PHILADELPHIA – Perhaps signaling a break in the stalemate, Scott Niedermayer told The Post yesterday that he is willing to bend to work out a contract with the Devils.
“I hope I don’t pull a hamstring,” the defenseman cracked, in the face of Lou Lamoriello’s “final offer, no negotiations” stance.
“I’m prepared to give. Maybe he can give a little on the other side,” Niedermayer said.
For the second time in three years, Niedermayer is locked out of training camp as an unsigned restricted free agent. The last time, he sat out until Oct. 30 before signing a deal that added sweeteners to Lamoriello’s final offer.
“I ended up missing nine games at the start of the season, and I wouldn’t want that to happen this time,” Niedermayer said. “I’d love to be there opening night, jump in with the guys and try to defend the Stanley Cup.”
The Devils open the season at home Oct. 6 against Montreal, and if a deal were to be struck quickly, he might be fit for duty by then.
The difficulty is that Lamoriello does not appear willing to budge from his three-year offer at $3.5, $3.6 and $3.7 million per season. Niedermayer was seeking a three-year deal escalating from $4 million to $5 million during its term. He made $3.25 million last season when he led Devil defensemen in scoring for the fifth straight year.
“I’m basically willing to do any length of contract if it will get the deal done,” Niedermayer said.
Niedermayer confirmed that Lamoriello made a surprise personal visit to him in British Columbia last week, as reported in yesterday’s Post. The 27-year-old said, however, that he didn’t resent Lamoriello’s stop-in.
“We had a good talk. He wanted to explain himself to me, and I respect that,” Niedermayer said. “I feel more than comfortable speaking to him.”
Niedermayer said his agent, Don Meehan, has spoken to Lamoriello this week, and hopes to “chat” a few more times shortly.
A second-team All-Star in 1997-98, when he finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting, Niedermayer is rarely out of the lineup, except for last season’s 10-game suspension for swatting Florida’s Peter Worrell.
Niedermayer said he is not currently considering playing in the IHL, as he did in 1998, and he is not asking to be traded. Lamoriello reiterated his stance against dealing his unsigned restricted free agents.
“No trades of unsigned players. And I’ll match [any offer sheet],” Lamoriello told The Post.
Cup-winning goal-scorer Jason Arnott is also locked out of training camp as a restricted free agent. Arnott is seeking a two-year deal at $3.8 and $4 million, while Lamoriello offered him $2.5 and $2.6 million, up from an initial offer of $2.2 million. Arnott has made $1.8 million each of the past three seasons.
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Devils visit the Flyers tonight and play host to Rangers tomorrow … With his second straight shutout half-game in Monday’s 8-2 romp at the Garden, Chris Terreri solidified his job as backup that Larry Robinson had thrown into competition. Terreri has allowed only one goal in three half-game stints since Robinson said Frederic Henry had a chance for the job. “[It’s] amazing what happens when you get a little bit of a challenge,” Robinson said. “I like to see when Chris is hungry like that. It proves the competitor he really is.” Robinson did not call off the competition, though, saying, “It’s never over. It goes all year. You have to stay sharp.”
After Colin White broke Jason Doig’s nose in a fight Monday, Jim McKenzie said he stepped in with Dale Purinton after the second period, when Purinton wanted to avenge Doig. “That’s why I’m here,” McKenzie said. “I told him, ‘Bring it over here.'” … Petr Sykora and Turner Stevenson both skated in practice with the team yesterday … The Devils protected their full slate of vets, including Ken Sutton, Steve Kelly, McKenzie and Ed Ward, from Friday’s waiver draft, filling all 18 available skater slots.
