Shanahan back with the Devils (updated with quotes)

The Devils have brought left wing Brendan Shanahan back to the organization.

The 39-year-old left wing agreed to terms today on what is believed will be a one-year contract. Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said that Shanahan "has not officially signed a contract" yet.

"His representative and I will be working on that in the next couple of days," Lamoriello said. "That's why I said he's agreed in principle and that's not something either one of us are worried about."

Lamoriello did not accompany the team West for its game tonight in Los Angeles so he could meet with Shanahan in New Jersey. It's likely the Devils won't officially sign Shanahan until he is ready to play to save salary cap space.

[I'll have comments from Shanahan after a 7 p.m. conference call].

There is no timetable yet for when Shanahan will join the team and begin playing in games. Lamoriello said Shanahan will begin skating on his own at the Devils' practice facility in Newark.

"As far as when he joins the team, that is to be determined as far as where he is, as far his physical status," Lamoriello said.

The Devils believe Shanahan can help their struggling power play and penalty kill.

"I would say the major impetus of this was what he can bring to our power play and specialty teams, - which has really been a forte of his in most recent years -- and where we are at when we examine our team the 40-game mark," Lamoriello said. "Brent (Sutter) and I spoke of this potential situation that could come about and we both felt extremely strong that Brendan could add to that, plus what he brings to the overall lineup with experience."

The Devils rank 21st in the NHL with a 16.4 percent success rate on the power play and rank 19th on the penalty kill with an 80.2 percent success rate.

Lamoriello made it clear, however, that Shanahan won't be only a special teams specialist.

"I'm not going to get into how he will be used, but in our mind Brendan can be a full-time player," Lamoriello said. "As far as how much he's used, it's no different than any other player. They determine the ice time that they get and the coaches determined how much they are used with reference to how the games go. That's not different. But he's not being signed just to play on power play and just to play shorthanded. He's signed because we feel he can come and help this team be better and have more success."

Where he fits in on the Devils' lines -- they are carrying only 12 forwards right now -- remains to be seen.

Shanahan has sat out all season after becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He played the last two seasons for the Rangers. Lamoriello said Shanahan has been working out on his own, though he has not been affiliated with an NHL team.

"He has been skating on his own and working out with the anticipation of coming back," Lamoriello said.

Lamoriello admitted he first spoke with Shanahan back in September, but said did not decide to sign him until the last couple of days.

"We have spoken to him like a lot of other people earlier in September and throughout the year and yesterday I sat down with him and spent a period of time with him. And this morning we spoke again and the decision was made that he would come aboard." 

Lamoriello said he would not have signed Shanahan earllier this season if he would have agreed to terms.

"This was not something we felt was right," Lamoriello said. "We've stayed in contact -- not as often as anyone might think. But when we felt it was the right time, we spoke to him and his representative in the last couple of days."

Lamoriello said the team's poor play in the last two weeks did not influence his decision to sign Shanahan.

"I don't think you ever make a decision on one or two or even three games," Lamoriello said. "I think the overall specialty teams succes or lack of success at a given time, really in my mind was the impetus to coming to this conclusion. Right now, it will be a positive thing. I just felt this was the right time and our coaching staff felt the same way."

Shanahan, who will turn 40 on Jan. 23, was originally drafted second overall by the Devils in 1987. He signed as a free agent with St. Louis in 1991 and the Devils were eventually awarded Scott Stevens as compensation. 

Lamoriello was asked if this move was a nostalgic one.

“Nostalgic? You have to be honest because Brendan came in when I came in, but that’s shortly stopped because this is hockey." Lamoriello said. "This is a hockey decision 100 percent in every way with his presence, his experience. You can never have enough experience. He knows what it takes to win. He’s won Stanley Cups. All of those things are added and that is the goal of this organization.”

Lamoriello said that Shanahan's age was not a deterring factor.

"I've always believed this: age is a number," Lamoriello said. "The factor is the physical shape that he's in and he's always been a player that takes care of himself. We certainly spoke of that. He looks in great shape. We feel very comfortable with that and also, at the time of the year, he certainly will not be rushed into anything. The coaches will determine when he's ready, when that is."

Shanahan had 23 goals and 23 assists in 73 games last season with the Blueshirts. He leads all active players and ranks 11th in NHL history with 650 career goals in 1,490 games over 20 seasons.

The Devils have brought back several former players over the years, most recently Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston. But Lamoriello said this move was different from those signings.

“That didn’t play a role," he said of Shanahan's history with the Devils. "It is a nice thing to know that the player knows about the organization, knows what’s expected, knows what the philosophy is, so that’s something you don’t have to go through. But Brendan hasn’t played with any of the players in this locker room. So, really he isn’t someone like some of the people here who had former teammates in there.”

The Devils had hoped to get younger this season with some of their prospects taking the next step in their development, but this move makes them older.

"Our younger players, as far as we're concerned, we have no less than a half a dozen players that are really starting to come on in Lowell and you can see that by the way they've been playing in the last 15, 20 games," Lamoriello said. "And we feel very good about them, but don't feel that they're ready to come in here and take us at this point to the next level. Earlier in the year, we had several young players in here at different times. We know what they can do. We know what they can bring. But philosphically we've always felt they need time in the minors."

If anything, bringing in Shanahan signals the Devils trying to got for it this season - rather than develop young players at the NHL level.

