This is a series of posts on the Devils’ pending free agents (restricted and unrestricted). We’ll cover their strengths and weaknesses and end up with a final verdict on whether we think the Devils should re-sign the player. There will also be a poll at the end of each post so you guys can weigh in with your thoughts.

Position: Left Wing
Age: 33
2013 statistics: 30 games with NJ/2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, minus-2 rating, 8 PIMs
Free-agent status: Unrestricted
2012-13 salary/cap hit: $1.8 million/$1.8 million (via Cap Geek)
Team history: Acquired in 2013 trade with Winnipeg Jets for conditional 2013 draft pick. Played in 33 games with the Devils during 2011-12 season, amassing 18 points.

What he brings: Ponikarovsky was a great checking-line forward in the Devils’ 2012 run to the Stanley Cup Finals. He scored a few timely goals this season and brings the always valubale “jam” to the lineup. ‘Poni’ also is a good dressing room leader and can play on any line.

What he lacks: Ponikarovsky is not a goal scorer yet was forced to play on New Jersey’s top line periodically and struggled. He’s a good complementary forward, but his impact does not necessarily show up on the scoresheet.

Should he stay or should he go: It seems to me that Lou Lamoriello realized letting Ponikarovsky go was a mistake and his midseason trade proved that. I find it hard to believe that Lamoriello will let a role player like Ponikarovsky, who is versatile and has a good attitude, walk again– especially since he’ll come cheap and next year has the potential to be a transition year. FINAL VERDICT: He stays.

This is a series of posts on the Devils’ pending free agents (restricted and unrestricted). We’ll cover their strengths and weaknesses and end up with a final verdict on whether we think the Devils should re-sign the player. There will also be a poll at the end of each post so you guys can weigh in with your thoughts.

Position: Defense
Age: 36
2013 statistics: 48 games/4 goals, 15 assists, 19 points, minus-12 rating, 38 PIMs
Free-agent status: Unrestricted
2012-13 salary/cap hit: $4 million/$4 million (via Cap Geek)
Team history: Acquired in 2012 trade with Minnesota Wild for Nick Palmieri, Stephan Veilleux, Kurtis Foster and a third-round draft pick.

What he brings: There’s no doubt that the Zidlicky trade catapulted New Jersey to its deep playoff run in 2012. The Czech defenseman plays an offense-first game, in which he joins the rush and makes plays.  He was the Devils’ lone offensive defenseman in 2013, often plays the power play and can go end to end like few other ‘D’ in the league.

What he lacks:  Zidlicky’s not young or cheap. Secondly, his minus-12 rating is proof of a general lack of defensive prowess. Unlike New Jersey’s litany of offensive defensemen– the Brian Rafalski, Scott Niedermayer types– Zidlicky is prone to turnovers and sloppy play. Plus, he scored just four goals in 101 shots– making him a 4 percent shooter. The Devils need more from their power-play point man than that.

Should he stay or should he go: The Devils have a bunch of promising young defensemen coming through their system. Eric Gelinas and Alexander Urbom each got tastes this year, and Jon Merrill could get the chance next year. Plus, if Adam Larsson truly is going to be an everyday player, the Devils are going to have to make some decisions. They already have eight ‘D’ under contract through next year, and with Zidlicky’s down year and his age, I don’t think there’s any chance the Devils keep him. FINAL VERDICT: He gone.

Position: Left wing
Age: 38
2013 statistics: 9 games with Devils/2 goal, 3 assists, 5 points/minus-4 rating, 4 PIMs
Free-agent status: Unrestricted
2012-13 salary/cap hit: $1.85 million/$2.6 million (via Cap Geek)
Team history: Drafted by Devils in ninth round (233rd overall) in 1994

What he brings: At a time when a lot of players are petering out, Sullivan managed to find a niche role for himself. Despite his advanced age, Sullivan can still put the puck in or immediately around the net. He showed that during his brief return to the Devils, serving as a solid, if unspectacular third-line winger for a severely banged-up Devils squad. He’s also responsible enough in his own zone that he’s not a liability in that sense and given his experience Sullivan can basically fit into any NHL system and pick it up pretty quickly. Also, as shown by his salary/cap hit above, you get a lot of bang for your buck with Sullivan, who had seven goals and 17 points in 33 total games this season and is still a half-a-point-per-game player.

