Agent: Gionta likely to field offers on July 1 despite "mutual interest" in return to Devils

Add Brian Gionta's name to the list of the Devils' potential unrestricted free agents who will likely hit the open market at noon on Wednesday.

After not having any contact with the Devils since the end of the regular season, Gionta's agent, Steve Bartlett said today that he's had "a few casual conversations" with general manager Lou Lamoriello in the last week.

"I think everyone is on the same page in that there certainly is mutual interest and respect from both parties to get something done, but also an acknowledgement that that might not be possible to do so before July 1 for a lot of reasons," Bartlett said.

The biggest is the salary cap. Teams were able to finally start budgeting their payroll for the 2009-10 season after it was announced on Friday that the salary cap will be $56.8 million.

Although Lamoriello has been trying to re-sign defenseman Johnny Oduya before he hits the open market and also has been working on a new deal for restricted free agent center Travis Zajac, re-signing Gionta apparently falls a little farther down the team's list of priorities.

"I just think in this enviroment of cap issues, with multiple pieces of a puzzle you can't always get them to fit in until you -- one may depend on another and it doesn't alway work that way," Bartlett said.

It is Bartlett's impression that there are other things that have to fall into place before the Devils figure out what cap space they have left to re-sign Gionta.

"Probably, yeah, or at least at a level that would be acceptable to us," Bartlett said. "The communication will continue after July 1 and there certainly isn't a feeling that there isn't an interest in getting something done or continuing to talk, but at the same time, there can be no guarantee that something will get done. Everybody is understanding of and comfortable with each other's position and we'll continue to keep in close touch."

So, Gionta and Bartlett will start to listen to offers from other teams at noon on Wednesday?

"That's my anticipation," Bartlett said. "We probably will get to July 1 and at least get a better understanding as to what else is there and then relay that back to the Devils to see how that fits into their plans."

Potential UFAs John Madden and Mike Rupp have also said they plan to field offers on July 1. Goaltender Scott Clemmensen said he "most likely" would as well,  "unless there is an offer I simply can't refuse."

Rupp said today that there still has been no contract talk between his agent, Allan Walsh, and the Devils.

"I don't believe so," he said. "So, I'm just going to wait and see."

Comments

[Pete]

5 PM was the deadline to extend qualifying offers to Zajac and Greene, did Lou go ahead and do that?

[DancinGoalieHero94]

This is BS Lou!!!! u bettr hav a gr8 back-up plan... >=( SIGN THESE GUYS ALREDY!!!

[njdevsfn95]

Lou found out the cap maximum while he was preparing for the draft. Yes, resigning current players is important, but so is preparing for the future. I'm glad he focused on the Draft first. It seems that Gionta's agent understood that he needed to know the cap max first before deciding what to do with his UFA and RFAs.

[Andrew]

we need zajac what are you doing lou!!!

[Steven]

Lou is probably going to pursue outside help on July 1st as well as focus on signing our own Free Agents. Anycase TG, what is the latest on the new coach and Zajac and Greene?

[njhillbilly]

I'm guessing that Lou knows Oduya and Zajac's asking prices. If Oduya signs, no Gionta.

[NJSwampdragon]

I hate the stupid salary cap. What good has it actually done? Trades are few and far between; teams get stuck with bad contracts; some NHL caliber players get buried in the minors for the rest of their careers because they were overpaid; and teams can't keep their own UFAs who want to stay.

[aarrgghhhh]

why is it BS if he doesn't sign Gionta? There's a salary cap. It will go down after next season. Do you think you can have expensive top 6 forwards not playing in the top 6? if you sign Gionta, you will.

[TG]

Lamoriello said Saturday that he would qualify all of the team's potential restricted free agents.

[njhillbilly]

It's not that teams can't keep their own UFA's that want to stay, it's that they choose not to. Oduya and Zajac are higher priorities than Gionta. Without the cap, who knows what the Devils budget would be. We don't even know if Lou is spending to the cap this year. Without the cap, salaries would be alot higher for players like Gionta and he probably walks anyway.

And as far as teams getting stuck with bad contracts, it's their own fault. I smile when I look at the ridicualous contracts that got handed out across the river.

[Alexa]

KEEP GIO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, his numbers in terms of goals have gone down, but he had his second highest year in points overall last season. Keep him, but at a lower cost. And how many times did Oduya really come through for the team last year? Not nearly as many times as Gionta did. Obviously different positions, but still. Same as Zajac for that matter.

Don't make a crappy decision please, Lou.

[TG]

Someone mentioned Jay McKee earlier. St. Louis placed him on waivers today with the intention of buying him out. Same for Florida with Brett McLean and Boston with Peter Schaefer.

