In Lou We Trust

Since I'll be at the preseason game against the Capitals tomorrow, I posted up my new Atlantic Division article at NHL Full Access a little more than 2 hours early. It's about which prospects I think we'll see in the NHL for each of the teams in the division. Some are pretty obvious like Kyle Okposo, who I think he'll be great for the Islanders, and Alex Goligoski, who's pretty much a Pittsburgh Penguin with long term injuries to defensemen Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar. Others are more of a reach, but not much of one, as Claude Giroux, Lauri Korpikoski, and Petr Vrana are talented players in their own right and will make it to the NHL definitely sooner rather than later.

By the way, the archives now work for the Atlantic division columns. So if you want to read my first two columns, you'll now be able to do so.

Incidentally, as an aside, the NJD TV (come on, call it Devilvision!) now uses a brand new player - the same template to what the other NHL teams have as well as the NHL itself. I can't really link it directly, but you can access it through the official site. The interface is clean and it's more organized than the previous player, in my opinion. I still think the Devils should host their videos outside of the NHL for more access; but there you go - new streaming video interface for the Devils' NJD TV.

With a season rapidly approaching, we got more season previews and we're going to see how some of them see the Devils for 2008-2009. Last time, I took a look at three preview magazines - all of which did not think very highly of the Devils. Today, let's look at some more from Devils fans, Devils fans who have to be more impartial, and from people who are not Devils fans but write about hockey all the same.

First, from anonymous in the comments from the last post, we have this Devils preview that's in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of all places. Yes. It's called the Intelligencer. Anyway, it appears to be a syndicated article from "Sports Network" by Dan Di Sciullo. Di Sciullo's preview is pretty detailed and breaks down the team in each position while having an overall prediction in the end - a good format for a preview as any. He shows an understanding of the Devils organization by stating up front "Detractors will say that those moves show that the Devils are still living in the past, but it's never wise to doubt Lamoriello, after all, he is the man responsible for turning the swamps of Jersey into a frequent home for Lord Stanley." Well said.

Di Sciullo's analysis doesn't tell us much new in the big picture. But he correctly points out that signings of Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik will give the Devils good depth at center. However, he gets some things wrong in the process. Yes, Zach Parise, Brian Gionta, and Dainius Zubrus need to bounce back on the offense, and the signings could help them. But he bizarrely states that the signing of Rolston will free up Madden's role as a defensive center - a role that Madden still did last season and has been since he's been a Devil - and stated that Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner could play on Madden's line. Jamie, yes, I can see that and would like that. But, save for some bizarre Sutter line-mixing, Elias is not going to the checking line. Also, Travis Zajac is usually a center, but he should bounce back after a poor sophmore season. Regardless, he's got a good handle on the defense - bold idea predicting the 6 who will play - and the goaltending is straight forward. I see no issue with his prediction of the playoffs; but I don't think Brodeur's workload being lessened will mean a longer playoff run. The team will have to perform better and work harder as a whole in the postseason - it's not all on Brodeur. Still, it's a solid preview in a place I didn't expect it. Good job, anonymous.

By the by, anonymous (the same one? a different one? WHO KNOWS?) also points out the Devils got a mention in ESPN's 10 burning questions for the NHL Preseason. That's mention in the singular, as Pierre LeBrun just stated that they finally (aside: what's this 'finally' junk?) won't make the playoffs. It's not an actual preview, but just a thought. Here's my thought: Marc Lebrun will be proven wrong.

Let's go to the next preview, from a big name in the world of hockey blogging - Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy. In the past month, they've had a theme of high school yearbooks for their previews for every team in the season. They are detailed, cover all the bases, and are a little entertaining to boot. They even go ahead and note the bloggers and news sources online for each team. Here's his Devils preview which he gets through without being terribly biased.

He interestingly points out Elias as the player to "break out" this season; which makes some sense since he'll be on the same line as Brian Rolston. He's absolutely right in stating that how the offense does will make the difference between an early playoff exit and a run for the Cup; just look at 1995, 2000, 2001, and 2003 for success and the last few years for further, yet sad proof. I am disappointed he dragged out the same tired trope of the Devils not being excited in his coaching section - if you don't find the Devils exciting and state that more goals equals more filled seats, how come some teams who also play the same kind of defensive hockey and rely on a transition offense get those sellouts, like say, some group of blueshirted chumps across a river from Newark? Seriously. I am also questioning why he doesn't think Zubrus won't be better this season. Most of last season featured Zubrus working to get down low, doing all the little things right, do well enough along the boards, but he was unfortunate that he didn't have consistent linemates (but who did?) and that when he got a scoring chance, a defender/goaltender just got a piece of it at the last minute. Now that he's had a full season under Sutter, I think he'll blossom with a given role. Anyway, Greg thinks the Devils will make the playoffs and the only thing that could screw it all up is the only thing that could screw up New Jersey since 1997. It's a good read, like the other previews on the site, and it's not your standard, by-the-numbers preview. And I'm not just saying that because he mentions this blog.

Let's not talk about this recent preview Greg did with The Pensblog, something he doesn't sound particuarly proud of at Puck Daddy. I don't blame him, but not because of it's content. It's because it just plain sucks if only for further fueling the baseless criticism that the Devils are "boring."

So let's look at IPB. They've done something different for their preview, giving individual thoughts for each individual player and pointing out how they are trending. It's a good idea as it sticks out from the other previews. Some of them make sense, like their rationale for Zubrus and the utter confusion surrounding where Andy Greene's career is going (I couldn't tell you, to be honest, he's a firm tweener unless he shows more at this point). Others are a bit of a head scratcher. I agree that Travis Zajac should have a bounce back year, and Gionta in a contract year should provide a better year than expected, and the rest of the forwards should generally do better; but how can those statements be claimed after saying Elias is trending down? Why can't he bounce back as well when he had the same inconsistencies as everyone else, Ookies? Also, I get it, you don't care for Bobby Holik, but he's not going to Lowell - like getting cut in a knife fight, just expect it and accept it. Anyway, it's a good read, but it doesn't go far to say what they think the team will do. Given the general attitude of how they write about the Devils, I'm going to guess they'll be very pessimistic unless the Devils put together some amazing results. Still, it's a different take from other previews and you should read it for that. McKeen's is the only other one where they had something for every player, but that's fantasy-hockey related anyway. Incidentally, IPB did an even more, uh, different take on the team's trend a few days later. It's...a thing. And I have no comment on it.

