playoff exit last season, GM Lou Lamoriello worked his usual magic to put the defending Atlantic Division champions back in a solid position to defend their crown. On paper, the names are different but the talent level is similar. The Devils will be back at the top of the standings again this year and the Earth will continue rotating. So it goes.
NEW-LOOK DEFENSE
Over the summer the Devils lost one of their best defenders, Paul Martin, to free agency. Martin jumped to the division rival Penguins for a 5-year, $25 million deal. On paper, losing a player of Martin's caliber would be a serious blow to a team's defensive corps. However, on the ice the Devils got a lot of experience without Martin last year as he missed the majority of the year with a broken arm. As the results showed, they fared pretty well without him during the regular season.
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