The Devils have signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Yann Danis, who played for the Islanders last season.
I'm working on getting the contract terms and will post them as soon as I do..
Devils general manager said "no major decisions have been made" about the team's backup goaltender job, but Danis will have an opportunity to compete for the position..
"He'll have every opportunity to be the backup," Lamoriello said. "He's a real, good young goalie who certainly played very well against us last season for the Islanders."
This might mean the end of Kevin Weekes' career with the Devils, but Lamoriello didn't rule out bringing back Weekes, who is also an unrestricted free agent.
"It doesn't close the door on anything," Lamoriello said when asked about Weekes.
At the same time, however, Lamoriello said, "I would not be concerned" with the team's goaltending if Danis and rookie Jeff Frazee competed for the backup job in training camp and he does not sign Weekes or another veteran goaltender.
"We could also go Jeff Frazee go up and down (between Lowell and New Jersey) and handle it that way," Lamoriello said. "All of these options are there for us."
Danis, 28, went 10-17-3 in with a 2.86 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and two shutouts in 31 games with the Islanders last season. He also played 10 games with Bridgeport of the AHL, going 7-3-0 with a 2.26 GAA.
In 37 career NHL games with the Islanders and Montreal, the Lafontaine, Quebec native is 13-19-3 with three shutouts, 2.84 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
In two starts against the Devils in 2008-09, Danis went 1-1 and allowed three goals on 76 total shots. He made 33 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Devils on Jan. 17 at Nassau Colisuem and stopped all 40 shots he faced for his second career shutout in a 4-0 win on Feb. 21 at Nassau Coliseum.
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Lamoriello said center Tony Sestito, who was acquired from Edmonton on Thursday for a conditional 2010 draft pick, will be Rod Pelley's replacement in Lowell of the AHL.
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Lamoriello is waiting to release the full list of players scheduled to participate in the team's development camp, which begins Monday at Prudential Center, because he said there is some uncertainty with players who have to travel from Europe.
But he did say that all "eligible players" are scheduled to attend. He confirmed that 2008 first-round draft pick Mattias Tedenby is to be among them -- assuming he has no trouble with his flight from Sweden. Nicklas Bergfors and 2009 first-round pick Jacob Josefson are also slated to be there.
The group will also include Pelley, who is eligible because he spent all of 2008-09 in Lowell., Matt Corrente, Tyler Eckford and all of the other prospects who played in the AHL last season as well as the prospects in college, who will be paying their own way again to retain their college eligibility.
I asked Lamoriello if Corrente and Eckford are ready to compete for NHL jobs in training camp in September.
"Yes," he said. "It's going to be very interesting. I'm very excited about our defense."
Right now, the Devils have Paul Martin, Johnny Oduya, Colin White, Mike Mottau, Bryce Salvador, Andy Greene as their top six NHL defensemen with Jay Leach, who bounced between Lowell and New Jersey last season, as a possible seventh.
good pick up. bye weekes.
Posted by: richard goskowski | July 10, 2009 at 11:56 AM
....... and i officially hate this move.
Posted by: Scott | July 10, 2009 at 11:56 AM
any idea on the terms?
Posted by: Mose | July 10, 2009 at 11:56 AM
we're on islanders level now...
Posted by: Shimmy | July 10, 2009 at 11:57 AM
I guess no Weeksie next year. The ledger has some of his stats from last year...seems decent. If he can keep his GAA under 3.0 on a team like the Islanders, he should be good for 10-15 games with the Devs. I think this a good plan as far as keeping Frazee in Lowell and letting him develop more instead of rotting on the bench all season with the big club.
Posted by: damedevilgm | July 10, 2009 at 11:58 AM
why do you hate it... the guy is gonna see a MAX of 12 starts barring an injury(god forbid). whats to hate.... we all liked weekes, but hockey is a business too
Posted by: Pearl Jammed | July 10, 2009 at 11:58 AM
who?
Posted by: Kelly | July 10, 2009 at 11:59 AM
And the countdown to complaining about the Devils getting some depth in goal begins in 3...2....1....
By the way, I think it's a good move.
Posted by: Puckster | July 10, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Puckster, I agree.
I think it's a good move, not to mention it's the FIRST move of the offseason...atleast signing UFAs. haha. good move by Lou.
Posted by: Jake | July 10, 2009 at 12:01 PM
good move, he's 28, french canadian, he'll be hungry, what's not to like?
Posted by: HF | July 10, 2009 at 12:02 PM
I like it. He looked descent on the Isles last year, and that is saying something. Plus he is only 28. Good move as long as we didn't give him Zubrus-type money.
Posted by: ronmexico3 | July 10, 2009 at 12:03 PM
I'll take him..
Posted by: Rob | July 10, 2009 at 12:05 PM
It could be worse. We could have picked up yet another local castoff to serve as a backup (Weekes, Vanbiesbrouck)
Posted by: Alz | July 10, 2009 at 12:05 PM
I really wanted to see Frazee play some games this season.
Posted by: Scott | July 10, 2009 at 12:07 PM
how could this be bad? he's a backup goalie.
Posted by: Merms | July 10, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Scott- "We could also go Jeff Frazee go up and down (between Lowell and New Jersey) and handle it that way," Lamoriello said. "All of these options are there for us."
Posted by: 4Real | July 10, 2009 at 12:09 PM
He played some really good games for a really bad Islanders team last year. Give him a team like the Devils around him with better offense and better defense and he becomes a very good option as the backup.
Posted by: Neil S | July 10, 2009 at 12:09 PM
You might still see Frazee in a some games this season. You never know.
Posted by: Puckster | July 10, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Heard on NHL Home Ice a couple/three days ago that the teams being patient and not rushing to sign the overpriced free agents (read Devils, not Rangers) will soon have a nice selection of free agents who they can bring in for a year or two at lower than market rate.
Or, look for some teams like the (Blackhawks and Sens) who right now are over the cap - they will need to shed some salary, and only teams who haven't jumped into the free agent fray will have some room.
Be patient, Lou is working it right. Especially with the cap situation potentially for next year.
Posted by: axondog | July 10, 2009 at 12:11 PM
I guess I'm not giving the guy the credit he deserves for the caliber of defensive team he was playing with last season.
You're right...I guess time'll tell.
Posted by: Scott | July 10, 2009 at 12:11 PM
4Real - sorry - that quote wasn't up there when i posted my comment - I kinda reacted with my gut feelings there.
Posted by: Scott | July 10, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Beezer was a solid backup Weekes to for that matter. The problem is that the backups only get 5 games/season with a healthy Brodeur. Hopefully that will change this season. The team needs to learn how to win without Brodeur standing on his head, and to get him rested for the playoffs. If we get there this season that is.
Posted by: Tjockis | July 10, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Looking at the unrestricted free agent goalies that made under a million last season that are still left according to NHL numbers:
Joey MacDonald
Wade Dubielewicz
Nolan Schaefer
Curtis Sanford
Marc Denis
Brent Kahn
Kevin Weekes
Frederick Norrena
Brent Johnson
... Yann Danis looks pretty good in comparison.
Posted by: Puckster | July 10, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Welcome aboard!....guy looked good against us....young is good, he'll learn from a pretty good vet
Posted by: mckay21 | July 10, 2009 at 12:22 PM
axondog
agree with the second part of your post. on the first part, with the signing of boyton there do not appear to be any UFAs on D or as second center that could help us.
now that i've purchased my season tix i need to see lou use our cap space to trade with. this is not the roster i envisioned when i cut that check.
Posted by: SonicDude | July 10, 2009 at 12:25 PM