IPB's Pookie also put together (or at least posted, maybe it was a collaborative work?) a short preview of the teams at ModFan. Literally short, just ten words at most for each team. A nitpick for the Devils, Pookie, Rolston and Holik were also on the 1995 team.

Fourthly, assuming that is a word, I found this through IPB as well, someone by the name of Pam did this preview at Melt Your Face-off. I know it's in the sidebar, but I don't follow the site; but it appears to be an opinion-based Deadspin-esque hockey blog by Deadspin commenters. Anyway, the preview isn't really much of one as 80% of it is about the horrible toss to the Rangers (true) and the saga of Bobby Holik leaving the team in 2000 to sign with the Rangers and how he wasn't fully missed due to John Madden. Needless to say, Pam isn't plussed with the signings. Anyway, the conclusion is an actual preview - rather a repeat of her short prediction last year - and Pam, who both hates and loves the Devils (in a word, what?) believes history will repeat itself. While I agree the team should be competitive, she doesn't offer much in as a reason as to why. Maybe her point is that not much has changed; but I don't see how signing a top six forward and a veteran center for the fourth line could not lead to any change?

Anyway, in the last seven previews I've read and discussed for far too long for little gain, six of them either have a pessimistic tone with the team or a pressimistic prediction. Originally, my point of doing all this was to get a handle of the general sentiment of what others think of this team. Almost all think the playoffs will happen for New Jersey, but few, if any, are confident in how they'll do. It's not that it's all baseless pessimism, most of it is reasoned out and based on actual results last season. I get that and understand it. Considering some of this pessimism comes from Devils fans, we just can't say "everyone else just doesn't respect New Jersey." The flipside to being a strong franchise is that expectations are high, and for some, the Devils just aren't meeting them by doing well in a tough division in a tighter-than-ever NHL. I don't know, maybe I'm missing something to all of this.

As usual, if you've gotten this far, thanks! And if you know of anymore Devils previews, let me know with a comment or an e-mail. Incidentally, I wrote a short one for another blog that should be up soon; but I don't think I'm in any place to critique or complain about my own work outside that it's likely too dang long.

Given that I went to the game last night, that meant I went to the Rock. As usual, the arena itself was still in its fine form. It was very clean on the concourse. The security was quick and well-staffed (though for a preseason game, there wasn't a lot to go through). The kiosks and food stands had many workers available on the lower concourse. The ushers themselves were, as far as I could tell, hospitable and helpful. The art was still there as was the initial blow-up puck that many signed on opening night. Even though the player banners on the columns outside of the Fire Lounge were out of date (Vitaly Vishnevski and Karel Rachunek were representing). Regardless of the game, I don't see how one could complain about how the arena was looking. Except for the side cupholders in the upper section, I mean.

Should the Devils want to expand their appeal, the Devils will have to keep up their appearance. The Devils control the Rock and how it looks, how they are staffed, and the general atmosphere of the place. This may be obvious to point out, but the person going to their first hockey game shouldn't have their experience soured by There's a reason why stores, theaters, restaurants, businesses, and so forth pay so close attention to appearance. They don't want their customers, their clients, and, their visitors to get the wrong impression of the business or the team or their day or so forth. It seems silly that would have an effect at first glance, but it really doesn't. Can you consider any venture as serious and professional if they aren't organized and clean?

Consider the last few years of the Continental Airlines Arena. Cramped. Not well kept. Terrible security (that's the NJSEA for you). Dirty seats. I could go on. Basically, the arena was showing way past it's age and the upkeep slacked off. Before the game even starts, some people would already be thinking "what a dump" and the Devils, trying to win fans through competitive hockey, are already having to play catch-up. The Devils are doing a great job with The Rock so far, and I just want to highlight that it's important that they keep it that way years from now.

And speaking of keeping up appearances, I notice the Devils Legion now have a Facebook, linked from the official site. You know, Facebook. The social networking site that allows you to control your privacy in that you can show off your ill-advised spray-on tan and poses with the "bros" from a few summers ago to the whole internet. Anyway, the Legion has photos and even some of the videos available through the main site. While this is a good idea to branch outside the Devils' site to reach fans; I think they can go further. Why doesn't someone at the Devils put the videos, vignettes, and highlights the Devils already have on NJD TV on other popular video hosts like Youtube and Dailymotion? Sure, both hosts have their flaws: Youtube's propensity for the worst possible comments for a video and Dailymotion's propensity to have something unrelated and sometimes unwanted be related to the video. Still, the NHL, the Flyers, the Capitals, the Kings, and the Canucks all have accounts on the 'Tube. I don't see a major downside to the Devils joining in. It'll at least get their name out there, have some non-Devils fans check it out, and perhaps some seeds will be planted. It's likely not a big deal in the big scheme of things, but it's something they can do along with airing a spot at the arena to check out NJD TV (which they did during last night's game) for videos.

Of course, it's possible the Devils organization are already working towards this and I'm just in the dark. And if so, my apologies. I just would like to see the Devils keeping up (or making) their appearance in multiple platforms.

I just came back from the first hockey game of the 2008 preseason at The Rock against the Rangers; a 3-2 win. This should provide a good boost after a 4-1 loss to Philadelphia the other night. Now, to be honest as much as it is great to see a win - especially over the rangers - I can't place a lot of value in the result. It's preseason. These games don't count and both sides aren't featuring their best available. So let's look at is how the teams did. However, it's preseason. It's important to also keep in mind that not everyone is "there."

The big differences between the two games were the first two forward lines, two thirds of the fourth line, and the defense. The Philly game featured the potential first line of Patrik Elias, Brian Rolston, and Brian Gionta along with a big line of Bobby Holik, Dainius Zubrus, and Mike Rupp. The Rangers game saw Zach Parise reunite with Travis Zajac and David Clarkson; with the expected third line of John Madden, Jay Pandolfo, and Jamie Langenbrunner. The fourth line's only consistency was Pierre-Luc Leblond-Letourneau. The defense against the Flyers featured Johnny Oduya, Colin White, Mike Mottau, Sheldon Brookbank, Matthew Corrente, and Tyler Eckford. Against the Rangers there was Bryce Salvador with Paul Martin, Anssi Salmela and Andy Greene, and Jay Leach with Matthew Spiller (an admittedly weaker defense).

