…I still hate the offseason.

Alas, time to discuss goalies and wingers!

PATRICIA’S WISHLIST, PART II:

WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR BACKUP GOALIE?…

It is entirely possible that Scott Clemmensen may not be retained by Louie Lams. I’m not so sure where he stands here, because Marty did slow down as the regular season wound down and was horrifically inconsistant in two rounds of playoff glory, so it’s entirely possible that Louie is going to want a goaltender who can take some of the load off of Brodeur’s shoulders. Let’s not get crazy here — it’s not like we’re going to see Marty give up 20 games or so, but I do think he should rest a solid 10-15 games next season.

So, is Clemmensen capable?

I think he is, but as we saw this past season, Mr. Claude Julien had absolutely no faith whatsoever in #40. So sad. Clemmensen will never be a starter in this league, but I think he could be a quality #2. He has a good eye for the puck and is not afraid to take a hard shot to the chest, but his rebound control is terrible and he does have a bit of trouble moving from post to post. His biggest downfall? He simply doesn’t have experience. Such is life when you’re backing up Martin Brodeur, though.

Who’s available?

JOEY MACDONALD, BOSTON BRUINS
Much like Clemmensen, Macdonald hasn’t seem all that much playing time in his young career, and playing for a terrible Boston Bruins team surely didn’t help his stats, but I think Joey has potential. He’s shined in the AHL, but that doesn’t always translate into big league talent. I do think ultimately he can succeed in a limited role with the Devils.
WILL IT HAPPEN: He’ll sign at league minimum, which is nice. I think it’s possible.

BRIAN BOUCHER, COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Remember the days when Brian Boucher was supposed to be the Next Great Goaltender for Philadelphia? Granted, they have one of those every year, but still, Bouch seemed like he was actually going to, well, not suck. He did have that nine million game shutout streak with Phoenix, but that was pretty much the last positive thing we heard out of Camp Boucher. I do feel bad for Brian, though, cause he really did look like he was going to be a damn fine netminder. I guess giving up a three game playoff lead in the Conference Finals really shook his confidence, eh? Poor, poor Brian…
WILL IT HAPPEN: As crappy as Booooooosh has become, he’ll still probably want some money to boost his fragile ego. He still has the potential to be an amazing netminder, though, and I’m not sure he’s ready to give up the fight and fade into New Jersey backup obscurity. I doubt it’ll happen.

ED BELFOUR, FLORIDA PANTHERS
Won’t happen. Move along…

SCOTT CLEMMENSEN; FRANK DOYLE, NEW JERSEY DEVILS
It’s only fair to list Clemmensen and his Baby Devil counterpart, Mr. Frank Doyle. We’ve already discussed Clemmensen’s pros and cons, so let’s talk about Frank real quick. Doyle isn’t half bad. He has no NHL experience under his belt, but ya gotta start somewhere, eh? If Clemmensen isn’t retained, it’ll be Doyle’s job to lose in training camp — if he puts together a fine camp, he’ll easily be the backup. If he falters, then I can easily see Lou putting in a call to Clemmy as a last minute signing, provided Scott doesn’t look elsewhere…which he probably will, but will anyone else be willing to sign him to a major league contract? Doubtful.
WILL IT HAPPEN: Either scenario is possible.

—-

WIIIIIIIIIIIINGER!

This team desperately needs offense, but I’m not too sure how much money Lou will ultimately have to work with so this wishlist is really nothing more than me pining and yearning for players that will most defintiely not sign with the Devils. Of course, that still won’t stop me from doing so…of course!

MICHAL HANDZUS, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
‘Zus would be great because he can double as a winger or a solid center…and better yet, I’ve loved this man for years now. I can’t tell you how happy I was when the Flyers traded him to Chicago, because, you know, naturally I cannot be a fan of a Philadelphia Flyer.

Handzus only played eight games last season. Scary. He was sidelined with a nasty knee injury, and knee injuries are always cause for concern — they can easily become a chronic problem for some players. Alas, Zus would be the prototypical Devil — great defensively, solid playmaker, and questionable offensive talent…which sucks. He’s absolutely huge though at 6′5″ and nearly 220 pounds. Yum. I want this man on the Devils.
WILL IT HAPPEN: I sure hope so. I think Michal would fit in wonderfully on the Devils, I really do. He’d look great on the top line with Elias and Gionta, and I think having Patty work with a fellow Czech would make Cap’n quite happy.

LADISLAV NAGY, DALLAS STARS
Now, I couldn’t see how Dallas wouldn’t possibly retain Nagy, but if by some freak occurance they let him walk, I’d be somewhat interested to see him on the Devils. Granted, unlike ‘Zus, Nagy plays no defense whatsoever and has quite a smaller frame, but he does pack quite an offensive punch. I’d like to see how he’d fare on a line with Langenbrunner and Zajac, while moving Parise up to the top line and giving Cap’n the center duties.
WILL IT HAPPEN: In a word? No.

RYAN SMYTH, NEW YORK ISLANDERS
How awesome would it be to have a workhorse like Smyth on the Devils? It would seriously be a match made in heaven, for sure. This guy is truly the definition of “hard work” and his dedication to the game is really a sight to see. I can’t possibly think of a downside to Mr. Smyth other than the fact that the competition for signing him will be quite ridiculous, potentially raising his price tag way too much for the Devils to handle.
WILL IT HAPPEN: I can dream, right?