The Maple Leafs could be one of many teams interested in the services of winger David Clarkson this summer.
The unrestricted free agent is coming off his most productive NHL season and offers a combination of skill and toughness all teams covet. The bidding process Clarkson will likely net the forward a very lucrative contract once all is said and done.

Patrik Elias and the New Jersey Devils haven't started contract discussions yet.
The Devils have started talking to David Clarkson though. Both players are eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.

New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello has started contract talks with potential unrestricted free agent David Clarkson.
"We'll continue to work on it," Lamoriello said Thursday. "We've certainly started the process, but until (contracts) are complete there is nothing done." There hasn't been financial discussions at this point though. Clarkson would garner a fair share of attention if he were to hit the open market.

The New Jersey Devils appear to be interested in bringing back potential UFA defenseman Marek Zidlicky.
"We'd certainly like to have him back," said GM Lou Lamoriello. Zidlicky is currently playing for the Czech Republic at the World Hockey Championship. The Devils are still deciding what their off-season plans are at this time.

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello stated on Wednesday that Mark Fayne is "OK" after ending the season with a bulging disc in his back.
He sat out the last four games of the year, but he didn't have to undergo surgery to repair the problem.

Matt D'Agostini had an MRI on his wrist and GM Lou Lamoriello reported that "he's OK."
He missed the last three games of the 2013 campaign with a sprained left wrist, which he suffered at a practice.

According to New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello, Bryce Salvador's bruised left wrist/thumb is now "100 percent."
"He's back to normal," Lamoriello said Wednesday. "I saw him yesterday and he's perfect." Salvador was injured blocking a shot from Zdeno Chara and the ailment forced him to miss the last eight games of the regular season.

Ilya Kovalchuk leads all scorers at the IIHF World Championships.
The Devils' star is having a monster tourney for Russia with six goals and nine points in five games. Kovalchuk is also a plus seven and has amassed 25 penalty minutes. Too bad these numbers don't count in many hockey pools.

Stefan Matteau's father, Stephane, wasn't happy with how the QMJHL Blainville-Boisbriand Armada treated his son.
Stefan was released from the team after because of his "unacceptable" behavior, according to Blainville-Boisbriand. However, his father, who is a coach in the organization, believed that they were eager to make an example out of Stefan after he spent time with the New Jersey Devils earlier this season. "They released him on emotion and emotion only," Stephane Matteau said. "In the semifinals, he got speared and he retaliated - it's a hockey play - and they decided to sit him out the whole third period of a 1-1 game. Emotionally, he let coach know it was unfair the way he was treated for that moment and they went at it verbally and they kicked him off (the team) five minutes after the game." Devils GM Lou Lamoriello previously voiced his support of Blainville-Boisbriand's decision.

Ilya Kovalchuk notched a goal and an assist in Russia's 5-3 win over Team USA on Tuesday in world championship action.
He has amassed five goals in three games for the unbeaten Russians, who have defeated Latvia, Germany and the U.S to open the tournament. Kovalchuk appears to be fully over the shoulder injury that sidelined him near the end of the regular season.

David Clarkson is the Devils' nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
The Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. Clarkson has worked for and created numerous charities and is a fine candidate.

There is a belief that the Devils will push hard to re-sign leading scoring Patrik Elias this off-season.
The 37-year-old winger is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st but the Devils are so thin up front that losing Elias will be a huge blow to their offense. Stay tuned.

Henrik Tallinder is a buyout candidate this off-season.
The Devils need to make room for some younger reargaurds such as Eric Gelinas, Alex Urbom and Jon Merrill and paying Tallinder almost $3.4 million to sit in the press box makes no sense. There is also a chance that Anton Volchenkov could be bought out if Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello wants to make even bigger changes on his blueline.

Marek Zidlicky is another pending unrestricted free agent who the Devils will need to make a decision on this summer.
Key UFA-to-be forwards, Patrik Elias and David Clarkson, haven't had any contract talks with New Jersey yet. The Devils also have Dainius Zubrus eligible to hit the open market in July. They are important players but it remains to be seen who the organization is interested in bringing back after they failed to make the playoffs.

New Jersey's inability to make the playoffs this year will not cost Peter DeBoer his job as head coach.
The Devils finished 11th in the Eastern Conference, with a 19-19-10 record, after making it to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Losing Martin Brodeur and Ilya Kovalchuk to injury were obstacles that the club couldn't overcome in the lockout-shortened season.