Despite the line-up changes, it's fair to say that the Devils didn't exactly shine in either contest. Moreso in the Flyer game, the Devils were all over the place from being pressured to applying pressure. But the finishing wasn't there (not a great start for Elias, Rolston, and Gionta) and the Flyers truly capitalized on the Devils' mistakes (e.g. Corrente's giveaway), leading to the result. Against the Rangers tonight, the Devils looked solid for the first half; the Rangers surged in the second half of the second period; and both teams looked absolutely inept on offense - the Devils not being able to generate a rush, the Rangers not being able to aim a shot against the mighty Scott Clemmensen - until the last 5 minutes or so.

So what does this tell us? Well, the Devils still have some rust to get rid of. It is worrisome that the team can go through long stretches where they generate nothing on offense. Games will have such lulls, but not for 7+ minutes without a shot or much possession on the attack. Between the two games the competition has changed, Corrente didn't really impress against the Flyers whereas Salmela looked OK against the Rangers. Among the consistent forwards between the two games - Fedor Fedorov, Nicklas Bergfors, and Petr Vrana - those three looked particularly lively in both games. Namely because they are all looking for spots on this team and are giving what they can. It's hard to say who sticks out the most. Fedorov showed he can take the body tonight; Bergfors picked up 2 assists across both games; and Vrana got the one goal against Philly. There's plenty more preseason left, so I wouldn't expect much to be determined right now.

Oh yeah, the best Devil overall has to be Zach Parise. He scored a brace tonight . The first on a heads up play from a missed (deflected?) Bryce Salvador shot where he potted it past Henrik Lundqvist and trickled in. The second was an amazing put-back. Backup goaltender Antoine LaFluer stopped the initial Paul Martin shot and before it hit the ground, Parise swooped in and smacked it into the corner of the net. I'm sure there will be some video of it soon. Anyway, Parise clearly showed that he's ready for the season; I hope he keeps that same drive to make goals happen for this season.

Lastly, read Tom Gulitti's Fire & Ice. He's got all the impressions, quotes, and thoughts about the pre-season games. He's got way more information of interest than I will and you'll get a better feel for how things are going. Then again, if you're a Devil fan, you should be reading Gulitti anyway.

I found this on HFBoards. According to The Insider on Pittsburgh Sports, Devils legend Claude Lemieux is looking to return to the NHL at age 43. He's skating with the Phoenix Coyotes and seemingly wants to show the NHL that he still has enough in the gas tank.

In case this doesn't work, I have a modest proposal. I think the Devils should approach him with a role as a special assignment coach.

His assignment? Teach David Clarkson everything that he knows.

If he says no, maybe the Devils can find wherever Esa Tikkanen currently is (Korea? Finland? Luxemborg? Walla Walla?) and approach him for a similar role.

So with preseason already setting in, let's take a look at some more of the Devils previews that are out there. Until now, they've ranged as mostly positive with some caveats. But I found some more that aren't so kind and are actually somewhat blunt.

First, we look at the magazines. Basically, I ran to a local Barnes & Noble and checked out what the various hockey magazines had to say about the Devils. They included the NHL Official Yearbook - which I is a NHL "joint," McKeen's 2008-2009 Yearbook, and The Sporting News NHL Preview. I didn't see The Hockey News there, which I found a bit odd. Usually, THN is a regular over at a B&N; maybe it was my unlucky day.

Anyway, they are all similar to each other. Each and everyone one of them came to the same conclusions. The Devils' offense is questionable, but the signing of Brian Rolston should help. Brent Sutter is the right coach for the team. Special teams were a weakness. And the big one of all: Each of the three predicted that the Devils will finish fourth in the division. Ugh. That is a bold prediction for the team not doing so well.

Let's break it down a bit because beyond all that, there are some differences. For the NHL Yearbook, most of the preview was a re-cap of last season. However, they did point out the lack of a big shot on the point - which is true, but hopefully rectified with Rolston. Also, they were the only preview among the three that did state their poor inter-divisional record. They were so bold to state that while the team was talented to make the playoffs, and then predicting them a 9th place spot in the East. I guess they do not believe in the talent?

Now, the Sporting News preview for the Atlantic Division actually had a name associated with it - Chuck Gormley of the South Jersey Courier-Post. He's a regular contributor and seems to know his hockey. He has some interesting praise for the Devils, listing Martin Brodeur as the division's top goalie (of course) and Zach Parise as the division's top left winger (really). Overall, it's what you'd expect - goaltending, coaching, and defense are the strengths; special teams and offense are the weaknesses. Nothing we didn't know. He states that Travis Zajac is likely to breakout, rising like a phoenix from a sophmore slump. However, I disagree that the rookie to watch will be Anssi Salmela because it's looking like Corrente is the favorite of the non-regular defensemen to make the team. Curiously, he states in the division preview that there won't be much change in the standings; but does slot New Jersey as fourth, two spots lower than they were last season. Does this mean a playoff spot? It's not really clear, actually. A division prediction is made, but I didn't find a conference or a playoff prediction beyond who's going to the conference finals and winning it all. No, New Jersey isn't there.

Lastly, we come to McKeen's, a guide for those who like their season previews with fantasy predictions and discussion for literally every player on the team. Even Andy Greene got a small write up, fantasy-wise. McKeen's is interesting in that it predicted not just a position for the Devils, but also an actual record. They are predicting 39-31-12 (90 pts. tied with Tampa Bay for eighth, hedging their bets?), 231 goals for (yea, mo' goals!) and 223 goals against (what?). McKeen's preview is the most interesting for their bluntness. They just state that Brodeur played too many games and will get less (questionable), that Patrik Elias and Dainius Zubrus in particular need to rebound (true, but what of Brian Gionta?), the defense doesn't have any names but is effective all the same (true), and that they could very well challenge the Penguins for the division (only 4 points behind last season). Amazingly, the preview writer believes that Paul Martin is the man to watch for this season; it states to expect career highs in points now that he's had a year as a #1 defenseman. While I do agree with the idea that Martin will do better now he's more acclimated to being the de facto top defenseman on the team; I'm not so sure about the career highs. He'll have to contribute more on even strength unless he gets a regular spot next to Rolston on the power play. Even then, Martin's shot isn't great; I think he's better at puck distribution. That said, his career highs in goals is 6 and his highest mark in points is 37. Maybe it's not that far fetched. If the offense as a whole does better, Martin may benefit from the rising tide.

