Clemmensen added to Team USA

Zach Parise won't be joining Team USA at the World Championships in Switzerland because the team has a full roster of skaters, but the Devils will have one player joining the American squad.

Goaltender Scott Clemmensen was added to the U.S. squad today.

Clemmenen, a 31-year-old native of Des Moines, Iowa, went 25-13-1 with two shutouts, a .917 save percentage and .2.39 goals-against average in 40 games with the Devils this season while Martin Brodeur was injured.

This will be Clemmensen's first appearance in the World Champiionships. 

Patrik Elias (Czech Republic), Johnny Oduya (Sweden) and Travis Zajac (Canada) are also headed to Switzerland to represent their respective countries.

Comments

[pando20rules]

did a goalie get injured?

[Henrik L]

Goos for him! Well earned!

[TG]

The only other goalies on their roster right now are Robert Esche and Al Montoya.

I don't know if someone was injured earlier or they just had two goalies.

[Pearl Jammed]

good for clemmmer its well deserved after the season he just had

[Tull]

that's awesome- i'm very happy for Clemmer!
we know he's well-rested & ready to play!
are any of these games shown on TV?

[RickyM2]

If Clemmer wins, its a no brainre taht he splits the season with marty. Marty can not possibly handle a full season anymore. Its pure outright selfish. Lou doesnt have the balls to stop him either. If he has this insane loyalty to White, can you imagine Marty??? He'll leave it in his "Last Will and Testament" to let Marty start every game until Marty is 100 years old.

[chris]

Can't believe they don't have room for a player like Parise. I'm rooting against them.

[rickym2]

Clemmer!!! Learn to stick handle and you will lead us to a cup!!!!! You have that itch that most of the team lost when you were sent down!!!!

[TG]

Universal Sports will provide live streaming and TV coverage beginning with the quaterfinals on May 6.

[MoscowSikks]

I'm happy for Scott. He is the reason why we had such good regular season.

[Henrik L]

atdhe.net has 2 games today, but they're not showing Usa-France though. I read on the Swedish website that team Sweden rejected both Lundqvist and Hävelid... although I have a feeling it was the Rangers who stopped Lundqvist from going..
Im glad Oduya will be there to help us!

[TG]

If their roster was full with forwards, they can't cut someone to add Parise.

Should they have left a spot open? Maybe. But, at the same time, you can't be counting on Parise losing in the first round.

The tournament started a week and a half a go. He wasn't available then.

It happens.

[Tull]

thanks TG, appreciate it! i'll start looking for coverage on May 6 then... finally something to look fwd to on the hockey front.

[MoscowSikks]

However, Russia will win this year again))). After last Tuesday's blow it will ease the pain a little.

Вперёд Россия!!!

[Scratch]

Ricky, I usually agree with you, but it's highly unlikely that Clemmer will be with us next year...He's going to be looking for a starting position or at least a team where he will get a lot more play time. Devils is not what he's looing for, nor can they afford him.

[Henrik L]

I cant believe there is no coverage of the World Chamionships here! But college sports u can watch every day! Incredible! My friends in Sweden are watching every single game live on national tv and we cant even get it on any cable channel..

[pando20rules]

I think people are not giving economics enough due as far as how big of an impact it will have on this offseason, if the cap come down with any significance off of the current 56.7M number. As TG pointed out, teams will be forced to buyout guys not living up to contracts, or to have another team swoop in and take one of their RFA's.

The Rangers will be an easy team to target, considering their HUGE cap problems. They have 42M+ tied up in just 10 players (Gomez, Drury, Naslund, Avery (50%), Voros, Redden, Roszival, Girardi, Staal and Lundqvist). Even at the current cap of 56.7, that gives them roughly $14M to fill 13 spots, including RFA Zherdev, Dubinsky, Callahan, Korpikovsky and Sjostrom, not to mention UFA Antropov, Morris, Mara, Valiquette, Betts and Orr. I can't forsee them keeping a guy like Antropov, but you never know with the Cablevision $ who they might be willing to buyout, etc.

Then you have a team like Anaheim that has 38M+ for next year in 15 players, which by itself doesn't look that bad. However, you have UFA of Niedermayer, Hedican and Bechaumin on D, and R. Niedermayer and Marchant up front (I've always like Marchant, if we can get him on the cheap, I wouldn't mind him as a potential replacement for Madden). And also 4 RFA's.