David Clarkson said he's not sure what will happen this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Clarkson's future is a pretty big question entering this season. Will he eschew free agency and stay with the Devils? Or will he take the big money, perhaps from his hometown Maple Leafs? If Clarkson chooses to hit the open market, he'll likely be one of the most desirable names on it. A year after finally reaching the 30-goal plateau, the burgeoning power forward scored 15 goals this season, which is roughly a 26-goal pace in a full season. Clarkson says he expects to meet with GM Lou Lamoriello and his agent and then figure out a plan from there.

Matt D'Agostini said he missed the last three games due to a sprained wrist he suffered in practice.
D'Agostini is schedule to be a restricted free agent this summer, but Lou Lamoriello was coy when asked whether the Devils would tender their mid-season acquisition. D'Agostini is unlikely to have much fantasy value next season outside of very deep leagues.

Bryce Salvador won't need surgery on his wrist and should be cleared to work out in a week.
Just an FYI for those wondering about Salvador's wrist injury. He has no fantasy value next season.

Mark Fayne's mysterious season-ending injury was a bulging disc in his lower back.
Fayne said the injury sent "a sharp, shooting pain" down one of his legs. The ailment started bothering him during an April 15 game against Toronto but accelerated after that. Fayne won't require surgery and says he's been told the pain should subside in a week or so.

New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello told reporters Monday that the Devils will hang onto their first-round pick for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
The move isn't surprising considering that New Jersey is hosting the draft on June 30. The Devils still have to give up a first-round selection though for circumventing the NHL's salary cap on Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102 million contract, so they won't have a first rounder in 2014.

Martin Brodeur has already said that he will play next season in the final year of his contract, but he hasn't said that he's done once that year is over.
"Not at all," he said Monday. "It's the last year on my contract and that's about it. This year, even though we didn't make the playoffs, I had a great time playing the game. I really had a good time competing at the level I wanted to compete (at) and if it stays like that and I'm still having fun, who knows that's going to happen? I'm not putting a decision in my mind." Brodeur, who will turn 41 years of age one week from today, posted a 13-9-7 record with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. He even said that he's not opposed to eventually splitting starts with a younger goaltender when the time comes.

New Jersey has a 2.7 percent chance to win the NHL Draft Lottery Monday night.
The Devils finished 22nd overall in the NHL and are hoping to get lucky once the balls start rolling. New Jersey won the draft lottery in 2011 and moved up from eighth to the fourth overall, but now the winner can claim the top pick.

Mark Fayne missed the Devils' final four games with an undisclosed injury.
Fayne had a goal and six points in 31 games this season. He's not expected to need offseason surgery.

Patrik Elias is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Elias would like to re-sign with the Devils, but nothing is certain. "I'm ready for anything," Elias said. "Sometimes the negotiations are not as easy as it seems." He is certain to attract attention if he hits the open market. He's a veteran leader with a wealth of playoff experience and still belongs on a scoring line. He had 14 goals and 36 points in 48 games this season.

Adam Henrique had no shots on goal in New Jersey's 4-0 loss Saturday.
Henrique will finish the season with 11 goals and 16 points in 42 games. That's a huge step down from his 51-point rookie campaign, but if he's given top-six minutes, he could bounce back in 2013-14.

Johan Hedberg kicked out 17 of 21 shots in a 4-0 loss Saturday.
Hedberg lost three of his last four games to wrap-up the season. He will finish with an abysmal 6-10-3 record. He'll be 40 by the time the 2013-14 campaign starts and we don't expect him to have much fantasy value next season.

Matt D'Agostini will not play Saturday afternoon against the Rangers.
Devil coach Peter DeBoer indicated that D'Agostini is dealing with some sort of undisclosed injury. If for some reason he is on your fantasy team, sit him Saturday.

Saturday afternoon's game against the Rangers could be the last contest Dainius Zubrus plays as a New Jersey Devil.
He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1st and there is no indication whether Devil GM Lou Lamoriello will make an attempt to re-sign him. Patrik Elias and David Clarkson, who are also UFA's, stand a better chance of returning to the Jersey shore.