Still, I'm really impressed that among three different print guides, they all predict the same result for the Devils within the division. They tend to agree on the big-picture of the Devils - poor offense, a good-enough defense, amazing goalie. But they differ on the details, such as who to look for to have a big year or whether they will make the playoffs. None of them state the Devils are devoid of talent. Yet, they are big believers that Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are top teams in the division; and they expect the Rangers to be slightly better (maybe based on how well they've done against New Jersey last season?). All across the board, fourth place is where they expect the Devils to end up.

I disagree with that prediction, to be frank. As those tend to doubt New Jersey, they tend to play better and finish higher than what they look like on paper. I think (and hope!) I'll be proven right in the coming season. Pre-season results, notwithstanding. Next time, I'll discuss more Devils previews from the blogosphere.

Yes, TONIGHT. It's the first hockey game the New Jersey Devils hockey organization will play for their preseason, the first since their stomach-punching playoff loss to Our Hated Rivals, and while it won't count for anything, the game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be a sight to see.

And with Gulitti reporting - along with past reports of lines like Elias-Rolston-Gionta and Rupp-Holik-Zubrus - that roster-battlers Fedor Fedorov, Nicklas Bergfors, and Petr Vrana will be on a line together. That will be interesting to see since all of them can't make the team, they are put together to harness their competiveness for any spots. An interesting idea and I can't wait to see how it looks.

Also, from the same article, you can surmise that your defensemen will be Colin White, Mike Mottau, Matthew Corrente, Tyler Eckford, Sheldon Brookbank, and Johnny Oduya. Two rookie defensemen, one of which has past experience in doing well in training camp. Yet another thing to look for in tonight's game.

You can see it through the power of the Internet™. The Flyers website will be streaming the game IF you are local (boo). Gulitti will be posting updates about the game. The Devils website will be streaming audio from the contest, but no video. Want to learn a little about the opposition? Might as well check out this short preview from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Will the Devils win? It's preseason, so as long as there no injuries and they look in sync, that'll be good enough for me. But the important thing is that it's Devils hockey. It's back! Receive and enjoy it!

This is the question I ask in today's Atlantic Division article for NHL Full Access. It's up, it's live, and it's there for you to read.

I didn't intend to pick on one team more than the other; but they truly do have two players with something to prove. I also went into the column thinking who had the most to prove by position, while balancing it among the various teams. A little easier for some teams than others, but I think you'll agree with some of my decisions on it. Can I get any more vague talking about my column here? Probably. But enough of that, go read it at NHL Full Access.

With the first full day of training camp complete with the veterans, Gulitti has plenty of things to report at Fire & Ice. He's got a guess as to who will be in the starting line up based on who was changing in the main locker room. Now, it's just a guess from Gulitti, but when I saw this list, I find myself agreeing with the guess. I don't see any of these guys not making the team unless someone (e.g. Matthew Corrente) really impresses in preseason to unseat one of the defensemen:

Now, just on a lark, here's what I think the lines will be should Gulitti's guess turn out to be right.

Elias-Rolston-Gionta
Parise-Zajac-Zubrus
Pandolfo-Madden-Langenbrunner
Rupp-Holik-Clarkson

Martin-Salvador
White-Mottau
Oduya-Brookbank

Brodeur
Weekes

Extras: Pelley, Greene

I expect Elias to play with Rolston and Gionta based on Gulitti's report here, where we learn that Elias has no issue playing left wing again and that so far the line seems to be training well together and enjoying it. Left over from that, I figured Parise is a lock for the top six; Zajac will be given a shot in a scoring role again, and Zubrus just to see how he would fit there. The third line is fundamental; Madden and Pandolfo are a given and I think Langenbrunner will do well there as he won't be expected to score as much (and it may seem like he wouldn't regardless). I fully expect Holik to be on the fourth line (he will not be scratched) and I figure Rupp and Clarkson will be there to make it a really physical line. For forward, basically Pelley has the inside track on getting a spot as a scratch and so Petr Vrana and Fedor Fedorov need to impress in training camp if they want to crack into the line up on the fourth line. I don't think Nicklas Bergfors will get in unless a spot opens on the top two lines as he is a scoring winger and his talents would be wasted on the third or fourth lines.

From the second half of the original post where he made this guess, Gulitti informs us that Sutter has been considering changing his defensive pairings. So I figure the defense pairings will reflect that. I took a shot at Brookbank getting the start over Greene since Brookbank was more consistent on the third pairing than Greene - who truly needs to do well in preseason to stay up (or in) New Jersey. Given how training camp goes, this side of the skaters is more volitile. I expect a return of Oduya to the top four in case Salvador-Martin doesn't go well. Outside of Greene, Matthew Corrente has a good chance to become an extra defenseman if he outperforms one of Greene or Brookbank. Sutter mentioned Mottau pairing with White working well, so I don't expect him to drop. Since it's not etched in stone who the #6 guy will be, Corrente has the best chance of all the Devils' prospects to make the team this year.

Goaltending is straight forward. Brodeur is the best there is in this league and will go down as one of the best there was and one of the best there will ever be. What's interesting is that both Gulitti and Rich Chere have reported that Brodeur may not play 77 games this season like he did in 2007-2008. This has led to speculation on various message boards as to how many games Brodeur should play, with some stating that he should rest more for the playoffs.

That's all contingent on how the season plays out; but I'd like to go against my better judgment and remind everyone about the playoff series against the Rangers. Yes, Martin Brodeur didn't play his best and has admitted as such (just look at the Chere article); but it wasn't fatigue. The true root cause was that the team wasn't going to win the series because they just didn't put in the effort until they were losing in the game. I've even stated as such after the first, the second, the third, and the fourth loss in the series. Just because Marty is quick to take the blame doesn't mean it was completely his fault; do not forget that the Devils as a whole got out-worked and couldn't break through. If Kevin Weekes started 10 more games last season and assuming all other things being equal, it wouldn't mean the rest of the team would have performed any better. (Also, if Marty was truly tired, wouldn't have we seen it well before the playoffs?) Let's avoid revisionist history.

Anyway, I think what I've come up for the lines makes sense considering the roster right now for opening night. However, the best part of training camp is upon us - preseason. It will determine who will fight to earn a spot, earn future consideration, and earn themselves a trip back to junior or Lowell. Interesting times are upon us, coinciding with the return of hockey.