The deadline for buyouts is 5 p.m. (Eastern) tomorrow. (There is a second buyout period later in the summer for teams that have players go to arbitration).

Jay McKee was a huge disappointment for the Blues after they signed him as an unrestricted free agent a few years back. I'd stay away from him.

[Maxwell]

"We probably will get to July 1 and at least get a better understanding as to what else is there and then relay that back to the Devils to see how that fits into their plans."

I read that as "...to the Devils to see how that fits into their pants."

I'm pretty sure that Gio actually could fit into Lou's pants. The guy is too small, and simply not fast enough to be as effective as he was in the old NHL. Don't get me wrong - he's fast, but I won't miss Gio. He'll do fine on another team - I actually hope he excels. I won't be bitter.

[Jason]

How's Jeff Friesen doing? Seriously, how does a guy totally fall apart in the span of a 1 year lockout.

[Robbie]

I actually wounld't mind seeing Friesen back on a 1 year deal.

[Steven]

Friesen I hear was either playing in Germany, Austria or Switzerland this past year in fact maybe the past two years. He was with Washington and Anaheim in 2005-2006, and with Calgary in 06-07. Then he was on a tryout with the Sharks earlier this year but failed to make the team or the AHL squad so he signed in Europe.

[Jim B]

Anybody think maybe the Devils would be better going for Mike Cammaleri instead of bringing back Gionta. The guy can play center or wing, he is a fast moving sniper kind of a player, might fit well with Elias. I think after defense, the devils need to find a way to get Elias and Rolston some consistent offense production. We all saw how Carolina shut down ZZpop, and the second line of elias, zubrus, and gionta did not do a whole lot, maybe they need a shake up as well.

Maybe package Zubrus and White together as well as some draft picks for some help as well, for Thornton or Lecavlier.

I think defense has to be the priority however, pressure situations of the playoffs exposed the weaknesses they have on the back end.

[harpua19]

zubrus and white for thornton huh...

[Pete]

If anyone would actually give us a quality player for Dainius Zubrus I say sign that deal yesterday.

[A Dark Knight]

Jim B I was following you there for a second before the old dump our second grade players with bad contracts for an upper echelon player. Realistically that will never happen. We have to deal with Zubrus, White, etc which means that as much as I love Gionta as a Devil, he's the one that's going to be sacrificed for the 2nd line center. Rolston is being paid 2nd line money and maybe with a good center and some chemistry it'll work out. For the person saying that Rolston is a pure second line RW, how do you know that? Rolston himself says he's a RW and has had his best years at that position so that doesnt make sense

[Frankie D]

Are you kidding? If someone could just take Zubrus off our hands for free, I say sign that 10 years ago. Heck, I'd give up a 2nd rounder to rid us of Zubrus and his 4 more years left on his contract.

[A Dark Knight]

If we get our 2nd line center, I think a 3rd line of Bergfors-Zubrus-Clarkson should be OK. Bergfors is a RW but you dont think he'll accept that switch if it means he'll be playing with the big club? He's supposed to be a top two lines guy, but I figured if he's put in this spot, he'll be getting decent minutes with the 3rd line and at the same time we'll be giving Clarkson the more minutes he is deserving. Who knows maybe Zubrus will click with them but the fact of the matter that would be a 3rd line that could score goals. and then we have the 4th line who will probably consist of at least Pandolfo so they will be getting the amount of minutes they deserve

[John Fischer]

All of you clamoring for Cammalleri to be a center on the Devils, you do realize he's played wing throughout his NHL career so far? He's a fantastic offensive talent, but he's not a center. I don't think it makes sense for NJ to drop $5-6 million/year for a player who doesn't fit a need. Especially when you consider that A) the cap is probably going to drop next year and B) Paul Martin will be a free agent after next season.

Anyway, with respect to Gionta, I think some team will offer him about $4 million/year, he'll take it, and so we shall say "see you later." While his assists have gone up, he earned that deal with NJ for scoring goals and his finishing has gotten worse ever since signing his last deal with NJ. As others have mentioned, Rolston can take his spot and perhaps just step right in. I don't expect Gionta to take less money than what he could get unless he *really* likes being here. And so it goes, let's spend that money elsewhere - in re-signing Oduya, signing another player, etc.

[Neil S]

Jay Pandolfo on the 4th line left wing? God forbid, Pandolfo does this team no good on the 4th line. That is P3L's spot to win, especially if Rupp leaves and goes somewhere else. I don't want to see one of our key forwards getting "Brashear'd" because our 4th line was Jay Pandolfo, Rod Pelley and Dainius Zubrus.

[devilstown]

AT the right price I would personally like Gionta to stay. I would not have said that before last season. I think he showed "some" rerurn to form last season. People have to remember lousy linemates would make any player mediocre.

LOU - GET A COACH ALREADY !