For comparitive purposes, the Devils are currently at just under $40M for next year, with 13 players under contract (slary cap hits of Elias 6.0, Rolston 5.0625, Zubrus 3.4, Parise 3.125, Langenbrunner 2.8, Pando 2.5, Clarkson .8375, Martin 3.8333, White 3.0, Salavdor 2.9, Mottau .7625, Leach .4875, Brodeur 5.2). So that leaves probably about 14-15M (depending on the cap number) to fill 10 spots...

Don't overlook the fact that is just three teams examples...it will be a very curious offseason just from an economical sense, which in my opinion will play a bigger role then most people appear to be realizing. That is, of course, assuming there isn't some change that allows for the cap to stay the same or move up.

[Pat]

That's a crackerjack lineup of goalies for the US squad.

Did Esche even play in the NHL this year? Wasn't Montoya sent to Phoenix, was he any good?

[Pat]

Pando and I are definitely on the same page here...(I know we all hate re-posts, sorry.)

If Pelley can come in and not score like Madden did and win faceoffs and play PK then why not insert him at $550K vs the RAISE that Madden wants over $3M? That's $2.5M of cap space automatically. Word was he had a great season in Lowell this year and deserves a shot to be 3rd or 4th C. 15G, 23A, 38P, 3rd in team scoring. I understand Madden's feelings being hurt but he is delusional if he thinks he deserves a raise considering he should only have a further reduced role next season.

Same thing w/Bergfors. If he can put in 15-20 goals and possibly surprise us and pot 25, then why not insert him on the 2nd line w/Elias at $818K vs. Gio's $4M. Even if Gio took a pay cut to $3M, which is probably as low as he would go, you're still creating another $2.2M in cap space and you haven't lost one roster player. 22G, 29A, 51P, 2nd in team scoring.

$4.7M in additional cap space looks pretty sweet.

W/respect to the UFA comments, I don't blame Clemmer and Rupp so see ya. Havelid is a goner. I lost respect for Madden b/c he thinks he deserves a raise for lackluster results when the cap is going down and if he doesn't want to be a team player, see ya. I love Gio's attitude but if the above is true, why pay more for the same results. If he will come back for $2.5, I don't see how you pass on that though.

That will cause an interesting dilemma though. Do you have your RW's be Langs/Bergie/Gio/Clarkson? Clarkson deserves to be promoted from the 3rd line - he exceeded expectations for production.

I'm torn on Oduya. He's good but I don't think he's top line material and I don't like having 2 non-superstar offensive defensemen together b/c it concentrates the attack from the back. If he signs for $1.5-2.5M, then you're not going to get anything better on the market. If he wants $3M+, you probably say see ya.

We all know Holik is gone. I wouldn't mind Shanny coming back for $1M or less b/c he acts like the best leader on the ice. He never stops hustling, diving and doing the dirty work. He is the best at leading by example and he doesn't take the stupid, lazy, retalitory penalties that Jamie does. However, don't bring Shanny back if it's going to cost a rookie a spot at development.

Lou needs to consider demoting Pando to the minors and saving another $2.5M in cap space. He hustled in the playoffs but w/o his buddy, he'll be even more lost and he is grossly overpaid, regardless of him being grossly underpaid for so long.

It would be a long shot but we should also consider demoting White for another $3M in cap space if we have 1-2 rookies make the team and/or get 1-2 good UFAs or trades. What I'd be looking for is someone who really takes the body and doesn't cost us goals in the playoffs running out of position.

I'm still a huge proponent of the offer sheet to the right player. Attack the teams with no cap space to get the player we need - either a 2nd line C or a good D.

[bobo]

This list shows all UFA defensemen this year. Oduya looks like he's going to strike it rich somewhere. Hope Lou opens the wallet for him and sends White off like he did Malakhov for some cap space.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/freeagents.php?team=all&type=UFA&year=2009&pos=D

[Henrik L]

bobo Id take Oduya over White any day of the week as well!

[bobo]

UFA centers available..Lou take a look at Cammalleri and Sedin.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/freeagents.php?team=all&type=UFA&year=2009&pos=C

[TG is the one they call Dr. Feelgood [Salvatore from Garfield]]

Wow. If those are the two goalies they already had, then good for clemmer! TG- Do you know who is starting??

[Jim B]

I am happy for clemmer, he deserves this and deserves a shot as a starter next year with another organization...though i would love to have him as our backup

[TG]

I think Esche has been the starter.