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head coach: Jacques Lemaire

roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Bobby Holik, Bob Carpenter, Denis Pederson, Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott, Sergei Brylin, Brendan Morrison. LW - Dave Andreychuk, Brian Rolston, Patrik Elias, Jay Pandolfo. RW - Randy McKay, Steve Thomas, Krzysztof Oliwa. D - Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Lyle Odelein, Kevin Dean, Doug Bodger, Sheldon Souray, Brad Bombardir. G - Martin Brodeur, Mike Dunham.

standings:

Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division   
Team           GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
z-New Jersey   82  48  23  11   107  225  166  
x-Philadelphia 82  42  29  11    95  242  193
x-Washington   82  40  30  12    92  219  202  
NY Islanders   82  30  41  11    71  212  225  
NY Rangers     82  25  39  18    68  197  231  
Florida        82  24  43  15    63  203  256 
Tampa Bay      82  17  55  10    44  151  269  

x - Clinched playoff spot
z - Clinched conference

team news:

by Phil Aromando, New Jersey Correspondent

After a disappointing second round playoff loss to the Rangers last season, it seemed the Devils that we had come to know and admire were on the brink of completely collapsing. Despite missing the playoffs in '96, the season after their Cup win, the expectation was that the Devils would be a lock on at least advancing to the '97 Cup final after a strong finish as the regular season Eastern Conference champions.

But the loss to the Rangers was swift. And that swiftness raised serious questions about who exactly this Devil team was. Were they still the upstart underdogs led by a Hall of Fame coach and his suffocating system of fundamental defensive hockey or were they a jaded, diminished bunch lucky to have even won one Cup?

Scott Stevens by Meredith Martini

Surprisingly, the Devils came out this year and put together their most successful regular season ever. They won their second straight regular season Eastern Conference, second straight Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed, set a team wins record with 48 which included the fewest losses ever on the road (13) and tied with the most ever wins at home (29). Any lingering doubts about their desire and ability vanished. Last year's playoff failure could be chalked up to the vagaries of an intense rivalry that had more to do with psychology than a failure of their style of play. Maybe they had, like Detroit, taken their playoff failures as building blocks and come out even stronger? Maybe this was their year? The playoffs would surely be a forum for success.

But they didn't seem to learn their lesson entirely. The Ottawa Senators, playing with a hunger and confidence that looked eerily similar to the Devils of the first two years of the Lemaire era, dispatched Jersey in six games of the first round. El Diablo looked so unlike the team that had confidently marched through the regular season. (Ironically it was Ottawa beating Jersey on the last day of the '96 season that prevented them from defending their Cup.)

Whatever the reason, Jacques Lemaire had had enough. Not two weeks after the stunning and gut-wrenching elimination by the Senators, the Lemaire era came to a self-imposed conclusion. After two years of such great promise the Devils followed up with three years of inconsistency that had them reminding everyone of another local team capable of fantastic regular seasons followed by ignominious playoff defeats. They weren't the next dynasty, the team new rules need to be created for, any longer. They were regular season wonders living large off the reputation they had seized in the early days of the Lemaire reign. Lemaire and his system were constants but many things had changed since those first two seasons.

It's instructive to draw a parallel between the Devils and Red Wings. Even though the Wings were swept in the '95 Cup final by the Devils, they managed to keep the core of their team together and add important sustaining elements. Since that defeat they have not only managed to be as consistent as the Devils during the regular season but also thrive in the playoffs, winning back-to-back Cups.

After the season of their greatest glory, the Devils began to slowly dismantle. Having finally found a combination of players and coaches that worked very well together, it seemed that a cockiness grew that indicated "we can win it no matter who we have - our system is superior." If key role players like Claude Lemieux and Chris Terreri had stayed around (or equal replacements had been found) and assistant coach Larry Robinson were still the understanding buffer between the players and Lemaire, they may very well have become that dynasty of the nineties. But the core of the team that began under Lemaire slowly evaporated and the choices that were made to replace key players and coaches have yet to seem as inspired as originally planned. Change is not necessarily a bad thing, but few since '95 appear as effective as originally intended. On top of that, the system that Lemaire implemented began to turn on itself and although successful, seemed to bore the players in the long run.

The changes continued through this season. It started with Brian Rolston and Bill Guerin holding out. Rolston came around and signed but Guerin held out until realizing it would hurt his chance of making the USA Olympic team. Once signed he was dealt quickly to the furthest reaches of the Western Conference for Jason Arnott. (Arnott had a tough season. He left the booing in Edmonton but struggled to find his game in Jersey. Maybe beginning a season here without such hostile surroundings will calm him enough to reach the potential Lemaire saw and always raved about.) Not to mention John MacLean. He asked for a trade in the press one day and was gone nearly the day after. He had played his entire career with this team. One thing that has always been consistent with Jersey is the way disgruntled players are handled. If you complain, gripe or otherwise fail to toe the line you can expect a ticket elsewhere, usually not to a destination of your choosing.

For all the chaos that surrounded the team in early December two important events occurred and its something that Devil fans will hang their hopes on for quite some time. Well, at least the next four years. Martin Brodeur and Scott Stevens signed multi-year contract extensions without testing the free agent market. They are the cornerstones of the team and their re-signing signaled a commitment to maintaining a winning attitude. They may very well be the only link to the Lemaire era that manages to survive under new coach, ex-assistant coach, Robbie Ftorek.