What he lacks: The obvious thing is something Sullivan’s always lacked: size. He’s obviously managed to overcome that and have one heck of a career for a guy that’s only 5-foot-9 while standing on phone books. Unfortunately, those natural skills and playmaking abilities that allowed him to overcome his impish stature are fading to the point where he probably doesn’t have a ton of time left in the league. Also, Sullivan can be inconsistent and disappear for lengths of time, which is understandable when you’re secondary or tertiary scoring, but the Devils don’t have consistent top-level offense to survive inconsistency down below.

Should he stay or should he go: To be blunt, the Devils have better options than Steve Sullivan right now — either on the roster, in free agency or in the system. The truth is that Sullivan is the perfect trade deadline acquisition for a team looking to add some speed and offensive skill for the final stretch without upsetting the apple cart. But for a team like the Devils that was too fragile, too thin and lacked consistent offense from its second- and third-line wings. Don’t get me wrong, Sullivan can and probably will help someone out there seeking veteran scoring for about 60 games next season. The Devils are not in the position to give a roster spot to him, though. They need to get younger, more skilled and more reliable on the second and third lines. … FINAL VERDICT: He gone.

This is a series of posts on the Devils’ pending free agents (restricted and unrestricted). We’ll cover their strengths and weaknesses and end up with a final verdict on whether we think the Devils should re-sign the player. There will also be a poll at the end of each post so you guys can weigh in with your thoughts.

Position: Center
Age: 22
2013 statistics: 22 games/1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points/minus-10 rating, 2 PIMs
Free-agent status: Restricted
2012-13 salary/cap hit: $900,000 (NHL)/$900,000 (NHL) (via Cap Geek)
Team history: Drafted in first round (20th overall) in 2009

What he brings: Josefson is a sound defensive centerman. He’s the kind of player you can toss out on the ice on your third or fourth line and generally assume he’ll keep things in order and help lock down one of the opponent’s top units. He’s developed into a good penalty killer and spent a lot of time on the Devils’ PK units before being sent down to Albany in February. Josefson has good enough size (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) that he won’t get tossed around and can generally hold his own. The Stockholm native also has some nice hands and some undercover playmaking ability that shows itself now and again to be a real weapon.

What he lacks: The phrase “now and again” is pretty apt when talking about Josefson’s biggest weakness: his offensive game. When he was drafted, Josefson was a promising two-way playmaker that projected as a second-line center. Unfortunately for him and the Devils, that offensive ability never made the journey from Sweden. The Devils have consistently waited for the 22-year old to show enough of a limited offensive game to justify keeping him around. Yet, time after time Josefson either shoots wide, flubs a pass or makes a boneheaded decision with the puck on his stick. You can see the ability is there — particularly in the last week of the regular season — but for some reason he’s been unable to harness it on a regular basis.

Should he stay or should he go: Josefson spent the beginning of the year playing the most minutes he’s ever seen in the NHL, but by the time he was demoted to Albany it was pretty clear he had completely lost whatever confidence he had at the start of the year. I can’t even count how many times he got short-handed scoring chances as a result of the Devils’ PK strategies only to lose the puck on the way into the zone or throw a helpless puck right at the opposing netminder. The thing is, there were flashes of potential, particularly at the end of the season after he was recalled from Albany. Josefson had two points (and his only goal of the season) in a six-game stretch to close out the year and looked like he suddenly was playing with confidence again. He won’t cost a lot and is worth, at the very least, a shot at a roster spot in training camp. … FINAL VERDICT: He stays.

This is a series of posts on the Devils’ pending free agents (restricted and unrestricted). We’ll cover their strengths and weaknesses and end up with a final verdict on whether we think the Devils should re-sign the player. There will also be a poll at the end of each post so you guys can weigh in with your thoughts.

