Clemmensen back; Vrana re-signed; Halischuk eligible for AHL

I was just able to get Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello on his cell phone for a couple of minutes. He was in the middle of a conference call, but he did confirm the team has agreed to terms with goaltender Scott Clemmensen on a one-year, two-way contract. He said the deal will not be registered with the NHL and the NHL Players' Association until tomorrow, though.

"He's going to be a tutor for (Jeff) Frazee in Lowell (AHL)," Lamoriello said.

Clemmensen filled a similar role with Justin Pogge for the Toronto Marlies (AHL) last season. He also got in three games with the Maple Leafs.

Lamoriello said the decision to sign Clemmensen was unrelated to Jordan Parise signing to play in Austria (Salzburg) next season. The Devils did not make Jordan (Zach's older brother) a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

"We just mutually decided that a change of scenery for one year might be good for him," Lamoriello said of Jordan Parise.

***

Restricted free agent center Rod Pelley remains unsigned, but Lamoriello said center Petr Vrana, also a restricted free agent, has re-signed. I don't have the details on that deal, yet. He said the deal with Fedor Fedorov is still not completed.

Although Ivan Khomutov, also a restricted free agent, has reportedly signed with CSKA Moskow of the Russian Continental League, Lamoriello said he had not heard that the deal was official.

"That was the direction he was leaning in," he said.

***

I finally was able to ask Lamoriello about Matt Halischuk and he corrected himself and said he would be eligible to play in the AHL next season if he doesn't make the big club because he is 20 years old. He said he was "thinking of something else" when I asked him about that a couple of weeks ago and had intended to call me back and correct me on that.

Comments

[2600]

GREAT NEWS!!! Thanks TG & Lou!

[JOE D]

Word up! thanks TG you rock.

[jdr30]

Stupid move. With a 2 way contract doesn't half his salary still go against the cap for the devils?

[TG]

No. The contract does not count against the cap of the NHL team when he's in the minors.

[jp]

jdr30, not unless he is on the active roster i think

[mikeP]

jdr30, no it doesn't. On a 2-way deal a player would get a low salary if they played in the ahl and a higher salary if they play in the nhl. if/when clemmenson plays in lowell his salary will not count against the cap; his nhl salary would be pro-rated for the days that he would be on the nhl roster

all these former Devils come back, and with all the posts about movies, I can't help that Clemmenson, Holik and Rolston must have murmured the Al Pacino line:

"Just when I thought I was out .... THEY PULLED ME BACK IN!!!" (name that movie!!!)

[TG]

GF III

[Classic Devil]

jdr30 - no, it doesn't.

[jules]

Wow, Lou has a cell phone?

Thanks for the info on Jordan, Tom. Great news on Hali too.

I wonder who the other guy was that Lou was thinking of. Palmieri?

[TG]

No, Lamoriello said "something else" not "someone".

I don't think he was talking about another player.

[McJag]

Good news on Halischuk, it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to pro hockey.

TG-just have to say that as a Devils fan from Canada, you do an amazing job covering the team. There's some guys up here who could learn a thing or two from you.

[bobo]

very good TG. you win a free catalog to the Devils Den.

[HBK27]

Great quotes from Lou...

I like the Clemmenson signing & it's great to hear that Lou views it as more of a tutoring role. It also seems like the Devils have made more of an effort though to have success with their AHL club, which I believe is long overdue. I know the main purpose is to develop the players down there vs. winner, but you'd have to think a winning environment is more beneficial to all involved.

Interesting comment on Jordan Parise - nice to hear he may be back with the Devils organization in the future, even if he doesn't make the big club.

I'm also really glad to see Vrana re-signed. I'm really hoping that him & Bergfors have great camps and Lou finds a way to keep them on the roster or at the very least they get some time with the big club as injury replacements. This team needs a bit of an infusion of youth - I'm really looking forward to camp to see if a couple of rookies can really step up & force Lou to find a way to get keep them on the team.

[jules]

I stand corrected.

Tom, thanks for your detail-oriented reporting.

[Brick]

Not surprising about Pelley...I wouldn't be surprised if he never suited up for the Devs again.

[Brick]

The youngsters who are going to be given a chance to make the team are Vrana, Bergfors, Tallackson & Halischuk.

[Brick]

Oh, and Corrente, too.

[Al]

Does this mean David Caruso goes back to Trenton? The kid can ply and did well in Lowell last year. Any news Tom?

[Brodie30]

I have to mention... The Hockey News (likely via the Post) always claimed two reasons that the Devils didn't sell out hockey games. One was the typical style of play argument. The other was that the team didn't give access to the media. First of all to claim that the Devils couldn't sell out games being related to media access is completely ridiculous. Secondly, Lou is bothering to keep fans up to date via Tom and we are getting access, while second hand, that a lot of sports fans don't get. All the more reason that THN is a rag (that I still subscribe to)

[FOTC]

TG, did Vrana accept his qualifying offer, or did he negotiate a new deal?

[Xander Crews]

Wow we could be totally stocked on forwards for the first time in as long as i can remember. We have a good forward line up and we could being trying to break in Vrana, Bergfors, maybe even Halischuk (and pelley still there). Lol we dont have the room for all these guys!

[tyler]

Wow, Lou broke away from a conference call to give you a few minutes?!!....TG, you are the man.

I wonder what the conference call was about?

[Josh]

Tyler, I've heard from reliable sources that the "conference call" was him negotiating a 1-year deal with Peter Stastny.

[Adam]

Peter Stastny? Who?

Do you mean Colorado's Paul Stastny?

[TG]

Lou must have thought it was someone else calling. Otherwise, he would not have picked up.