Ftorek has said that he will assess the players he has and decide whether or not to employ the system that made the Devils who they are. And his experience with most of them in Albany as their head coach will be a decided advantage. The Devils have a young core of players capable of becoming the stars of tomorrow that have yet to thrive under the restrictive style of the system. Look for things to open up a bit more to allow the talents of players like Scott Niedermayer and Brendan Morrison to flourish.

TEAM MVP: On a team that stresses the group over the individual, Martin Brodeur is clearly the individual most deserving of team MVP. For the second straight season he had a GAA under 2.00. He had 43 wins, nearly matching the NHL wins record set by Bernie Parent. As Martin went, so went the Devils. For a team that struggles with goal scoring, he consistently kept games close and gave his teammates hope that they had a chance to win every time they stepped onto the ice.

Honorable Mention: Ken Daneyko. Not for his play on the ice. He missed nearly half the season after checking into an alcohol rehabilitation facility early in November. The fact that he was able to come back at all this year was a testament to his will as a player. Although a little rusty when he returned, he began to regain his form during the playoffs.

Unsung Hero: Although he centered the fourth line with Oliwa, Rolston or whoever was visiting from Albany, Denis Pederson has quietly established himself as one of the Devils' most reliable centers. He doesn't put up big offensive numbers but his defensive awareness and all around work ethic are valuable assets. His role will continue to grow under Ftorek.

SURPRISE: The emergence of Randy McKay as a power forward. He stepped into the role left vacant by Bill Guerin and had a career season. The McKay-Holik-Andreychuk line was the most effective all year long even though Andreychuk had the lowest goal output of his career. If McKay hadn't suffered a late season knee injury he may very well have scored thirty goals. His re-signing during the season will keep him around for four more years as well.

Honorable Mention: Patrik Elias. The rookie winger started out like a house afire. He reminded many of Petr Sykora in his first full season with the big boys. Despite having a lengthy slump during the middle to the end of the year, he is a big hope for the future and adds another laurel to the effectiveness of the Devils farm system.

DISAPPOINTMENT: Obviously, the playoff loss to Ottawa. After such a stellar season, the first round loss to the overwhelming underdog will smart for quite some time. That loss will also long be remembered as the deciding factor in the resignation of Jacques Lemaire, the man who finally raised them out of the swamp and gave them an identity to call their own.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES: Doug Gilmour will most certainly not be back. The team has said they will not be fiscally irresponsible just to keep him around. With players like Brendan Morrison showing signs of true ability, his loss may not be so crucial. There will obviously be some ramifications in the immediate future. Without Gilmour they would have had even less of a showing in this year's playoffs. That alone makes him very appealing to other teams. He can still produce in the all-important postseason.

Steve Thomas is also an unrestricted free agent. Hard to say about his future with the team. There has been little movement towards signing him and seemingly less interest from other teams. That means it's probably a good bet that he'll return. He is becoming a Bob Carpenter-type role player.

Bobby Holik and Scott Niedermayer are restricted free agents and will most definitely be re-signed. Holik and Nieder each had career years. They are right behind Stevens and Brodeur in terms of their importance to the team. Holik has come a long way from a fourth line "Crash Line" center. His growth can be directly attributed to Lemaire's faith in him; not to mention his ability and desire to become a complete player. Nieder finally gave an indication as to why he is constantly being called a Norris candidate of the future. His work at even strength and on the power play energized his linemates. He consistently created chances and began to play the most responsible defense of his career.

Dave Andreychuk's contract presents an interesting dilemma. If Lamoriello decides that he can still contribute despite low offensive production this season, the Devils can buy out the final year of his $2.5 million contract. If that happens, the Maple Leafs will be obliged to pick up a large portion of the remaining salary! That's just wacky. If he no longer fits into the plans, there is a strong possibility he will just go back to Toronto. The deadline for a decision on his future is June 30th.

So is Jason Arnott's. If the Devils do not offer him a 15 percent pay raise on his $1.8 million contract (he's a restricted Group 2), they relinquish his rights. Lemaire was his biggest supporter; without him around and an average showing during his time here, Arnott and his potential may very well be expendable.

Mike Dunham was selected in the expansion draft by the Nashville Predators. This means goalie Richard Shulmistra (Albany, AHL) will most likely be Brodeur's backup next season. Shulmistra started one game this season when Brodeur came down with the flu. He played well and would have gotten another start had he not suffered an injury in that outing. Hopefully, he's just capable. Brodeur logs a lot of ice time. He thrives on it but there's no denying that it wears him down.

Defenseman Sheldon Souray and center Petr Sykora are also restricted free agents. They should both be back with the team. Souray played better as the season wore on because Lemaire stressed the importance of showing up every game by scratching him from the lineup for a couple contests at a time every once in a while. Those benchings seemed to clue him in as to what's expected at this level. Sykora had a decent season but seems so far removed from his breakout rookie season. His biggest problem is the tendency to injure his knees and or ankles. When his game is on, he's a threat. When it's off, he's injured. He may still be appealing enough to some teams that it's worth trading for him. This will probably be the season where its determined whether or not he has a future with the Devils.

In Conclusion: It will be hard to qualify the Devils as an elite team as next season begins. There are too many questions surrounding coaching, the imminent loss of their playmaking center, aging veterans, untested youth. But they will surely be competitive and maybe even manage to sneak into the playoffs as a fourth or fifth seed. Which may be just as well. With the pressure squarely off their shoulders and a reason to prove the past five years weren't due just to Lemaire, they may go out and give everyone a real surprise. No more griping about the system, it's time to see if these guys can play hockey.

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