Uncharacteristic

This offseason, for Bruins fans, could be labeled "uncharacteristic" for several reasons. They have, for once, started using common sense on a daily basis. In addition to that, they had the number two pick in the Entry Draft following a season in which they were one win from the conference finals. So, on those two accounts (and probably many more), this offseason has been an uncharacteristic one for the Black and Gold.

But what they have done thus far seems of-the-norm compared to what Jacque Lemaire has done with his New Jersey Devils. Keep in mind that the Devils are kings of the "system." They have never prided themselves on being flashy (except Brodeur, but he's brilliant by being flashy). The Devils, for decades now, have been defined by their defensive prowess, their physical play, their trap scheme, and Brodeur's Hall-of-Fame caliber play.

This offseason has been much, much different for the Devils. First off, they made an ill-advised trade with Nashville to bring Jason Arnott and his $5 mil cap-hit back to the Jersey shore. I won't ever criticize Arnott for being a poor player, because I am a huge fan of his. But, what the Devils failed to recognize in making this trade is that they participate in a capped-league. This isn't Major League Baseball, where a simply luxury tax will suffice. The NHL is a hard-cap, there is no going over (there are some loopholes). Arnott is a terrific player, even at this point in his career. He has always been a great leader and in ideal 2nd line center. Sure he's old, but he'll get the job done...just not at a reasonable price.

The second of the uncharacteristic moves came when the Devils allowed Paul Martin to escape Jersey and head to their in-division rival, Pittsburgh. Yes, they went out and pulled in Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder after they lost Martin, but to allocate that many dollars to Arnott and not give yourself a chance to retain your best defenseman was an anti-Devils move. Volchenkov is a great fit for their team, but he was overpaid (as was Tallinder). I won't criticize them signing either of those defenders, but they really should have prioritized Martin better than they did.

And then you have the kingpin of mind-baffling deals...Kovalchuk. Hockey pink-hats will look at this, tilt their heads and say..."17 years? Is that normal?" Yea, 17 years is a lot, but that's one of those crazy, idiotic loopholes of the NHL's CBA that allows teams to pay players $11.5 million in a season and only have him count $6 million against the cap. But it's not the size of the deal, years or dollars, that matters here. This deal is so baffling to hockey fans, or at least it should be, because Kovalchuk is the exact opposite of what the organization has preached over the last twenty years! He's an all offense, no defense type player, which is great for some situations...just not this one. After he was acquired last year, the Devils went from East-favorites to a mediocre hockey club. Adding the Russian sniper disrupted their chemistry both on and off the ice. If they were smart (like they usually are), the Devils would have let Kovy walk on July 1st without even making him an offer.

And now we get to the absolute worst part of that Kovalchuk deal. Kovalchuk will return to the Devils in the same role he was last year...an offensive-minded player and the second best player on the team (third if you count Marty). Zach Parise has been, and will be, the best player on this team. He's more well rounded offensively than Kovalchuk, and he's a great defensive forward. Watching Parise play, there isn't a single thing to dislike about the guy. But, what the Devils seemingly forgot about, is that Parise is headed toward Restricted Free Agency after the coming season...WHOOPS!

Judging from the $7 mil/year contract that the Wild just gave Mikko Koivu, it seems like Parise is a good-bet to get about $8 mil per year for a "short term" contract in the neighborhood of 7 years. Yes, the Devils will have an opportunity to retain Parise (and if they don't, they'll get 3 draft picks as compensation). BUT, what they have done by signing Kovalchuk is put themselves in a position to lose Parise via an offer sheet from another team that is out of their ballpark money-wise. There are plenty of teams with the cap-space to make a run at Parise, and the Devils just made it that much more tempting.

Kovalchuk was the most sought after free agent on the market this year, and in the last three or four years if I remember correctly. But the Devils went against what they are as an organization to bring him back to Jersey. They seem to be headed in a new direction, and it's just a pawn in a very uncharacteristic offseason.