Scott Gomez becomes the latest ex-Devil to return to the nest (NJ.com)

Completing a career arc that many ex-Devils have followed where they leave and then inevitably come back later in their careers, Scott Gomez became the latest expatriate to return home, signing a one-year, two-way deal for the vet minimum.  Gomez has been hanging around the team’s practice facility skating with the team for two months waiting for a need to arise, and with Travis Zajac going on IR earlier today that need arose.   Gomez has 116 goals and 334 assists in 548 regular season games with the Devils, but hasn’t played a game for the team since 2006-07.  Ironically, while the team was on the road Gomez was working out in one-on-one practices with Martin Brodeur, who may soon be signing a deal himself (in St. Louis).  Of course Marty will come back to the Devils someday, everyone does – albeit in an off-ice capacity.

There’s definitely going to be a great division in the Devil fanbase over Gomez returning, especially since he went to the rival Rangers and was one of the few guys who left that got to stick it in our face (during the 2008 playoffs).  Personally I’m ambivalent at this point, bemused more than anything over the same inevitable script playing out.  Sadly, Gomez may actually be an improvement offensively over Zajac, even given the fact Gomez has been awful the last couple years – thus the reason he was still unsigned in December and was willing to sign a two-way deal, although I’m not sure he’d ever actually see Albany.  More than likely Damien Brunner or Jordin Tootoo will be the first to go if and when there needs to be room made.

If Gomez’s return somehow felt inevitable to many (me included) since his camp invite, Gomez himself never doubted he would get a chance:

“No, because I wouldn’t be here. I trust (GM) Lou (Lamoriello),” he said. “I didn’t think at all just (from) the fact that I was treated like a part of the team from Day 1. And that was the main thing I was worried about. I didn’t want to be in the way. But, even when team was gone, we were here and everything was available to me. This is where I wanted to be. This is where they know me as a hockey player. You go somewhere else than here, you start all over again. Here they know what I can do. I think that’s the trust I have with Lou.”

Not only has Gomez signed – and with the strange #21 on his helmet (Mike Cammalleri’s wearing #23 now) – but he might actually play on the first line tomorrow night in Pittsburgh, with Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias.  Talk about reuniting an 2000 All-Star team!