If you'd like to read updates about training camp, Tom Gulitti is your man to go check out. He is, as usual, on point and he has all you need to know and more about the scrimmages, who will line up at center between Rolston and Elias on the first line (at first), the free AHL preseason game at the Rock, and that Brian Rolston has a no-trade clause. Hopefully, should Rolston play as well as he can play, a trade will not be necessary regardless of the clause. Anyway, go to Fire & Ice and just keep on scrolling down. Likewise, check out Tibbs at Beast of the East as he aggregates all the Devils articles out there himself.

However, I want to talk about hits. I made an attempt at a hitting analysis from last season similar to the shooting accuracy analysis I did a few months ago. I put off the follow-up to Part 1 because I wasn't quite confident in the accuracy of the hit results I got game to game from the NHL's game reports (pulled from NHL.com). I noticed that some games somehow had way more hits than others. For example, the Devils' seventy-seventh game of the season was against the Rangers at MSG and a total of 104 hits were recorded. In comparison, the Devils' next game was against Philadelphia at the Rock, and despite how those games get, only 21 total hits were logged. I found it hard to believe that there would be that big of a difference in hits recorded, especially against two hated rivals. Different scorers at different games can truly yield extremely high variability. I can understand why Hockey Analysis attempted to adjust the real time super statistic of hitting (among others).

So basically, you may want to take all of this with a grain of salt since I have to assume NHL's reports are correct. I don't know how well the adjustment works nor how it would work on a game to game basis. That said, I think it's an interesting exercise all the same.

Now, that is something right there. From what I've compiled from NHL's reports, the Devils outhit their opponents more often than not in all games and when they do win. More impressively, is that they do so while at The Rock to the tune of approximately 75.61% of all 41 home games. Based on this empirical evidence alone, and with our assumptions, we can conclude that the Devils are definitely not a soft team as they pile up the hits, especially at home. As an aside, the Devils actually outhit their opponents in 21 of the 36 Devils losses (or non-wins to be precise), which is good for a rate of approximately 58.33%.

Again, using our assumptions we find out that this makes sense when we breakdown the average hits per game by the Devils and their opponents. In this case, I determined the averages between Devils wins and losses, Devils at the Rock and on the road, and games where the Devils did and did not outhit their opponents. I expected the Devils to have a higher average of hits than their opponents when they outhit their opponents and especially at home.


From what we see here, my expectations were only half right I took a percent difference to highlight how significant the differences in averages were. I was correct in expecting that the difference in average hits by both sides would favor New Jersey at home. Interestingly, when the Devils win or lose, the difference in averages just under a hit in favor of New Jersey. Given that the Devils outhit their opponents in about 58% of their wins and 58% of their losses, this is a reasonable result. What is truly stark is the difference in average hits by the Devils in games at home and on the road. It's truly massive and given that both sample sizes are the same, 41 games each, it perhaps could be said that the Devils take up their physical game when away from home. Unfortunately for them, so do their opponents, it seems. In addition, check out the averages when the Devils outhit and get outhit. The Devils actually average more hits in the games where they get outhit by their opponents. Again, assuming our assumptions are valid, that's a testament to how tough the Devils are - they don't roll over, it's just that their opponents were more vigorous in taking the body.

Based on the chart, the significant differences appear among our empirical data when the Devils are at home (a difference in averages of 2.756 hits), when the Devils are outhitting their opponents, and when the Devils are being out hit. In those last two cases, the differences in averages is roughly around 4.5 hits (up to 4.667 in the former, down to 4.412 in the latter).

However, given that the Devils average 1.51 more hits when they are being outhit, this brings me back to the issue of the assumption made earlier. I cannot rule out scorer bias when it comes to hits being recorded from game to game. I gave an example of this earlier, but the previous chart provides further suggestion. While the Devils aren't certainly soft, the fact that the Devils' average so many more hits on the road is questionable. From what I've seen of the team, they don't seem to be that more physical on the road than at home and while I'm sure there are games where they have been, I certainly have some doubts that it would translate over the whole season. Likewise, I don't think traveling to the Rock incapacitates opponents from throwing the body by half of what they do at home. Granted, the opponents are teams of varying physical ability, effort on a given night, etc. However, overall, that their average based on NHL's numbers doubles up when they go home definitely raises an eyebrow. Combine that with the earlier example and I cannot come up with a definitive solution.

If we assume there isn't anything wrong with NHL's numbers, we can conclude from the empirical evidence that the Devils were certainly not soft last season. They got more hits than their opponents at home, they stepped up their hitting on the road, and they get more hits than their opponents more often than not in both wins and losses.

While the 58.7% of the Devils' wins come as they outhit their opponent, that 58.3% of their losses come in the same state means that I don't think that there is a correlation between wins and outhitting the opponent. Furthermore, there wasn't a large difference in average hits in wins or losses; those were only significant when the Devils were at home aside from one outhitting the other. Because the initial assumption about NHL's numbers - the scorers recording real time super stats being correct - is suspect, a complete conclusion cannot be reached. However, based on what numbers we do have access to, I am confident in stating that the Devils were definitely not a soft team lacking in physical play. Even when they were being outhit, they average a solid number of hits - moreso when they are leading other team in hits. While the loss of Vitaly Vishnevski will hurt in the hit department and the team in general isn't a hit machine, I don't expect the Devils to become physical doormats in the coming season based on what they showed last season.

The Front Office Sports Network is a growing organization that has namely focused on baseball with two separate sites for the sport. The first is MLB Front Office, which focuses on fantasy baseball, and a blog about what's going on in the world of baseball, Major League Report. Today, they just launched a site about the NHL - NHL Full Access. It just launched today and hopefully it'll grow into a massive site for the fans of the game, with articles focusing on each division, a blog for fantasy hockey called Rotopuck, and even a section for the minors.

Why am I so particular about this site than others? Well, namely because I'm a part of this one. I am currently writing a weekly article about the Atlantic Division every Monday for NHL. The first one is up and it's right here. That's right, you can read me actually trying to be unbiased and fair to the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers. It's a struggle. I'm still figuring out with how I want to approach the column; but I'll definitely try to have something to say every week. And if you have any suggestions about (or for) the column, feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment. The worst that happens is that I don't read it or outright dismiss it, so you got nothing to lose, really. So check out NHL Full Access on a regular basis. Thanks to Kevin Orris for giving me this opportunity and for putting a lot of the site together.

Also, while I'm on the subject of talking about what I'm doing, you all should know that I have become a full season ticket holder of the New Jersey Devils. So that means fewer gameday posts and more "game review" posts. Something tells me that most of you won't mind that. However, it also means I got preseason tickets. I hope to make it to all of them so I can give you all some idea of how the prospects, fringe players, and regulars are doing before the season truly begins.

