While the days leading up to the trade deadline were rather active for the Devils (with the Jaromir Jagr trade) and the NHL alike, Deadline Day proved to be more fizzle than sizzle for both the league and the Devils.  Most of today’s trades were of the role player and small potatoes variety though there was plenty of action in the ramp up to Deadline Day 2015, particuarly from the Rangers yesterday and Steve Yzerman’s outrageous Brayden Coburn trade overnight.  I admit it, seeing the value for all of the UFA defensemen that got traded over the last few days I thought the Devils would get at least a second-rounder back for Marek Zidlicky, but not only did we wind up moving him for a third-rounder – but a 2016 third-rounder at that.  Yes we can get an additional 5th rounder next year if Detroit makes the ECF, or even turn both picks into a 2nd rounder if Detroit makes the SCF, but that’s a long ways away.

As dissapointing as the return for Zidlicky was, clearly his NTC and refusal to waive it for most teams hampered our potential return.  Even GM Lou Lamoriello admitted in a Freudian slip there were better offers, but because of his no-trade Zidlicky just ‘exercised the right he had’ and made a point of saying he didn’t hold the team up.  While I harbor no ill will for Zid and he certainly was a good Devil for his three seasons, the fact is getting only one 2nd rounder next year and two 2016 3rd rounders isn’t what I had in mind for a total return for Jagr and Zidlicky.  And no other moves were made via either addition or subtraction.  In a rare admission, Lou admitted ‘we weren’t able to get done some of the things we had hoped to’.  Even Martin Havlat and Michael Ryder stayed put as the Devils made no other moves with their eight free agents still on the roster.

What troubles me is Lou’s attempt at justifying making no additional moves with this Tweet:

Tom Gulitti ‏@TGfireandice 1h1 hour ago

Lamoriello said if he was giving up on this season you would have seen “several other players” moved today.

Is Lou just running out of ways to fib that make any sense or is he truly that delusional to think this team is worth keeping intact for a ‘playoff push’ when they’re nine points out, behind multiple teams with a much harder March schedule coming up?  If you wanted to keep Scott Gomez, Jordin Tootoo and maybe even Steve Bernier cause you wanted to re-sign them fine by me, I wasn’t in favor of moving Gomez or Tootoo for the sake of moving them since it’s much less likely you re-sign them if they get traded and both are showing they deserve a contract for next year – Bernier too for that matter, though he and Tootoo are arguably competing for one spot, or one will be overslotted on the third line next year.  That said, please don’t say the only reason you didn’t move them was because you’re not out of the race.  That’s just a ridiculous statement to make.  I get putting on a facade but at a certain point you just start to lose credibility.

One thing I do agree with Lou on is that the emergence of Adam Larsson in the second half coupled with the return of Damon Severson (both RH shots, with Andy Greene and Jon Merrill as the LH shots in the top four) lessens the need for Zidlicky going forward 5-on-5, and hopefully over time Severson, Larsson, Eric Gelinas or some combination takes over his power play role.  You could even make the case the Devils didn’t get much worse in the last few days by effectively trading off Jagr/Zid for Severson and Havlat or Ryder if you factor in Jagr’s declining role here and Severson’s suddenly imminent return to the lineup either tomorrow or Friday.  It might be a stretch but you can argue the team isn’t really much worse at all and got three picks back – though two of them being 3rd rounders in 2016 are meh.  And to his credit Lou was pretty open and transparent during his conference call about the team’s needs going forward and what he tried to do although it would have been amusing to see the Internet forums explode if Lou had succeeded in making a Tuomo Ruutu-like addition at the deadline.

Of course if you were wating for total capitulation from Lou, you’ll be waiting a long time.

Tom Gulitti ‏@TGfireandice 1h1 hour ago

Lamoriello: “We’re here to win right now and anybody who feels other than that, I can’t help their thoughts.”