Here, you take it!
Ray Chambers pays $25 million to get rid of his 47 percent of the team. This desperate action, still not approved by the NHL Board of Governors, indicates the depths of this team’s debt, estimated by some at $200 million. It also means anything’s possible, a summer bankruptcy, sale and transfer to Quebec or Kansas City or elsewhere, or finding new ownership.
Playoff streak ends
The Devils’ failure to reach postseason for the first time since 1996 put the final punctuation on their era of greatness. Even their Preposterous Dream run of 23-3-2 under Jacques Lemaire wasn’t enough, as they finished 38-39-5, 11th in the East, their 81 points as closer to the cellar Florida, 72) than a berth (Rangers, 93).
Grand Larsson-y
The Devils won the draft lottery, moved up to fourth and selected Adam Larsson with their highest pick since taking Scott Niedermayer third in 1991. When the first three teams went for scoring forwards, the Devils chose the draft’s top defenseman, who had been rated by some as the best player in the pool.
Bench jockeying
Jacques Lemaire retired, again, and Pete DeBoer was hired as coach. Perhaps Lemaire did all he could during the Preposterous run he never believed in, and perhaps his message would have grown old again this season. No one knows. Instead, the Devils have DeBoer as their coach, seeking his first playoff berth after missing in all three seasons in Florida.
Cap relief
Devils traded Brian Rolston and his $5 million salary to Islanders for Trent Hunter, then buy Hunter out, a cap savings of $4.4 million this year. Rolston’s contract, one of several Lou Lamoriello cap mistakes, was a millstone around this team’s neck too long. As an over-35, his salary would count against New Jersey’s cap even in the minors. They haven’t had cap trouble since, compared to last season, when they ran a short bench to get under the limit.