Unthinkable: Would Lamoriello trade Devils’ captain?

SAMPWOO.com – This definitely caught my eye this morning. I read this on fannation.com.

Jacques Lemaire is sending a message to his team by demoting Jamie Langenbrunner to the fifth line. Lemaire, no stranger to proper discipline, is the sheriff in town and he wants to shake up the environment. He wants leadership and maybe he is sending a message to Langenbrunner, who is coming off a career year last season, to not get too comfortable. Was there something to the fact that Brendan Shanahan was wearing the “C” during the last preseason game?

Langenbrunner does have a clause in his contract which would limit the Devils in having him dealt. He has two years left and with a cap hit of $2.8M per year. After having 69 points with a plus/minus +25, his stock value is high and Lamoriello could get a lot in return with the right deal. The Devils do have a glut of young talented right wingers in the system, but are they willing to rush them up in case the Devils’ captain goes elsewhere?

My opinion: this is a coaching decision rather than a personnel change. However, it does look intriguing because of the rumors swirling around in the past month of the Devils looking for a center. For now, Lemaire wants to test his players mentally and focus on winning the Stanley Cup.

e-mail: sampwoo@hockeyprimetime.com

Shootout: Devils win 3-2 over Rangers in preseason action

SAMPWOO.com — With Jacques Lemaire back as head coach of the New Jersey Devils, this early preseason victory maybe an early sign for what is in store for a franchise looking to get back to the Stanley Cup finals since 2003. With the departures of Brian Gionta and John Madden, New Jersey is looking towards their youth and under the radar acquisitions to help solidify their depth. It has worked in the past and so far, I have been impressed.

My observations:

1.    Shanahan wearing the “C” on his jersey. There will be no captain controversy here when Langenbrunner is in the lineup. There is plenty of leadership in the locker room and any one of these top veterans can be captain on any other NHL team. He has had a profound impact on David Clarkson.

2.    Speaking of Clarkson, this kid will have a surprise breakout season and it has nothing to do with it being a contract year. He grew up idolizing Brendan Shanahan and he must be thrilled to be playing for Lemaire. It didn’t surprise me he wore the “A” last night. He has grit, works very hard, and takes every Devils’ practice very seriously and this dedication is starting to pay off dividends.

“I’ll have a big season with a lot of garbage goals if I can,” said Clarkson, whose 17 goals last season were an NHL career high. “A lot of my goals are from around the net.”

Clarkson scored 17 goals on defensive checking lines last season and has been improving steadily since he first played with the club in 2007. He fits perfectly in the system and as long as he goes hard to the net, he will enjoy having shots coming off of rebounds. Chemistry between Shanahan, Zubrus, and Clarkson?

3.    This game displayed the future for both teams. Nicklas Bergfors, who missed rookie camp this summer, looked impressive and Lou Lamoriello hinted before that he is a top six forward potential. If he has a great camp, he can really fill in the void for Patrik Elias.

4.    Patrik Elias is supposed to miss the next 3-6 weeks with groin problems. He had a fantastic year last season and the Devils will miss him on the power play in the beginning of the season.

5.    The Devils’ power play looked great and the Devils’ forwards were able to move the puck quickly around the perimeter. Lemaire is not being conservative and I like this. He is not hesitating to use four forwards and he is showing his naysayers that he is willing to take some chances. The results were two power play goals, both from Clarkson.

6.    Yann Denis looked solid and he is vying to be Martin Brodeur’s backup. With the departures of Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmenson, he may have a chance to be that number two netminder. Jeff Frazee will have his chance, but I think he would be better served with playing time in Lowell.

7.    Devils held the Rangers scoreless on the power play on six attempts.

Email: sampwoo@hockeyprimetime.com

My birthday wish list blog

(SAMPWOO.com)

My birthday wish list

1. The entire hockey community donates to Hockey Fights Cancer. I think we can all agree that beating cancer takes a team effort. I am going to make my private donation today to a charity that means a lot to me and the best birthday gift would be a cure one day. We’ve heard all of the courageous battles with cancer. The one I remember the most was former Devils head and assistant coach John Cunniff.
2. Patrick Marleau coming to New Jersey. The Devils already have the best set of left wingers in the entire NHL. Having Marleau in the lineup would give the Devils an added scoring threat and you would think he would center Elias and Rolston. Two dangerous scoring lines with a Lemaire system and a world class goaltender will make the Devils a sleeper team in the Atlantic. No pun intended for the wrongful ignorant trap haters.
3. Brick. I love the customized brick idea as the Devils are building a nice Championship Plaza next to the Prudential Center. Had I won the mega millions lottery last week, I would have purchased every single brick and some club seats.
4. Brian Metzer and Alex May from the Pens Buzzcast to get me tickets to the new building for a Devils/Penguins game. I am sure they are still on cloud nine and if they do come through, I’ll dress up like Sidney Crosby.
5. NHLPA should beware. I do not liking this firing because it really appears that a militant style leadership will be back. A lot of hockey fans will be on alert and if there is another work stoppage, there will be dire consequences. Get a leader that is strong, but willing to have a solid working relationship with the NHL.
6. Phoenix Coyotes. I hope they stay and the fans deserve this team.
7. The Devils did the right thing to have a “retro” night and having the Devils wear the old Christmas tree jerseys on the one year anniversary of St. Marty’s Day. Let’s take it one step further. Like the dollar hot dog promotion, they should have a dollar Guinness night as well.
8. For my friends that have left New Jersey or live in area outside the local broadcasting, Devils games in HD is not on Center Ice with DIRECTV.  Let’s get this resolved now.

And this is not just a Devils fan issue. It also applies to Rangers, Islanders, and Sabres fans.  How come the owners of MSG and MSG Plus network cannot provide this type of feed for hockey fans? How do you expect to promote a sport when you have the ability to utilize this great technology to the masses?

I’m speaking from a hockey fan’s point of view. I really do not care about the politics or Cablevision’s bottom line, but they should care about what hockey fans think about their product. My good friends should be able to get HD feeds of their favorite teams with Center Ice when they watch their teams play.

I am not too fond of Cablevision’s history when it comes to distributing hockey content. In the past, I had to go over to a friend’s house or to a bar to watch a Devils road playoff game because it got shafted to a little known channel called Metro, which only Cablevision subscribers get. After much bickering, they stopped doing this.

Of course, we all remember the issue pertaining to the New York Rangers website and the NHL. Nothing is ever easy when you deal with Dolan’s company. Time after time, you always hear something negative in the press about negotiations. (Remember the YES Network?) As hockey fans, we are at their mercy when it comes to providing good hockey content and coverage. All we really get are repeat footages and documentaries of the spring of 1994. Obviously, it wasn’t in HD because it happened a long time ago. Get over it.

My birthday wish: Give our out of town fans their hockey in HD on Center Ice.

e-mail: sampwoo@hockeyprimetime.com