Position: Center
Age: 23
2013 statistics: 42 games/11 goals, 5 assists, 16 points/minus-3 rating, 16 PIMs
Free-agent status: Restricted
2012-13 salary/cap hit: $525,000/$854,166 (via Cap Geek)
Team history: Drafted in third round (82nd overall) in 2008

What he brings: It didn’t take long to see the Adam Henrique package in full display. Henrique took the NHL by storm in his rookie season, coming up just short in the Calder Trophy voting that likely would’ve changed if the voting happened after the postseason. Overall, Henrique is a strong two-way centerman with some ability to play the wing. He’s responsible on the backcheck and unafraid of taking his game into the dirty areas that Pete DeBoer loves. He’s solid in the faceoff dot and has a quick enough shot that it sometimes can cause problems for opposing goaltenders. His biggest attributes are probably the ones you can’t measure. Henrique oozes intangibles on and off the ice. During last season’s Cup run and at times this year, Henrique showed a unique ability to find the puck — and the net — when the Devils needed it most. As DeBoer once said, “pucks just seem to find him.” He’s tough and has the leadership skills to one day take over one of the key positions in the locker room.

What he lacks: The scoring and playmaking abilities that were very evident during Henrique’s rookie year were hard to come by in his sophomore campaign. Henrique disappeared for long stretches during the season really struggled to find consistency in his game. He’s not the biggest guy (6-foot, 195 pounds) and you sometimes get the sense he needs players around him to make plays, rather than being able to create them on his own. Henrique entered the league as a projected third line centerman in the mold of a Brandon Dubinsky or Brooks Laich, but his startling offensive production in his rookie year kind of shattered his glass ceiling. The question becomes whether his struggles this year were just a matter of  a “sophomore slump” or whether Henrique actually came back to Earth once the league got enough tape on him and figured out his game. Also, although he can play the wing, he’s clearly uncomfortable there and loses some of his game when moved out of the center of the ice.

Should he stay or should he go:  Regardless of what the answer to that question is, this one is an easy one. There’s absolutely no way Henrique gets away from the Devils this offseason. While there’s always the possibility of some time offer sheeting him something absurd, I highly doubt it will even get to that point — mostly because I don’t think Henrique wants to leave. In the end, an offer sheet only gets signed if a player is trying to force his team’s hand or wants out. I don’t see either of those situations happening. HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean this is necessarily going to go smoothly. The Devils will tender Henrique, but I’m sure his agents would like to renegotiate whatever that tender might be. Could we see some sort of summer standoff where Henrique waits to sign until right before camp? Wouldn’t shock me, but in the end, he’ll be in uniform when it counts. … FINAL VERDICT: He stays.

This is the first in a series of posts on the Devils’ pending free agents (restricted and unrestricted). We’ll cover their strengths and weaknesses and end up with a final verdict on whether we think the Devils should re-sign the player. There will also be a poll at the end of each post so you guys can weigh in with your thoughts.

Position: Right wing
Age: 29
2013 statistics: 48 games/15 goals, 9 assists, 24 points/minus-6 rating, 78 PIMs
Free-agent status: Unrestricted
2012-13 salary/cap hit: $3 million/$2.66 million (via Cap Geek)
Team history: Signed as undrafted free agent on Aug. 12, 2005

What he brings: Clarkson has developed into your prototypical power forward. He’s not the biggest guy (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) but he plays about two inches bigger than his bio. He’s strong on the forecheck and is one of those gritty “glue” guys that every team loves to have. He plays in all three phrases and also loves to get under the opposing team’s skin with the way he plays. The difference between the Clarkson of three years ago and the player that’s about to become an unrestricted free agent is scoring touch. Clarkson had always been a solid 10-to-15-goals per year kind of player until he finally reached the 30-goal plateau last season. Entering this season, there were questions about whether that was a fluke or whether he had legitimately reached another level of his development. Playing a full 48-game slate in the lockout year, Clarkson scored on a 25-goal pace and was constantly around the net, narrowly missing five to 10 additional goals over the course of the season.

What he lacks: There’s not much Clarkson lacks, but there are holes to his game. He’s not an elite-level offensive player and he’s not going to blow by you with his speed. Also, while he scored 15 goals this season, only five of them came after Feb. 15 (34 games). Those five t0 10 goals he “missed” were because he sometimes lacks the delicate touch or powerful/accurate shot to bury a lot of the chances he gets playing on the Devils’ top two lines. There’s also a question of whether he’s a better fit as a third-line winger as opposed to fluctuating between the first two units.

