The Devils are not doing anything about enticing their top defenseman, Paul Martin, away from unrestricted free agency.
The playoffs open in two weeks, and, historically, the Devils have not negotiated with their upcoming UFAs once the second season starts. Heck, historically, they do not do much bargaining with them during the regular season.
There is still time, if he is so inclined, for general manager Lou Lamoriello to convince star winger Ilya Kovalchuk and Martin to eschew unrestricted free agency. Even after the playoffs, there will be time to talk contracts before July 1, and Devils such as Jamie Langenbrunner, Brian Gionta (before leaving) and Bryce Salvador have re-signed that way.
But most times with the Devils, if players are not re-signed by New Year’s, they walk on July 1.
Kovalchuk, the NHL’s reigning third star of the week, has taken over as the biggest fish for the Devils to creel, making $7.5 million and surely expecting more as an unrestricted free agent. He turned down a long-term deal offering $10 million per season from the Thrashers, though he was long ready to leave that team.
Before Kovalchuk’s arrival on Feb. 4, Martin was their biggest UFA question mark from the start of the season. Their No. 1 defenseman, making $4.5 million this season, Martin will surely command that and more in a long-term deal. There have been, according to sources, no substantive talks.
Martin has endured an injury-ruined season, suffering a broken arm on Oct. 27 in Pittsburgh. He followed the team’s advice to allow the fracture to knit in a cast, without surgery, and when it didn’t weld properly, surgery and hardware were required.
Even then, his recovery took longer than expected, and it cost him his top-two defenseman spot on the U.S. Olympic team that came so, so close to winning the gold medal in Vancouver. Martin said he will not hold that disappointment against the Devils, who have a habit of electing the conservative medical approach.
Martin was the victim of circumstance in last night’s 1-0 overtime loss to the Bruins, when his stick was knocked away by Kovalchuk, on the fulcrum of Patrice Bergeron’s leg. That left Martin helpless when Bergeron found a rebound for the winner with 18.3 seconds left.
The Devils have just six regular-season games, and a minimum of four, maximum of 28 playoff games remaining. Realists must consider that means Martin and Kovalchuk might have only 10-34 games left for New Jersey.