head coach: Jacques Lemaire

roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Bobby Holik, Bob Carpenter*, Denis Pederson, Peter Zezel. LW - Dave Andreychuk, Steve Thomas, Valeri Zelepukin, Brian Rolston*, Jay Pandolfo, Patrik Elias. RW - Bill Guerin*, John MacLean, Randy McKay*, Reid Simpson. D - Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, Lyle Odelein, Kevin Dean, Vlastimil Kroupa. G - Martin Brodeur, Mike Dunham.
*-Unsigned free agent.

injuries: None.

transactions: 06/26 - Signed free agent forward John Madden. 08/22 - Acquired defenseman Vlastimil Kroupa from the San Jose Sharks for a third-round pick in the 1998 draft. 08/24 - Signed free agent goaltender Mike Dunham. 09/04 - Signed goaltender Judd Lambert. 09/09 - Signed center Brendan Morrison to a multi-year contract.

standings:

1996-97 FINAL RESULTS
RECORD:     
 OVERALL      45-23-14
 HOME         23-9-9 
 ROAD         22-14-5       
POINTS:            104  (3rd)
GOALS SCORED:      231 (16th)   
GOALS AGAINST:     182  (1st)
POWER PLAY:      13.9% (22nd)
PENALTY KILLING: 88.1%  (1st) 

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
9/14 Washington         W 4-1 @Albany 

team news:

by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

EL DIABLO STILL MUY, MUY BUENO?

The New Jersey Devils should have been in the Stanley Cup Finals last season. There's no doubt they had the best team in the Eastern Conference. But sometimes the best team doesn't win. Running into a hot goaltender, especially one named Mike Richter, is enough to derail even the strongest of squads. Now the Devils have to try and regroup for another Cup run. But does this aging group of vets still have it in 'em?

OFFENSE: Gilmour May Not Be the Answer

When Doug Gilmour was acquired from Toronto before the trading deadline last season, he was expected to be the star center the Devils have always lacked. He proved to be just that over the first few weeks following the trade, energizing the New Jersey offense with his crafty playmaking and scrappy nature. Then came the playoffs. Instead of elevating his level of play, Gilmour completely disappeared, failing to score a single goal and registering just four assists in ten playoff outings. That's not good.

To make matters worse, the Devils couldn't sign Gilmour to a new contract in time to avoid an arbitration hearing. And nothing builds resentment quite like an arbitration hearing. Basically, the club's representatives go in and say everything bad they can think of about the player in order to lower his value. The Devils went in offering about $2.5 million for next season. Gilmour was asking for an astronomical $4.5 million. The arbitrator decided on $3.55, which is still quite the hefty paycheck for the 34-year-old center. So now GM Lou Lamoriello hates having to pay Gilmour so much money and Gilmour hates Lamoriello for all the nasty things the club said about him. Mix in Gilmour's becoming an unrestricted free agent after the season, and a trade could be in the works. The only hitch is what team is going to want a small, aging center with such a steep price tag? There won't be many takers.

The Devils have more contract problems with right winger Bill Guerin. Long expected to develop into a Brendan Shanahan clone, Guerin has rarely backed up his potential with numbers. He did record a career-high 29 goals last season, but his 47 points won't exactly win any scoring titles. He was also one of only a few Devils to finish south of the equator with a -2. The days of Guerin being a young prospect are over. He's 27 years old and has been in the league for five seasons. The Devils have shown great patience while waiting for him to become a star, but eventually the patience is going to run out. Considering the club's approach to signing him, maybe it already has. Guerin is so frustrated with contract talks that he said he wouldn't mind a trade. That leaves the Devils with a tough decision. They've invested a great deal of time in trying to develop Guerin into a premier power forward. It would be brutal to cut him loose now and watch him become a star somewhere else.

Dave Andreychuk and John MacLean are coming off tremendous seasons. Andreychuk finished third in team scoring with 27 goals and 61 points in 82 games. He was worth far more than just points, tho', as he also led the team in plus-minus with a +38. MacLean was just as valuable, posting 29 goals and 54 points. He also came through with six big game-winners. The duo gave the Devils the kind of veteran leadership that every team needs. But how much longer can they be productive? Both are extremely slow and have started showing their advanced age. Counting on them to come through like they did last year could be a mistake.