Should he stay or should he go: If the Devils had their way, there’s no way Clarkson even leaves the state of New Jersey without signing at least a three- or four-year deal to remain a Devil. The problem is that Clarkson could quickly price himself out of Lou Lamoriello’s market once he hits free agency. The Toronto native should have a long list of suitors due to his strong all-around game and the potential of landing a burgeoning power forward with 30-goal potential. His hometown Maple Leafs and the Oilers have already been mentioned as interested parties and both teams would have no problem overpaying to add Clarkson’s attitude, potential and playing style to their locker rooms and their dressing room. I think the Devils need to do everything they can to keep him, as long as talks don’t get into the Bobby Holik range. Clarkson is way too important to what coach Pete DeBoer does and absolutely crucial to a Devils locker room that, let’s face it, would be lacking in identity and toughness without him. Offering Clarkson $4.5 million per over five years should be enough to get it done. Clarkson wants to stay. He’s loyal to Lou, loyal to the Devils organization and he has a strong relationship with DeBoer. … FINAL VERDICT: He stays.

No decision yet on whether any of the players called up from Albany Tuesday will play vs. Pens.—
Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) April 24, 2013

Pat Pickens

If Gelinas — who the Devils are awfully high on — wants to see what the NHL is really like, why not play him against an injury-riddled Penguins team with nothing to play for.

Now, if that Crosby guy returns, I might alter that opinion. But, give the kid– who will likely get the chance to make the team in camp next year– a shot. What’s the worst that can happen?

DeBoer said he's coached teams in past that missed playoffs & didn't "deserve" to make it, but didn't think that's the case with this team.—
Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) April 22, 2013

Corey Griffin

He doesn’t come out and say the phrase “we deserved to make the playoffs,” but it’s pretty easy to read his meaning. I’ve never been a fan of players, coaches or fans talking about what was deserved or what should’ve happened. The fact is the Devils didn’t make the playoffs. Obviously, injuries to Martin Brodeur and Ilya Kovalchuk played a big part in that. The two missed nearly two months combined — a brutal thing to handle in a regular season, let alone a shortened one. However, this team was built poorly to begin with and both Lou Lamoriello and DeBoer mismanaged it at different points of the season. From the Stefan Matteau situation to not signing a veteran scorer before the season began, there were multiple missteps from a roster point of view. Would the Devils have made the playoffs in an 82-game season? Maybe. Maybe they would’ve overcome the injury issues and had more time to find some secondary scoring, but there’s always the possibility the Flyers and Hurricanes would’ve had time to turn it around. There’s no “deserve” when it comes to qualifying for the postseason. We saw 45 games worth of hockey from this Devils team in a 48-game season and they simply weren’t good enough.

“We’re a confident team, we believe in ourselves,” forward David Clarkson said. “We have to continue to keep pushing and working hard every day.”

Still, six-straight losses– three straight in regulation– have left the Devils searching for answers.

One thing is clear, they’re not playing badly. New Jersey’s outshot its opposition 17 of the last 19 games but is 5-9-5 in those games, having scored only 40 goals in that stretch.

“We’re doing our share defensively,” goalie Martin Brodeur said Saturday. “Offensively, it’s just tough on guys. We’re getting the chances, we’re just not putting the puck in the net.”

Still, putting pucks in has proved problematic. New Jersey’s netted just two goals in its last three.

“We’re repeating ourselves here for the past few games,” forward Patrik Elias said. “It’s tough to win with one or not scoring any goals.”

“It’s frustrating,” forward David Clarkson said. “You’re there, you’re making the plays, you’re winning battles, we just seem to be on the other end of the bounces … we know what we’ve got to do, and we’ve got the leaders in the room to do it.”

Falling behind has exacerbated the problem. The Devils are 3-13-5 when allowing the first goal and are 12-1-4 when they score first.

“We’ve got to find a way in that first period to get the first goal,” DeBoer said Saturday. “The table was set for us, and we didn’t take advantage of it.”

Obviously, losing Ilya Kovalchuk– for a team that struggled to score when the star winger was healthy — has been devastating. But the club isn’t feeling sorry for itself, nor can it. New Jersey needs points and it knows that it must get them without No. 17.

The word “frustration” spread around New Jersey’s dressing room after Saturday’s loss. Not only were the players irritated, but the fans are losing their patience too. The sellout crowd booed New Jersey’s hapless power play, especially while the Devils failed to set up during a first-period five-on-three.

“We’re not winning games, we’re not scoring,” Elias said. “We’re not playing bad hockey, so it’s more frustrating.”