Martin Brodeur, who will not start Saturday against the Rangers, will be on the bench as Johan Hedberg's backup.
You may be asking why this is news? It will be the first time since December 1993 that Brodeur has been a backup in Madison Square Garden. That's 20 years! Gives you are real perspective of how long Brodeur has been one of the NHL's elite goaltenders.

Johan Hedberg will get the nod against the New York Rangers on Saturday.
The Devils have nothing left to play for, but this is still mildly surprising because Martin Brodeur also served as the backup on Thursday. Hedberg has a 2.69 GAA and .886 save percentage in 18 games this season.

Steve Sullivan said he'd be "extremely surprised" if the Penguins are upset again in the first round.
Sullivan, now with the Devils, was with the second-seeded Pens when they were shocked by the Flyers last season. "I'd be extremely surprised if something like that happens to them again," Sullivan said. "Extremely. You know, you learn from your past experiences. They've learned their lesson. Look at how they've played all season. They are a team with a chip on its shoulder, and it shows. They aren't going to get stunned by anything again."

Patrik Elias might have played his last home game with the Devils.
The 37-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this summer. "I think they [the Devils' management] are already making decisions for next year," Elias said. "They have their right to take their time in making the decision. I don't know what's going to happen. It was great to get a win for the home crowd. We have great fans. I wish we were going back to the playoffs again. We're not and that's the way it goes." Elias has 36 points this season and would seem to have a good chance to finish his career with New Jersey.

Eric Gelinas made his NHL debut Thursday against the Penguins.
The 21-year-old who was the Devils' second-round pick from the 2009 draft played 15:59. He had a shot on goal, a penalty and finished a minus-one.

David Clarkson's 15 goals is tops on the Devils.
That's not saying all that much considering Ilya Kovalchuk has been hurt and Clarkson scored 10 times in the first 15 games, getting five in the 33 games since. "I think there was just a period there where the puck was going in," Clarkson said. "It wasn't going to continue going in like that. You look at the goals I have compared to other guys, it's right where I should or I would be. I wasn't going to keep up that pace I was on, but I definitely would have liked to have stayed scoring like I was and just have this team keep winning."

Ilya Kovalchuk scored a goal and added an assist for the Devils in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh Thursday.
Kovalchuk has recorded four points in as many games since his return from a shoulder ailment and has amassed 31 points in 36 contests on the season. David Clarkson and Travis Zajac also found the back of the net for the Devils in the victory.

Johan Hedberg allowed two goals on 18 shots, but earned a victory in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh Thursday.
The Devils season has been a disappointment, but now that they are out of the playoff race Hedberg got his first starting assignment in over a month. His record for the season is now 7-9-3.

Adam Henrique will suit up Thursday against Pittsburgh after he was a healthy scratch on Tuesday.
He will play at left wing on the line with Andrei Loktionov and Ilya Kovalchuk. Henrique has been disappointing in his sophomore season with only 11 goals and 16 points in 40 games.

Eric Gelinas will play in his first career NHL game Thursday versus Pittsburgh.
He will be paired with Peter Harrold. "I'm real excited," Gelinas said. "It's going to be my debut and against a team like this it's special and it's going to be fun and interesting."

David Clarkson may be playing in his last home game with the New Jersey Devils Thursday night, as he's eligible to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
He said the thought hadn't crossed his mind and he's unsure he'll be back with the Devils next season. "I've enjoyed playing here," said Clarkson, who added that he'd like to re-sign. "I don't know what's ahead, but I haven't really thought about that. It's not something that's come into my mind or mindset. I'm going to go out there and play like we're still in and we're still fighting for something and that's all I can do." Contract negotiations between the organization and his agent have been nonexistent so far.

Eric Gelinas is hoping that he will get a chance to make his NHL debut in one of New Jersey's last two games of the regular season.
He dressed in a preseason game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden when he was 18 and he recorded 22 points, with 46 penalty minutes, in 57 games with AHL Albany this season. Gelinas suffered a broken lower jaw and had eight teeth displaced when he was hit in the mouth by a shot back on Oct. 6.

Johan Hedberg will get the nod for New Jersey in their last home game of the season Thursday night.
He will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in his first outing since March 19. "It's been a while so it will be fun to get a game again," said Hedberg. "It's a great challenge. They're on top of the conference and they're there for a reason. Plenty of talent on that team. We need to be on our toes." He turns 40 years of age this May and is expected to be back with the Devils next season.

