New Jersey might make moves at trade deadline
--With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, there's all kinds of speculation involving the Devils. Do they deal Zach Parise? Can they use the nearly $3 million in cap open space when the league is already loaning them money? One report stated there was a Parise for Rick Nash rumor. One report had defenseman Johnny Oduya, shipped to Atlanta in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal, coming back from Winnipeg.
What'll it be?
It was, of course, possible the league has told the club not to lay out any extra money.
In the middle of it all was Parise, the team captain who was playing great hockey and wants to stay in New Jersey.
Said general manager Lou Lamoriello: "We'll see. If we can get better, we'll try to get better."
--The Devils brought up forwards Stephane Veilleux and Nick Palmieri. Veilleux played on the fourth line and Palmieri was a healthy scratch Tuesday night.
"We just wanted to have some healthy bodies around. We went into last game with 20 guys," coach Pete DeBoer said. "It gives you some options and maybe an influx of some energy into the depth of your lineup. It's nice to have the bodies around to have some decisions to make."
--In the latest move aiming at more scoring depth, DeBoer had Adam Henrique back centering the top line and dropped Patrick Elias to the second unit and Dainius Zubrus to the third.
"I'm not married to any combinations," he said. "We're just trying to score some goals and get some depth scoring. We had one (goal) last game and we've gone with some different combinations today, but that doesn't mean we won't end up back where we were again."
--DeBoer gave the team a day off Sunday, after Saturday's loss to the Panthers, and the move seemed to pay off.
--The Devils, who got a hat trick from Kovalchuk in beating the Sabres Tuesday night, have won five straight on the road and are 10-2-1 in their last 13 games away from Newark.
--The hat trick was the club's first since Patrik Elias had one against the Flyers April 1, 2011.
--The Devils notched their 32nd win of the year Tuesday night. Win No. 32 last season came March 12, when the club won 34 and missed the playoffs.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Critical time of the year. Tough buildings against desperate teams. I think we feel comfortable on the road. We have a good veteran presence in our room and obviously it starts with our goalie." -- Coach Pete DeBoer, on his team's success on the road.
Copyright (C) 2012 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