If you have noticed by the end of last season or during the playoffs or have been to the Devils' official website, you've likely heard of the Devils Legion. Basically, it's the organization reaching out to those who have supported the team via an online community. As far as i know, to be a part of the Legion, you have to do one of three things. Other than being a Devils fan, of course.

While we all can't be Patrick Warburton, options 1 and 2 are pretty good choices. I happen to think this is a great way to drawing interest into the team. It allows those who are already "in"to show off their support of the team in a creative manner and be recognized for it. It can be of interest to those who aren't "in" and could be a way of convincing them that the team directly supports their supporters. I mean, what's more attractive? A professional hockey organization giving their fans space to tell their story and share their pictorial moments of "bleeding Devils red?" Or a series of commercials where a die-hard fan continually gets abused or made to look like a fool or taking a wrist shot to the testicles?

Oh, sure, I enjoy those commercials. But I'm a Devils fan. How can I not enjoy a Rangers fan taking a shot to the groin? Even if it isn't real? However, the message there is: be a fan of our team, like this doofus.

I don't think that's a good idea (albiet hilarious to their rivals). I think the Devils are onto something with this Devils Legion. My only complaint - other than that they should have done this sooner - is that they really need to put it out there. Hopefully, they'll make more of a point that it's a community rather than saying "you're one of us" like last year's commercial-esque spots. While I enjoyed the spots, such as this and this and this, it doesn't tell me much about what the Legion actually is. It tells me to join it - or perhaps I already had (I'd hope so just on the basis that I do this.) - but it doesn't tell me, or anyone else, how. If they are going to use the same spots, which would be fine, just edit them to include how they can join the Legion by going to the Devils' website. If they are going to use new spots, well, they need to make sure they include that. (Related Aside: If you submit a video, could it become a spot for the Devils Legion? That'd be a good question to ask, actually.) This way new and recently new fans can start to be a part of something and long-time fans who may not necessarily go poke around the Devils' official site all that much will learn about it too.

Incidentally, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea if the Devils' site included a little section on the front page of the site to highlight features of the Devils Legion. They have a nice sized rectangle below Merchandise and next to the widget (?) for the schedule, standings, and statistics that could hold that quite nicely. While the page does have a tab up top for "Fan Zone" and a side graphic for the Devils Legion, a little something just to show off what's new over there. It could give vistors more of a reason to check it out.

Regardless of the nitpicks, overall, I think it's a good decision by the organization to start this and I sincerely hope they continue it. It shows that they are interested in growing a community, giving the Devils fanbase an area for them, and they actually are doing something to promote the team.

We can all relax now, Tom Gulitti has reported that Rod Pelley has signed a 2 year, $1.1 million deal with the Devils. If you like official announcements without much information, the Devils main site announces that Pelley has signed. Gulitti gives no indication that it's a two-way deal; so that's $550,000 cap hit. NHL's Cap has the Devils with approximately $3.1 million in salary cap space before the deal; so I think this signing it likely guarantees that if the New Jersey Devils will sign someone, it won't be for big money. Likely for a two-way player, if anyone. Anyway, I got two questions about this?

First off, it really needed to take this long to sign Pelley? Pelley made $522,000 last season. Per Gulitti's details, he's getting a raise of $3,000 for this season and then he'll get a $50,000 raise after that. Sure, for most of us, that would be huge. But for a NHL player? That's not significant. The negotiations ran long for that small of a raise? I can see the issue of the contract being one-way being a sticking point? But did it need to go all the way to September to agree on terms?

Second, while I have no issue with Pelley on the team; he's proven to be a capable fourth line center in the 58 games he played last season. But he does know that he's got to compete for his spot again in spite of the contract, right? Consider the following: The Devils kept Pelley, signed Bobby Holik, they have Mike Rupp and David Clarkson, signed Fedor Fedorov - who wants to play for New Jersey and not Lowell, and they have (at least) Petr Vrana competing for a spot. I don't know about you, but I see a logjam on that fourth line. Who gets those last set of roster spots depends on what Sutter wants to do and what the new(er) guys do in camp. For that reason alone,

Again, I don't have a problem with Pelley; and I'd almost have to think that Sutter will keep an extra forward on the roster given this logjam of capable fourth liners. And hopefully for Pelley's sake, he'll get one of those sports. Otherwise, I openly wonder why Pelley was signed.

This is excellent. I'm not feeling the cut-away and morphing font, but I applaud this distinction and possible direction the team could take this in. Plus, it allows me to say with some level of confidence (not that I needed it before):

Hopefully, the Devils will tell Jersey more about themselves in conjunction with this. Let them learn about the history, the organization, the three Stanley Cups, dominance in the Atlantic, the Devil legends (Brodeur, Stevens, Daneyko, Lou), and the team as it is. Let them know that the Devils will always be proud to hail from New Jersey.

There's more previews coming out here and for the first one, well, I thought the NHL.com Devils preview was optimistic. I found a better example of optimism through the Devils' board on HFBoards. Compared to the one written by Mike Heika, Dallas Stars reporter at the Dallas Morning News, that wasn't an optimistic preview. Consider the opening to his preview:

Woah! First in the East! He's got a point about how a team can still contend in today's NHL by focusing on their defense and how the Stars and Devils play similar styles. He's absolutely right about the team concept and Martin Brodeur. But first? In the Eastern conference? This season? Wow. I hope he's right, but, wow. That's some kind of confidence there.

Heika notes that the two major signings of the offseason, Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik, will fit in well because they know what they are getting into. They already know what the team philosophy (a.k.a. "The Lou-ade") is and can perform in that capacity. He also states that the defense could be better, but stated that it's good enough especially with - the best goaltender in the league - behind them all. He tended to gloss over the team's offense; but I guess he was implying that Patrik Elias, Zach Parise, and Jamie Langenbrunner will do better with a solid set of centers (Rolston, Travis Zajac, John Madden, Holik).

Ultimately, while it's not completely unlikely, I'm still having some trouble seeing this Devils team finish first in the East. Again, I'd love it were to happen; but I have my doubts. Still, I have to respect the man's opinion - he considers how players buy into a system to be important. Since we're Devils fans who remember the team's rise and three Stanley Cups, it's an incredibly important facet of the game. Besides, how often does someone in the outside media correctly identify what makes the Devils who they are, gives Martin Brodeur a lot of credit, expects the Rangers to fall back, and think this team can be big players in the coming season? For that alone, it's definitely worth your time.

