No question, the Devils defensive corps surprisingly overachieved after losing key defenseman Brian Rafalski to free agency, as he went onto win the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings a couple weeks ago. As it stands right now, Paul Martin, Colin White, Mike Mottau, Sheldon Brookbank, Andy Greene, Johnny Oduya, and Vitaly Vishnevski are all under contract for the 2008-09 season. That is seven defensemen with one season of experience under the Brent Sutter regime, but there is one problem; only one player on the current roster, Brookbank, is a right-handed defenseman.
Getting a talented right-handed defenseman that can play the point on the power play, be a physical presence, and have the mobility to skate with the puck would be any NHL general managers’ dream, but they come at a premium, unless, of course, you sign a diamond in the rough that went undrafted. So what will Lou Lamoriello do this offseason? Will he be able to move up in the draft to get a young defenseman like Zach Borgosian, Alex Pietrangelo, Luke Schenn, or Drew Doughty? Most likely, the answer will be the 2006 first round draft pick (30th overall), Matthew Corrente.
Corrente showed potential and poise in training camp last season before he was sent back to major junior. The Devils will need to evaluate if he can bring the physical toughness, mobility, and some offensive potential to the blue line. Sutter needs his players to skate well and play a more physical brand of hockey. He needs a right handed shot from the left point, in order to provide a more balanced attack. And Lamoriello will be active this summer to get Sutter the kind of players he needs to win.
With a possibility of Bryce Salvador signing, the Devils would potentially have nine defenseman to evaluate, including Corrente. Is Lamoriello looking to trade some of his pieces for a big name impact player? Or is he maintaining depth on the blue line as insurance, in case any of the top six gets injured? Those are hard questions. What we do know is the that Devils’ defense needs to address the lack of protection Martin Brodeur received, as many opposing forwards were able to drive to net with the puck. A good defense would never allow this, especially because the physical toll of being hit constantly wears him down more than the amount of games Brodeur plays in a season. Moreover, it should be Lamoriello’s top priority to solidify the defense.
After one year under Sutter, the team should be more familiar with both themselves and his system. Building a defense to an elite status takes time. Oduya and Mottau, especially, flourished last season, and with many players returning, it should be known what is expected. With this many defensemen looking to fill six or seven spots for each game, accountability is stressed more and Sutter will not hesitate to put his best players at that given moment on the ice, even if it means benching their best overall player. Therefore, he will put the “right” defenseman on each shift.
email:
[email protected] 
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»