Are the NJ Devils better this year?

The Devils face the Islanders tonight at the Rock in their 5th and last preseason game of the year. The Devils stand at a 3W-1L record with their greatly revised roster from the 2008-2009 season. So the question all Devils' fans want to know is whether this year's team will be better than last year's team. The best way to answer this is to look at the goalies, the forward and defensive lines and see what has changed.

2008-2009 Forward Lines:

Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner

Elias-Zubrus-Gionta

Pandolfo-Madden-Shanahan

Rupp-Rolston- Clarkson

Mike Rupp, Brian Gionta and John Madden all gone to free agency and will be replaced by veteran, Rob Niedermayer (younger brother of legendary ex-Devil Scott), and rookie NHLers Rod Pelley and Niklas Bergfors.

2000-2010 Forward Lines:

Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner

Rolston-Zubrus-Clarkson

Bergfors-Elias-Shanahan

Pandolfo-Pelley-Niedermayer

With newly acquired enforcer Andrew Peters playing when necessary in Pelley’s spot

I do believe that when you analyze the rosters player by player, last year’s roster has overall better talent. However, in the NHL, sometimes the sum of the parts is greater than the individual pieces. I do believe that this is the case here. Bergfors is not the player Gionta is yet. Neither is Pelley or Rob Niedermayer measuring them against Madden. And Elias is a top Left Wing, but this lineup will have him playing center as it stands right now.

The plus factors here are:

1. The movement of Brian Rolston to 2^nd line left wing and having him play for his favorite coach, Jacques Lemaire. Look for him to have a major rebound year.

2. Providing skilled players in Bergfors and Shanahan for Elias to play with and reversing that, providing 2 skilled veterans for promising rookie scorer Bergfors to play with

3. The increase in size that Niedermayer brings over Madden, who played very well at times, but was no longer a defensive match for the top play-makers in the league.

4. The positioning of David Clarkson on a scoring line where we’ll see him blossom this year into a top 6 power forward.

5. Finally, the dismantling of the Devils' infamous checking line and rolling 4 lines that can be offensively productive.

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2008-2009 Defensive Lines:

Martin-Oduya

White-Mottau

Salvador-Greene/Havelid

Havelid returned to Europe (thankfully) and is replaced by the signing of free agent Cory Murphy

2009-2010 Defensive Lines:

Martin-Oduya

White-Mottau

Salvador-Murphy/Greene

If you read my September 18^th blog, you’ll know that I think Murphy is a very good addition to a young Devils’ defense that finished 4^th in the entire NHL last year in goals against average. Murphy is leading the Devil’s in this preseason with a +4 as well as having scored 3 points in 3 games. He’s going to help the Devils defensively and on the power play. The defense with an increase in playing time together and the addition of Murphy will be improved for sure.

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2008-2009 Goalies:

Brodeur

Weekes

Clemmensen

Clemmensen who played valiantly during Brodeur’s prolonged injury absence signed as a free agent with Florida, Kevin Weekes was not re-signed and add in Yann Danis signed as a free agent from the Islanders.

2008-2009 Goalies:

Brodeur

Danis

The Devils last year had no confidence in Kevin Weekes and that is why Scott Clemmensen was brought in when Marty was injured. He played extremely well (some say with divine intervention) but was then sent down to the Devils’ farm team leaving Weekes as the backup and Marty to play essentially every game down the stretch.

I believe this year will be different. Danis looks like the real deal so we’ll look for the Devils to have enough confidence in him to play him 15 games, leaving Brodeur rested to continue as one of the league‘s top net-minders. All in all, an overall slight positive over last year.

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And finally the year to year comparison would not be complete without mentioning the coaches. Out went Benedict Sutter and in comes Jacques Lemaire. Sutter was continually learning on the job and was out-coached both playoff series he was in. Lemaire may be one of the best coaches to ever coach in the NHL. This will be the biggest positive for the 2009-2010 Devils and as a result expect them to once again reach 100 points and make the playoffs. GM Lou Lamoriello's Devils have always been about "team." If this year's Devils are better than last years, that statement will have to be truer than ever.