Probably finished with the free agent market after re-signing defenseman Andy Greene and goalie Johan Hedberg, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said he soon will shed some players to satisfy the salary cap that is an issue again.
“We’ll be doing some subtraction. There will not be a salary cap problem here,” Lamoriello told The Post yesterday. “There will be different transactions taking place over a short period of time.”
One possibility might be Bryce Salvador, who sat out last season with a concussion and a $2.9 million cap hit. Brian Rolston’s $5.1 million hit remains on the books, as does the $3.4 million salary of Dainius Zubrus and some teams need costly players to reach the cap floor. Buyouts, trades, retirements and waiver demotions are the possible routes.
Greene and Hedberg each turned down multiple offers as unrestricteds to remain with New Jersey. Greene is believed to have earned a pay raise from $750G to $3 million per season.
The craving for redemption among the Devils is so strong that Hedberg actually took a pay cut as the 15-12-2 goalie on a playoff-missing team, dropping from $1.5 million to $1.25 million.
“I think the whole organization is looking for redemption,” Hedberg said. “Money isn’t everything for me. I probably could have gotten more with some other team, but I had a gut feeling, and that’s what I usually go with.”
Lamoriello said that it is “absolutely true” that redemption figured strongly in being able to sign both.
“We wanted them to come back and it worked out. Andy is a top-four defenseman, and Hedy did a great job for us,” Lamoriello said.
Lamoriello agreed that Hedberg’s presence might ease the arrival for prize draftee Adam Larsson.
The Devils had some $12 million in cap space, counting 17 players, before the signings, and can figure on using at least $6 million of that when Zach Parise’s arbitration is decided.
Greene and Hedberg count for $4.25 million of that, and Larsson is likely to cost at least $2 million, which will put them over the cap with two roster spots still unfilled and no coverage for short-term injuries and call-ups — and that’s a best-case scenario. Teams are allowed to exceed the cap by 10 percent until the season opens.
Both Hedberg and Greene turned down several offers to remain with the Devils. Hedberg, in particular, had a half-dozen, including some for more than he received from New Jersey.
Greene said his signing was a relief.
“I’m doing well, now,” Greene said after signing. “The whole time, I was thinking ‘I’m staying in Jersey.’ ”
Greene said that testing the unrestricted market “wasn’t something I wanted to do, but if it happened, it happened.