Jacob Josefson got his first goal of the season in Tuesday's win over Montreal.
"You always want to at least break the zero," Josefson said. "It was good to see it go in." He has three points and a minus-9 rating in 20 appearances with New Jersey this year.

Ilya Kovalchuk lost an edge and tumbled heavily into the end boards with 15:31 left in Tuesday's win over Montreal.
"It looked almost like the identical play," coach Pete DeBoer said, recalling Kovalchuk's shoulder injury that caused him to miss 11 games. "You cringe a little bit, but he got up no worse for wear." However, in this case he was fine to continue playing and said he was unscathed after the contest.

Patrik Elias still isn't sure what will happen this summer when he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.
He is New Jersey's all-time leader in goals (375), assists (553) and points (928), but there hasn't been any contract talks yet between him and the Devils. "I don't know what's going to happen, really," Elias admitted. "Sometimes you're hoping for something and it doesn't happen. I understand all sides of it - the business side of it, the ownership issues, and what the team has to do - and if it works out great. If it doesn't, life goes on. Unfortunately, it's a part of hockey." As a long-time New Jersey play it would be odd seeing him wear another sweater and Elias has made it known that he wants to stay.

Martin Brodeur reiterated Tuesday night, after a 3-2 win over Montreal, that he will return next season and honor the final year of his contract.
"I had a fun year," said Brodeur, who will return for his 20th season already as the NHL's all-time leader in wins and shutouts. "I felt really good playing again. I'm just looking forward to playing a full season next year and see what's that's going to bring us. But I haven't changed my mind. I still have that passion to play the game." The veteran goaltender will turn 41 years of age this May, but he's still shown that he can be depended on to play well when called upon.

Martin Brodeur made 19 stops in New Jersey's 3-2 win over Montreal on Tuesday night.
Brodeur and the Devils were beaten soundly by the Rangers Sunday to eliminate them from postseason contention. However, he has won three of his past four outings and is trying to end the year on a positive note.

Steve Sullivan registered a power-play goal and added an assist in New Jersey's 3-2 win against Montreal Tuesday night.
He has only contributed a goal and a helper in his previous six outings since being acquired from Phoenix and was a healthy scratch this past Saturday. Patrik Elias scored when the Devils had a man advantage as well, while Jacob Josefson potted his first goal in 20 games this season. Defenseman Marek Zidlicky got on the board with two assists in the contest.

Martin Brodeur will start against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
Pete DeBoer said Brodeur would get at least one of the Devils' last three games off, but there's no way it was going to be against the Habs. Johan Hedberg is expected to start Thursday's game against Pittsburgh with Brodeur closing up shop Saturday in the regular-season finale.

Adam Henrique will be a healthy scratch Tuesday night against the Canadiens.
Coach Pete DeBoer said he thinks Henrique needs to take a night off to rebuild his confidence. The second-year center has struggled mightily this season, registering just 11 goals and 16 points in 40 games one season after nearly winning the Calder Trophy as a rookie.

Ilya Kovalchuk is slated to play in New Jersey's final three games of the regular season.
"He's healthy so he will play," said Devils GM Lou Lamoriello. The team has been eliminated from playoff contention and Kovalchuk played in two games over the weekend after in his return from a shoulder injury.

Bryce Salvador (wrist) is done for the season.
Of course, at this point all that means is that he won't play this week. He had two points in 22 penalty minutes in 39 games this season.

Stefan Matteau has been released by QMJHL Blainville-Boisbrand.
Matteau reportedly left the team after he was benched in the third period of Saturday's playoff contest. Blainville-Boisbrand has informed Matteau that "his behavior was unacceptable to our organization." The New Jersey Devils drafted Matteau with the 29th pick in 2012 and he even played in 17 NHL games this season. The Devils ultimately decided to return Matteau to the minors so that he could continue his development and participate in Blainville-Boisbrand's postseason run. "I have spoken to his general manager (Joel Bouchard) and there is a situation and he is not with the team," Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said. "You never like to hear something like this. I support the junior team in doing what they think is right. It's my understanding he will not be going back at the choice of the team." Lamoriello also voiced his support of Blainville-Boisbrand's decision, although he added that he hasn't talked to Matteau yet.

Look for Johan Hedberg to start in another game before the season ends.
The Devils only have three games left and no back-to-back sets, but Devils coach Pete DeBoer would still like to spread out the remaining goaltending duties. He has a 2.73 GAA and .886 save percentage in 17 starts this season.