As the Devils’ PP has gone, so has gone their offense. New Jersey has not scored in its last 11 man-advantage tries and is 2-for-19 over their last seven games.

“When you’re not scoring, you focus on … getting more pucks to the net, getting more bodies,” DeBoer said. “We had to cash in on our power play … you’ve got to make hay this time of year.”

DeBoer’s tinkered with lines, he’s changed lineups, he’s benched players, and thus far nothing has worked. Still, Clarkson believes in the team’s resilience because he’s seen it.

“Last year, we had some bumps in the road as well,” he said. “It’s being a good hockey team, you learn how to guys being injured, you learn how to deal with pucks going your way and not going your way. That’s something we’ve always been good at as an organization. I think we’ll be OK.”

But with the Devils sitting in 10th place in the East, a mere three points behind the Islanders for eighth with 10 games left, it’s time to start making things work.

Via The Globe and Mail:

With the average team now having played 32 games, or two-thirds of their season, it seems like a good time to project forward what teams will need to qualify for the playoffs.

In the East, it currently looks like the cut-off will be about 52 points, which is very low if you project it out over a full 82-game season (about 89 points).

And here’s their projections of what a team needs to do to get to 52 points as of Wednesday morning:

First of all, this is obviously not including playoff seeding, which would have the Jets in the three spot and the Canadiens as No. 4. Also, this story was posted Wednesday morning, but since the only East game last night was Bruins-Canadiens, I still thought it relevant. Now, I left out the top three because I don’t think anyone doubts the Pens, Habs or Bruins making the playoffs (or being caught by anyone behind them). I also avoided the bottom four because no one thinks the Sabres are going 11-4-0 over the last month. Sorry, Buffalo, it’s rebuild time. As for what’s currently constituted, I think it’s a safe bet the rest of the top eight is who we’ll see playing the first week of May. Carolina is probably the closest to upsetting the balance, but I don’t think more than one team from the Southeast is getting in, which means they or the Capitals will have to catch the Jets before season’s end with the other two teams being out of luck.

For the Devils, I think 7-7-1 is eminently “doable,” despite the injuries and despite the possibility of not having Ilya Kovalchuk until the final week of the regular season. Consider the Devils’ remaining schedule.

If the Devils need to go 7-7-1 to make 31 points, that means they only need 15 points. While I am loathe to be the guy that looks at the upcoming schedule and maps out wins, that’s precisely what I’m about to do. For the sake of argument, of course. I fully expect the Devils to get three points out of this weekend’s Florida trip, leaving 12 points on the board. I think the Devils should at least get to overtime against the Islanders and Maple Leafs, meaning there’s now 10 points left to make the playoffs. At this point, Ilya Kovalchuk will have passed the two-week mark in his recovery, but let’s assume it takes him three to return to the lineup. Out of that week’s games against the Bruins and Senators, I think they’ll give Boston a game, but let’s not be homerish here. Let’s assume they lose to Boston and Ottawa in regulation. Now, Kovy returns in time for the game in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, a game I think the Devils win after regulation: 8 points left. A win over Philly in regulation and a the Panthers takes the total down to 4 points with four games remaining. Of course, those four games are probably the toughest part of the Devils’ schedule in terms of a four-game stretch of opponents. The good news is that the Devils don’t have to travel — at all. Their two road games during the stretch are just over the River against the Rangers and those games bookend two home matchups with the Canadiens and Penguins. Let’s assume they lose both games to Montreal and Pittsburgh in regulation, based purely on standings points. I absolutely think the Devils will get at least two points out of the two games against the Rangers, even if they come during a shootout in the regular-season finale.

So where does that leave the Devils? With 15 points and an assumed playoff spot if the 32-point projection is accurate. There’s always room for error — the Devils could take Pittsburgh to overtime or beat Boston in a shootout — it’s all possible. My point is that 15 points over the final 15 games is very doable. The problem lies in what happens if the Devils end up doing to the bare minimum and are stuck in one of the final two playoff spots, staring at a first-round matchup with Jarome Iginla’s Penguins or the Player-to-be-added-by-Wednesday-deadline’s Bruins. But seeding is another discussion for a time that’s at least a couple weeks away. For now, let me know what you think. Can the Devils rack up enough points to secure their playoff spot?