WASHINGTON – Their cap scare a false alarm, the Devils went contrarian in the New NHL, going Old Time for the playoffs.
After bolstering his odd-lot backline with defensive defensemen Brad Lukowich and Ken Klee, Lou Lamoriello yesterday brought in tough, grinding center Jason Wiemer from Calgary for a fourth-rounder.
Wiemer was used sparingly by the Flames this season. The former first-rounder (1994) averaged only 9:04 of ice in 31 games, going 1-2-3 with 65 penalty minutes. The 29-year-old, who has never scored more than 11 goals in a season, owns a streak of eight straight 100-plus penalty minute seasons.
While those additions solidify the team that hopes to regain Patrik Elias against the Caps here tonight, Lamoriello failed to produce the big move that would lift the Devils to the ranks of likely Cup contenders.
They’d fared well enough with the defense that seemed less than strategically built, and three additions are expected to make their Devils debuts tonight.
“I think I’ll fit in well,” said Klee, acquired from the Leafs Wednesday for New Jersey’s top-scoring farmhand, Aleksander Suglubov. “In Toronto, we were on the outside looking in, and I’m coming to a team in playoff position with an unbelievable playoff tradition.”
Klee, 34, can become unrestricted this summer upon expiration of his $1.9 million deal. He joins Brian Rafalski as the lone righties on defense.
The Devils sent the Islanders a third-rounder yesterday for Lukowich, 29, also the price the Rangers paid for Sandis Ozolinsh.
“I’m a pretty basic guy. I play physically and like to block shots. That’s all I want to do. If I can add anything offensively, it’s a bonus,” said Lukowich, making $1 million this season and next.
With those two defensive additions, the Devils dealt defenseman Sean Brown to Vancouver for a fourth-rounder. Brown had been an invaluable surprise early in the season but hardly played after Larry Robinson stepped aside as Devils coach.
The moves come with Richard Matvichuk worried about his season, enduring a back injury first described as a stomach virus.
The Devils appear to have never been in any real danger of being cap-hampered, still possessing the green light to use the $2 million they’ve saved this season by suspending Vladimir Malakhov. Yesterday’s moves, including the return of D Krisjanis Redlihs to Albany, added some 400G to this year’s cap payroll.
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Devils went 1-1-2 while Elias recovered from rib-back injury sustained in Olympics . . . Redlihs did not play for the Devils during stay . . . Devils visit Penguins tomorrow.