One veteran who disappointed last season was Steve Thomas. It appears the days of Stumpy being a 40-goal scorer are long gone, as he could muster no more than 15 goals and 34 points in 57 games. He still may have his scoring touch in him somewhere, but expecting him to rebound with 30 goals this season is a bit much.

The biggest surprise for El Diablo last season was the scoring from Bobby Holik. The former center of the Crash line received an expanded offensive role and responded with 23 goals and 62 points. But that's pretty much his ceiling. The only other source of offensive talent is center Brian Rolston. The kid loves to shoot the puck, unfortunately not much ever seems to happen when he does. Rolston was second on the team with 237 shots, but all those pucks to the net only translated into 18 goals and 45 points.

Bobby Carpenter was re-signed over the summer and will be back to anchor a checking line. Peter Zezel should also be back to help in that regard. Randy McKay will continue to be the best checking winger in hockey and Reid Simpson is around to throw punches. The Devils will also be hoping that Petr Sykora, 1995- 96's rookie sensation, can recover from a sophomore slump that totally removed him from the equation last season. A return to form for Sykora would be a major shot in the arm for the offense. And look for guys like Denis Pederson, Patrik Elias, and Jay Pandolfo to see more ice in order to rest some of the vets.

On the whole, New Jersey's offense is old, slow, and not very talented. There isn't a 30-goal scorer among the lot. But the forwards don't have to be skilled to play the Devils strict defensive system. Don't look for a change in style anytime soon.

DEFENSE: Help Wanted

The Devils had the best blue-line corps in all of hockey last season, with Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko, Scott Niedermayer, Lyle Odelein, Dave Ellett, and Shawn Chambers filling out the top six spots. Well, two-thirds of that group are gone. Ellett opted to sign with the Bruins and rejoin former coach Pat Burns and Chambers bolted for the Lone Star State to help the Stars challenge the Avalanche for Western Conference supremacy.

The departures mean two openings that need to be filled. Kevin Dean can easily step in and fill one of them. He played 28 games last season and was often paired with Stevens, so his transition to the regular lineup shouldn't be too hard. Finding that sixth defenseman could be a bit trickier. Vlastimil Kroupa was acquired from the Sharks this summer and has plenty of skill. But if the 22-year-old Czech couldn't crack the San Jose roster, what kind of chance does he have of thriving in New Jersey?

GOALTENDING: All Brodeur All the Time

Goaltending was the source of quite a bit of controversy last season in New Jersey. Backup Mike Dunham needed to play in 25 games in order to remain a restricted free agent after the season, otherwise he'd be free to sign with the highest bidder. So in order to get Dunham his required minimum of appearances, coach Jacques Lemaire often pulled Martin Brodeur late in games just so Dunham could mop up the final few seconds. This practice didn't go over well with either netminder, especially after Lemaire yanked Brodeur in the final seconds of a shutout just to weasel Dunham into one more game.

That move cost Brodeur what would have been his 11th shutout of the season and put a severe strain on his relationship with the coach. Dunham wasn't real happy either and filed a grievance with the league following the season, requesting that he be made an unrestricted free agent on the grounds that the Devils didn't act in good faith. However, the league arbitrator sided with the Devils and Dunham remains their property. They still have yet to sign him to a new contract, tho'. And considering how he was treated, Dunham may not be too eager to sign on the dotted line.

As long as Brodeur is healthy, the Devils will be rock solid in net. He can go 70+ games standing on his head. But going into a season without a reliable backup could spell trouble. Especially to a team like the Devils that rely on defense and goaltending to win games.

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* Martin Brodeur is dominant in goal.

* The top four defensemen are still rock solid.

* Strict defensive style is hard to play against.

TROUBLE

* Scoring up front will be hard to find.

* Depth on defense could be lacking.

* Backup goaltending situation has to be addressed.

1997-98 Outlook: The Devils were poised for a serious Cup run last year and blew it. Now they're a year older and a year slower. And it's not easy playing such a disciplined defensive game all season long. It definitely takes its toll. Considering the age of the team's key players, they may not have another 82- game grind in 'em. And losing Chambers and Ellett will hurt the defense. Unless this team gets an influx of young talent from somewhere, the Devils won't be serious contenders. They'll still win their share of games, but a Cup will be out of reach.

PREDICTION: Third in the Atlantic.

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