On the more realistic side of previews, and by a Devils fan, we have Joe Betchel of 2 Man Advantage who has written a preview of his own. Yes, 2 Man Advantage has updated! They still exist. In any case, Betchel forms his preview in the form of questions, with his thoughts of what the answers will be. His questions are quite valid. The defense is still a sticking point as the top pairing is Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya and he wonders outloud as to whether Lou will make another move for a defenseman. Just jump in with my own thought, if Lou will make a significant move it will most likely be a trade and probably in January-February 2009. Either way, I agree with Joe that we won't see anything major yet. He's also not confident in the offense. He's confident in Rolston, but his concerns are about the other forwards on the team. These are very valid and for the Devils to succeed, they're going to have to step up their respective games. Interestingly enough, he is confident in Brent Sutter. Given the concerns at defense and at forward, you'd think coaching would play a part in fueling part of those concerns.

In any case, Betchel's preview is more of what some (most?) Devils fans could be feeling. On paper, the defense is unimpressive and the coaching staff did a great job in having them play above their expectations. On paper, the offensive talent exists, but the consistency wasn't there (for any forward save for the checkers, but that's with respect to their position) in reality. Yet, the team has Martin Brodeur, a solid concept, and they make do - as difficult as it can be sometimes.

Now, the point I'm trying to make with these season preview summaries is that I'm trying to get a feel for what other people think of the Devils heading into this season. Sometimes, for whatever reason, it may seem that no one respects the Devils or that this is their last year in glory or somesuch. And I'm sure there are some previews and thoughts just like that. But I want to get a handle of a larger community of previews. For all we know, a lot of the previews out there think the Devils may be pretty good this season. Or whether they think the offense will do better or worse. Or something else entirely. I'm interested in what they have to say and would like to compare them at some point.

I'm not trying to pick apart everyone's previews or do the worst snarky commentary possible for what may just amount to a prediction or snidely discount or insult a writer/blogger (though 2MA needs to rise from their grave). That's not my intention. I just want to summarize what the preview states, highlight their points, and just give my thoughts on them. And ultimately, tabulate how the previews differ from each other. So if you know of any Devils previews out there - blog, media, or otherwise - let me know (e-mail is best) so I can get as many as possible.

According to Rich Chere of the Star Ledger, Jamie Langenbrunner is healthy and will captain the New Jersey Devils in the 2008-2009 season. Brent Sutter even said it himself:

With training camp starting in mid-September and a number of teams, including the Devils, starting pre-camp workouts, it's the time where season previews are written, published, and read. The NHL's website has a cavalcade of preview coverage - with, as you would as expect, complete previews for each team. So let's take a look at what NHL staff writer Adam Kimelman has to say about the Devils for this season.

Given that the preview is from NHL.com, it's a very optimistic preview. I don't see the league's website being blunt about it and just say that a team is going to be outright bad. But it's definitely worth reading. Consider the New Jersey Devils' preview - Kimelman correctly points out that the offense needed addressing in the offseason because they have been so bad at it. And as a result, he has more written about the forwards than the defense or the goaltending. Essentially, he doesn't expect the defense to be an issue and he points out what milestones Martin Brodeur will likely break this season. Not just the obvious - career wins - but also in games played and possibly in total saves and minutes. There's not much to say about the defense; so let's consider his section on the forwards which is a cause of some skepticism.

Apparently, Kimelman thinks that Brian Rolston will play at center for New Jersey, with Zach Parise and Brian Gionta on his wing, and all three will therefore have great seasons. That would be great and I agree that Rolston will provide a boost to the offense. However, I'm still not sure Rolston should be placed at center. I've expressed this concern back in July; but for all I know, the Devils will make it work. Also, I'm not sure that Brian Gionta will get a big boost by playing with Rolston and Parise. Gionta was shuffled all over the place last season and he seemingly forgot to crash the net like he did in 2005-2006. He wasn't carrying an offensive burden as much as his (and the team's) inconsistency was a burden on offense. Don't get me wrong, I hope Kimelman is right in this regard; I'm just not as hopeful.

He also touches on Patrik Elias, saying that with Rolston at center, he can go back to left wing. In Kimelman's scenario, that's true. However, he'll be on the second line with, I guess, Travis Zajac and Dainius Zubrus? Or Jamie Langenbrunner? He may be more comfortable at left wing, but I don't know whether that will lead to more points. While it'd be amazing, I am further skeptical that Jay Pandolfo and John Madden will repeat their production from last season. It's going to be up to the top six forwards to improve on their production because if New Jersey is looking to Madden and Pandolfo for scoring, the team's offense clearly has problems.

His reasons for optimism at the end of the column are mostly sound. Martin Brodeur will remain being magnificient. Sutter now knows what he has to do and we'll likely see fewer line-up changes, which in turn can allow for more stability and allow chemistry to develop. But Zach Parise hitting 100 or more points? That's a rather bold prediction, Kimelman. Patrik Elias came close in 2000-2001 with 96 and that's from having a monster season while playing the whole season on the storied A Line. To hit triple digits I would think that Parise would have to have a monster season like no other in Devils' history and have the right chemistry with his linemates and stay with the same linemates and stay healthy and hope opposing defenses can't figure him out. Brian Rolston and Parise's development alone won't be enough. I'd love to be proven wrong about this, but I don't think we're going to see that yet.

Kimelman's preview, as I said earlier, is optimistic and the preview itself is worth reading as it's a decent, to-the-point summary of the Devils. The additional articles linked in the preview are also worth your time. However, I think the more optimistic parts should be taken with grains of salt, so to speak. If you're looking for a comprehensive Devils preview, this alone won't do it.

I was sick for a few days, so bear with me for being rather late with this. Tom Gulitti is back with actual substance at Fire & Ice. Apparently, the unofficial beginning of training camp, or "the informal pre-camp workout," began yesterday at the Prudential Center with 18 players arriving to train. 18! And 12 of them are Devils regulars! That's excellent! Three guys stick out from the list that Gulitti that he posted:

1. Tyler Eckford. This doesn't surprise me much, as Eckford wants to start getting to work right away. He didn't show up to the Devils' development camp in July because he was still taking courses at Alaska-Fairbanks, as Gulitti reported. Hopefully his classes went well, U of A-F can use that scholarship for another player, and Eckford starts making progress as he becomes a professional ice hockey player.