"Right now with the way that a couple of our younger players -- whether it be Zach Parise, Travis Zajac -- have come forward the way they have and also the veteran players starting to play up to their abilities, we feel this team has as legitimate a chance as any other team to have success," Lamoriello said. "Right now, we have an opportunity to add a player without subtracting, get a better feel for who we are. We can always get younger players still in there. We're only carrying 12 forwards on our roster. We only have 21 people on our roster right now and one on the injured list -- our goaltender Marty Brodeur. There's still an opportunity for those (young) players if they warrant it. The play of our people here will determine who plays and our coaching staff will make that decision."  

***

The Devils will host Mike 'Doc" Emrick Night on when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, Jan. 30 at Prudential Center. Emrick has been the Devils' play-by-play announcer for 19 years, including the last 16, and received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for at the Hockey Hall of Fame inductions on Nov. 10.

Comments

[Jeremy]

Any details? Who are the Devils going to drop? THIS IS NUTS!

[Andrew]

Where are we going to put him?

[tapiolevo08]

What do you mean who are the Devils going to drop???....I'll drive Brookbank to the airport myself!

[Bobby]

OY VEY!

[Jeremy]

haha. Im with you on that one. Brookbank hasn't been playing though. Someone who has been playing is going to get the ax.

[tapiolevo08]

How about on the Powerplay for starters? That's what he's specialized in his whole career.

[Sean]

This does not bode well, I guess it depends on how much/long this is for.

[murph]

i dont know if im excited or not..one year deal..wheres he gonna go..i think it might be part of lous plan to get another defensemen..hell probably trade someone such as madden or gionta i would think to get a decient defenseman..idk i think thats probably why he did this

[Josh]

One year won't be bad, especially since it'll be a pro-rated contract since the season's half over anyway. He should be hitting his stride come playoff time, and putting him on the power play gives us two very strong PP units. I definitely smell a trade coming though, even if it's just draft picks for a Madden/Pandolfo/Rupp type player.

[JoeDevs]

Great addition by Lou!! He will help the team if he can get into playing shape.
He does nto have a bad attitude either. He was the real captain of the Rags the last few seasons not Jagr. Rags fans loved him and knew he was an asset.
We shouldn't expect him to play 20 minutes per night but he will be a force ont he power play and help this team which is struggling.
Get Marty healthy, add a good defensemen and we should all be pumped up.

[tapiolevo08]

Parise Zajac Langs
Elias Zubrus Gionta
Rolston Madden Shanahan
Pando Holik Clarkson

[BH]

I can't really say I like this. He's missed half the season, and wasn't playing particularly well at the end of last season. I hope it does work out though, I do like Shannahan, so I'll be rooting for him.

[embo slice]

i hate this move....no wonder they played like sh$t recently...they knew this was going to happen.....these are the "off the ice issues" we have been hearing about

[Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti)]

This breaks my heart because this probably means John Madden is going to get moved, and i am a big fan of Mad Dog, and i think his playoff intensity can;t be replaced. I hope if Lou deals him at least bring back a Defenseman.... supposedly Chicago is will to deal D men in anticipation of the cap going down

[Cornholio]

I guess shock is the first thing that comes to my mind. I did not expect this to happen. I always thought he'd go to Europe or return to the Rangers before signing with the Devils.

My first question . . . Will he play tonight? I can't imagine that he will because of match fitness. If he has not skated recently, then it might take a while for him to do so.

Now my second question . . . Why him? Up until this recent stretch where the team's work ethic has come into question, I didn't think they needed any help up front.

My last question for now . . . Why now? Maybe Brent and Lou think bringing Shanahan along at this time will give everyone a collective swift kick to the pants.

The best thing about the Devils signing him is he can't hurt them in the form of an opponent. Let's hope this event gets the current players' attention.

[tapiolevo08]

They won't trade Madden, he's a center and Shanahan's a wing. The trade I see coming is Clemmer for a d-man assuming Marty can make it back in time.

[Josh]

BH - That's exactly why I'm leaning towards liking this move...he'll be slow to start probably, but he should be hitting his stride late in the season/early in the post season - same time Marty should be warming up as well. We may be in a VERY good spot when the playoffs start.

As if it wasn't obvious enough before, it becomes quite apparent this is the year we're really making that push for the finals, with both him and Holik on one year deals, and Madden/Gio at the end of their deals as well.

[Scott731]

I'll wait until I see him on the ice but it's not a move that excites me, I guess I'm neutral right now.

[Tom Gulitti]

He's not playing tonight. He's not ready to play.

[embo slice]

my impression is that the players didnt want this

[Tapiolevo08]

I doubt he plays until they return from the roadtrip. Maybe the first home game back which is against the Habs. Might be able to squeeze in a couple of practices with the team before then when they return to play at the Isles.

[Steve Lepore]

I'm sure they didn't want this, embo, but what choice do they have after playing like they did the past two weeks?

[Cornholio]

If the team had played to its potential over the last two weeks, then this would not have happened. Of course they didn't want this, Embo. I do have to wonder who pressed the panic button, though.

[Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti)]

Clemmer isn't going to be dealt until Marty actually LOOKS like he is almost ready for action in a game, and were still more than a month away.

[embo slice]

madden or rupp would be the ones on the way out and the remaining player can handle the center duties.....as i'm writing this i just can't see them letting go of rupp.....goodbye john...alot of us wanted to call you the captain going into this season