Fire & Ice

Nothing done with Brylin, Pandolfo and Salvador

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said tonight that decisions on Sergei Brylin, Jay Pandolfo and Bryce Salvador will have to "wait until tomorrow."

Of course, tomorrow at noon, Pandolfo and Salvador will become unrestricted free agents if they haven't re-signed with the Devils before then. And Brylin will become an unrestricted free agent if neither he nor the Devils decide to pick up the $1.52 million option on his expiring contract for next season and the sides are unable to agree on the two-year contract they have been working on.

Salvador's agent, Carlos Sosa, said he expects to talk with Lamoriello again before noon tomorrow, but the sides haven't been able to agree to a deal, yet.

So, it appears it's likely that it will go down to the last minute with all three players -- if they re-sign at all.

Still no decision on Brylin

The Devils and Sergei Brylin are going down the wire with their decisions on the option year on Brylin’s contract.

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said today that the sides actually have until the free agent market opens at noon on Tuesday to decide on the option year, which carries a $1.52 million salary for 2008-09. If neither party picks up the option and they are unable to agree on a new contract _ Brylin is seeking a two-year deal _ he will become an unrestricted free agent at noon on Tuesday.

Lamoriello said neither side has given an official indication to the other yet on the option year.

“We’re going to wait until tomorrow,” Lamoriello said. “We agreed we’ll talk tomorrow.”

As for the negotiations with left wing Jay Pandolfo and defenseman Bryce Salvador, who are slated to become UFAs on Tuesday, Lamoriello said, “everything is status quo.”

Salvador negotiations heat up

With less than 72 hours remaining until the unrestricted free agent market opens at noon on Tuesday, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello got down to serious negotiations today with the agent for defenseman Bryce Salvador.

      

“We had a very good discussion,” Salvador’s agent, Carlos Sosa said.

Sosa added that the sides would continue talking, “pretty regularly between now and Tuesday."

Of course, after noon on Tuesday, Salvador will be free to talk to other teams, too.

“I think we’re going to get something done before Tuesday and if we don’t we’ll keep working after that,” Sosa said. “We made a substantive beginning.”

Salvador wants no-movement clause

Bryce Salvador is looking for stability. That’s why the 32-year-old defenseman lists contract length and a no-movement clause as his top two priorities in negotiating his next deal.

Salvador will become an unrestricted free agent at noon on Tuesday if the Devils don’t sign him to a new deal before then.

"Definitely, the most important thing is term and then the no-movement (clause)," Salvador said today. "I'm looking for that stability, especially after going through being traded this past season. We have a young son and maybe looking to have another child down the road and that stability is a big thing. After the term and the no-movement clause, then comes the dollars."

Salvador, who came to the Devils in a Feb. 26 trade that sent Cam Janssen to St. Louis, did not discuss the dollar figures or length of contract he is seeking. He earned $1.5 million last season.

Cap set at $56.7 million

The NHL and NHL Players' Association announced the today that the salary cap will be set at $56.7 million for the 2008-09 season. The lower limit will be $40.7 million, . The maximum salary one player can earn in a season will be $11.34 million.

Last season, the cap was $50.3 million and it was $44 million for 2006-07. For 2005-06, the first season following the lockout, the salary cap was $39 million and the lower limit was $21.5.

The lower limit, which has nearly doubled in three years, is now higher than the original cap.

At this rate, the cap will top $60 million for 2009-10.

Jordan Parise only RFA not to be qualified

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said today that the team made qualifying offers to all of its potential restricted free agents before today's 5 p.m. league deadline except minor league goaltender Jordan Parise.

Parise, the older brother of Devils left wing Zach Parise, underwent season-ending hip surgery this winter. He will now become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but Lamoriello said, 'This doesn't necessarily mean he won't be back."

Among those receiving qualifying offers were right wing David Clarkson, center Rod Pelley, defenseman Olli Malmivaara and minor league centers Petr Vrana and Ivan Khomutov. Lamoriello said the team qualified Malmivaara to maintain his NHL rights, though he has already signed to play in Finland next season.

Brylin, Devils talking

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said today that he still has not made a decision on whether to pick up the $1.52 million option year on Sergei Brylin’s contract after a face-to-face meeting with the three-time Stanley Cup winner on Monday morning.

“Everything is status quo,” Lamoriello said.

When asked if he might hold off on his decision until Monday’s deadline, Lamoriello replied, “I don’t want to get into that.”

Brylin, 34, also has a player option for next season at $1.52 million for next season and has until Monday to pick it up or become an unrestricted free agent, but has said he would prefer to sign a multi-year extension. It is believed that the sides are now discussing a multi-year deal. Brylin flew home to Russia for the summer on Monday, though. Before anyone jumps to any conclusions about that meaning something about him signing to play in Russia next year, Brylin returns home every summer.

Lamoriello "extremely happy"

Here's some of what Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello had to say about how the team fared during the two days of the NHL Entry Draft.

On the draft overall:

“We were extremely happy. The player we got in the first round (Mattias Tedenby) from where we were picking, we felt very good. I haven’t seen our scouts that excited. I know he’s small, but I’ve seen the films. The rest of the draft we just spotted people with size and strength at center and defense. We didn’t take a goalie because the goalies that we would have taken were gone and you just don’t take someone for the sake of taking him. You have to take the right one.” 

Was he disappointed not to be able to draft a top goalie?

“I’m not disappointed because he wasn’t there. You can’t get disappointed.”

Burlon patient

I'm still waiting to hear back from Lou Lamoriello, but here are some quotes from defenseman Brandon Burlon and center Patrice Cormier, who the Devils drafted in the second round this morning in Ottawa.

BRANDON BURLON

Did he expect to be drafted in the first round on Friday?    

"I was told either late first or early second, so I had to show up. A guy I played with last year Brendan Smith, a lot of guys didn't think he was going to go in the first round and he did to Detroit. So, I showed up and sat through the whole thing and watched a lot of my buddies get drafted, but it didn't happen for me, so I went home and got some sleep. I came back with a smile on my face and ready to be drafted today."

Devils go big in seventh round

The Devils went for size and toughness with the first of their two seventh-round picks (No. 202) by selecting 6-foot-4, 204-pound defenseman Harry Young from Windsor (OHL).

Young, a Windsor, Ontario native, had two goals, 12 assists and a whopping 155 penalty minutes in 68 games this season for the Spitfires. He was ranked 121^st among North American skaters by Central Scouting. Windsor coach Bob Boughner used him against the opponent’s top lines and to kill penalties. He also became respected as one of the top heavyweights in the OHL.

With their final pick of the draft (No. 205) overall, the Devils selected left wing Jean-Sebastien Berube from Rouyn-Noranda of the Quebec league.

Berube, a 6-3, 183 Matane, Quebec native, was ranked 166^th among North American skaters by Central Scouting. He put up 12 goals and 12 assists in 64 games and also had 118 penalty minutes.

Well, that’s it for the picks. After all the talk about the Devils looking for an heir apparent to Martin Brodeur, they did not select a goaltender with any of their nine picks in the draft. They selected four centers, three defensemen and two left wings.

I’ll have comments from Lou Lamoriello and the two second-round picks (Brandon Burlon and Patrice Cormier) shortly.