2. Fedor Fedorov. He's serious about wanting a position with the New Jersey. He showed up to developmental camp and he's been given a number in this workout (which may mean nothing, Pascal Rheaume got a low number in camp many times). I still think that he'd have to start on the fourth line were he to make the team and that's a shame for Fedorov. Bobby Holik was signed in the offseason and he may end up there; and even then it'd be a fight with Rod Pelley.

3. Rod Pelley. Now, he's not signed yet and he's working out with the team. Gulitti asked Lou about his contract status and he had this to say:

A day later, Gulitti raised the question to Pelley:

Usually, players without contracts don't take part in team activities - especially ones that could result in unfortunate injury. It's great that he isn't holding out and it's clear he wants to be with New Jersey; but I'm absolutely baffled that he's not signed. What would both sides need more time for? For a player who, most likely, will make only (yeah, I know, only) six figures? Could it be that they are discussions over whether he'll be a one-way or two-way player - especially with others (Holik, Fedorov) that could center the fourth line? Could it be incentives? Could it be the shoes? I have no idea. With the official training camp beginning in a few weeks, I suppose we'll hear a resolution to this soon - and hopefully a reason as to why this took so long.

Anyway, Gulitti has also asked Lou about whether the training camp will be open to the public and Lou's answer says "probably not." Well, it's not a straight "no," but it may not be likely given his answer. As far as why the practice rink has seats and a sponsor (the AmeriHealth Pavillion Center!), well the center isn't just for the Devils' practice but it will host hockey clinics, tournaments, and maybe some youth hockey among Newark teams. In a feature about the youth hockey representation at the Rock, co-owner Mike Gilfillan talks in this video (1:44 in) about the Newark Americans and a mite Americans squad and how they'll move to the Pavillion eventually. That probably makes more sense as to why there are seats at least. (ASIDE: I love the fact that the Devils have all of these video clips on their official site, but a way to promote that you even have this or have new videos would be excellent.)

Would an open camp bring in more and new fans to the franchise? Honestly, I don't know. It would make the team more accessible in a way and allow the fans to see more of the prospects and their favorite players up close. On the other hand, the camp likely takes place during the day - which isn't really accessible for most people - and it's mostly going to be drills and practice between those you will see in Newark in October and those you will see in Lowell (or elsewhere). If you're really into the team, I can see this as something you'd like to check out; but maybe not if you just learned that the Devils are a hockey team. As an analogue, I went to a NY Giants training camp session last year with my brother. We both thought it was interesting, but it was mostly standing around watching the players do their thing in practice with other Giants fans. While it was cool to see them upclose and working out (e.g. Jeremy Shockey helped Kevin Boss how to lift a guy on a block), it wasn't particularly exciting and I didn't see it as something that would make somebody become a Giants fan. Also, there were just several hundred spectators for the training camp of a vastly popular NFL team. I don't know if the Devils' camp would gain nearly as much interest from the public. I could be wrong, though; but I just think that while opening training camp to the public would be nice, it may not bring a significant benefit.

I never got a chance to discuss it yet, but Martin Brodeur has a biography out that he wrote with Damian Cox of the Toronto Star. It's called Brodeur: Beyond the Crease and it's your basic nuts-and-bolts kind of sports biography. Will you learn amazing insight into the game or the player's mind? Not really. Will you learn of all the dirt on Brodeur's personal and professional life? No. But will you learn about the players' upbringing, his time in the league, and more knowledge about the player than you did prior to the book? Yes. If you're a Devils fan and/or a Brodeur fan, it's a good read; but it's not a book you should run over your grandma over to go get. Anyway, I bought it last summer and I enjoyed it, but there was one fact that has been stuck in my head. No, it had nothing to do with how he became his own agent and how he felt he was a company man. No, it had nothing to do with how he sees himself as French. It's an anecdote about his pre-game rituals (and maybe you heard of this) and it's right there on page 73:

What we have here is not just any professional athlete; but one of the greatest goaltenders in the NHL stating that he drinks Sprite before and in the middle of games. Not something healthy or designed for athletes; but Sprite. When Martin Brodeur was becoming the second goaltender in history to win 500 games (and making one of the best saves I've ever seen), he was most likely imbibing some Sprite at some point in the evening.

What I want to know is whether anyone put two and two together yet? I know the Devils seem to prefer the team over the individual; Brodeur is no mere individual. He's the cornerstone of this team and an active Devils legend. He's going to go down in history as one of the greatest goaltenders in the world of hockey. Yes, other players may be drinking Sprite while they play too and yes, Brodeur isn't a popular superstar outside of hockey or someone who will energize that crucial 18-25 demo; but come on. How can there not be any effort to see the marketing possibilities here? A living legend of the game drinks a carbonated beverage of his own volition when he's performing at the highest level of his craft! Surely, it cannot be too difficult to let the fine makers of Sprite know about this and talk about making him a spokesman of sorts. He's been supporting the product for years as it is; it's not like Brodeur would be lying about his pre-game and in-game soft drink choice.

Now, for all I know, maybe efforts were made and they never worked out. Fine. But if we want to see the Devils to get more popular, it couldn't kill the organization to try and promote their most important player at the forefront. Brodeur doing a spot for CCM back in 2000 or this spot for TSN's Sportscentre (seriously, Sportscentre.) didn't cause any problems, why not encourage him to do more? Especially more local ads to endear him to the New Jersey audience? Maybe he may not want to (and if that's the case, that's certainly understandable) to do this sort of promotion, but he deserves more than, what, that one commercial about a Devil of a Sale for a car dealership in Ocean?

I'm not saying Brodeur has to jump into a basketball court in the hot sun or enjoy a refreshing Sprite along side a pool or a boat or a pool on a boat with Grant Hill. That would be cool, though. But I think for the Devils to get their name out there, they need to promote some of the players and a good way to do that is to have them do things like commercials. It gets their name out there - even if it's cheesy, shows off some of their personality - or lack thereof, and it's a win-win for all involved if it's a good ad (or, well, a Youtube highlight). More people recognize the player, more people recognize what's being sold. If not Brodeur, why not Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, or John Madden or some other well-to-do Devil? It's not the end-all, be-all way to get more people aware of the Devils of New Jersey; but it would definitely be a step forward. And it's hard to plant seeds for growth if you don't even try throwing them.