Anton Volchenkov has completed his four-game suspension.
Volchenkov returned on Sunday and logged 18:13 minutes in the Devils' 4-1 loss. He blocked four shots and had a neutral plus/minus rating.

Martin Brodeur listed the off-season departure of Zach Parise as one of the reasons the Devils didn't make the playoffs in 2013.
Parise had 31 goals and 69 points for the Devils in 2011-12, but he left the squad as an unrestricted free agent. "That's a top-3 forward we never got back. It's tough," Brodeur said. "We felt we played extremely good for a long part [of the season], but at the end it came back and when Kovy went down, it made a big difference in not having another top guy. That was probably the big difference that you see." The Devils performed horribly when Ilya Kovalchuk went down with a shoulder injury, but they might have been able to endure that loss had they held on to or replaced Parise. Overall, the Devils have averaged 2.31 goals per game this season, down from 2.63 in 2011-12.

The New Jersey Devils were officially eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday.
The suffered a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers. "Yeah, frustration," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. "Not the way you want to go out, but that's how it ends for us." The New Jersey Devils have gone from Eastern Conference champions to draft lottery contenders in the span of a single season. What's more surprising is that their season actually started off well, but they slipped as their campaign progressed and then absolutely collapsed with a 10-game losing streak while Ilya Kovalchuk was sidelined.

Anton Volchenkov was reinstated from his suspension on Sunday April 21.

David Clarkson helped his fantasy owners on Sunday, although he didn't score a goal or an assist in the New Jersey Devils' 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers.
Clarkson fired six SOG and delivered four hits to provide some deeper stats. If he would have gone to the box, it would have been just about all you could ask for from a non-scoring day.

Martin Brodeur had a pretty poor afternoon as the New York Rangers beat his New Jersey Devils 4-1.
He allowed four goals on just 22 shots as the Devils were officially eliminated from postseason contention. The Devils probably can't blame that on Brodeur's absence, either, as he's had a mediocre season.

Look for Martin Brodeur to be between the pipes Sunday on the road at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers.
With the win last night, the Devils are still alive for the last playoff spot, but are six points behind the eighth-place Rangers with only four games remaining. A win this afternoon at MSG would keep them alive but a loss would see them missing the playoffs for the second time in the last three years. "That will be a man's game," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. "They've got an opportunity to close us out and I'm sure they're going to relish that, and we'll have to get off the bus and be ready to compete."

Stephen Gionta is the New Jersey Devils' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
At the age of 29, Gionta has established himself as a regular at the NHL level for the first time. He had only played in 13 career NHL games going into the shortened season, but has four goals and 14 points in 44 games in 2013. "That's a great honor," said Gionta of the nomination. "Any time you can nominated for that and any award is huge."

Ilya Kovalchuk logged a team-high 22:43 minutes in his return from a shoulder injury on Saturday.
Kovalchuk didn't experience any pain, but was unhappy about the fact that he finished with a minus-one rating. "You don't want to be minus when the team wins 6-2," Kovalchuk said. "It doesn't really matter, but still we as a line we want to produce and that's what the coaches want from us. They give us a chance to play on the (power play) and all different situations, so you've got to put the puck in the net." It was Kovalchuk's first game in nearly a month.

Patrik Elias found the back of the net twice in New Jersey's 6-2 victory Saturday.
Ryan Carter, David Clarkson, and Stephen Gionta each had a goal and an assist for the Devils. Dainius Zubrus scored his second goal of 2013. Travis Zajac registered two assists, giving him 18 points in 44 games this season.

Martin Brodeur kicked out 11 of 13 shots in a 6-2 victory Saturday.
The Devils defense has limited the competition to 13 or fewer shots in three of Brodeur's last four starts. With that in mind, it's not too much of a surprise that Brodeur has only allowed five goals in his last four games.

Steve Sullivan will be a healthy scratch against the Panthers Saturday afternoon.
He will sit in the press box as the Devils need the roster spot for the returning Ilya Kovalchuk and New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer did not want to take Matt D'Agostini or Steve Bernier out of the lineup.

Ilya Kovalchuk will play Saturday afternoon against Florida.
It is a 1:00 pm EST start time so you should activate him immediately.

Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) is hoping to play in at least one of the Devils' two games this weekend.
Of course hoping is much different from actually playing. We will try to update you prior to Saturday's 1:00 pm start time as to whether Kovy will be suiting up.

Martin Brodeur will be in goal when New Jersey faces Florida Sarturday afternoon.
It is a must win for the Devils and they will of course turn to Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur to deliver them. There is a good chance that Brodeur will start against the Rangers Sunday.

Devils coach Peter DeBoer isn't happy with how this season has gone, but he thinks he's grown as a coach.
"Every year brings it's own challenge and different challenges. I can tell you I think I'm a better coach this year than I was a year ago, even though the record doesn't reflect that," DeBoer said. "I just think it's because of experience, being a year older and having been around the group for a year and having gotten to know them better. For all those reasons." The Devils playoff chances were crippled due to a 10-game losing streak. At this point they're six points out of eighth place with just five games remaining in their schedule.

Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) was upbeat after Friday's practice.
"I felt the best so far that I felt," Kovalchuk said. "I feel pretty confident. I took a couple of one-timers and a little bit of contact, so it's good." Kovalchuk wouldn't say if he'll be available for Saturday's game and it's worth noting that he skated on the fifth line Friday. With that in mind, we'll continue to consider him questionable for the Devils' upcoming contest.

The Devils held a lead for the first time in eight games Thursday and ended a 10-game winless streak.
The goal was scored by Ryan Carter, who admitted the tally was a "monkey off the back" of the team. "It's been a drought but it was good to get that. Not only for myself, but I think for the rest of us to get the lead and play with it. It was kind of a monkey off the back. I think it was a big goal for the morale of the team," Carter said after the game. The Devils remain a long shot to make the playoffs but have not yet been mathematically eliminated.

Bryce Salvador (bruised right wrist) admitted Thursday he might not be able to play again this season.
Salvador suffered the injury when he took a Zdeno Chara slapshot off his wrist. The Devils' captain said the puck struck him where the thumb meets the hand but reiterated that X-rays were still negative. It's unlikely he'll play again this season.

Adam Henrique broke an 11-game goal drought by scoring in Thursday's 3-0 win over Philadelphia.
Henrique's tally came into an empty net, but he'll certainly take whatever he can get. Ryan Carter and Matt D'Agostini also found the back of the net in the victory.

Martin Brodeur stopped 23 shots en route to a 3-0 shutout win over Philadelphia Thursday.
The veteran goalkeeper earned his first win in 11 outings by notching the 121st shutout of his illustrious career. His record for the season rises to 11-8-7.

Jacob Josefson will get back into New Jersey's lineup Thursday night.
He has been a healthy scratch for the past three games. Josefson will replace Andrei Loktionov, who will head to the press box instead, when the Devils take on the Philadelphia Flyers. He will center the third line between Alexei Ponikarovsky and Matt D'Agostini.

Andrei Loktionov will be a healthy scratch Thursday when the Devils play in Philadelphia.
"It's coach's decision,"Loktionov said. "We have to change something in the offensive zone because we didn't win the game. We have to do something because it's can't be 11 games in a row. If it works, it's nice. If not, we'll see." He hasn't posted a point in seven straight contests.

New Jersey coach Pete DeBoer isn't looking very far into the future when it comes to Ilya Kovalchuk's possible return from a shoulder injury.
Kovalchuk won't play Thursday night, which will mark the 11th straight game he has missed, but DeBoer wouldn't commit to shutting the Devils' star player down for the rest of the regular season if the team is eliminated from playoff contention. "I don't know," said the New Jersey bench boss. "I'm taking this day to day, literally. I'm not looking beyond if he's not ready for Philly, let's look at Florida [on Saturday]."

Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) will not travel with his Devils teammates to Philadelphia for Thursday night's match against the Flyers.
It will mark the 11th straight game Kovalchuk has missed. New Jersey has posted a 0-6-4 record since he exited the lineup with a shoulder injury.

Alexander Urbom has been called up by New Jersey on an emergency basis.
He rotated into drills with the team's active six defensemen during Wednesday's practice. Urbom has produced eight assists and 64 penalty minutes in 68 games with AHL Albany this season.

Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) will practice again Wednesday but remains day-to-day.
Kovalchuk has been skating and practicing with the Devils but there remains no definitive timeline for him to return to the lineup. Kovalchuk has been sidelined since suffering a shoulder injury March 23, during which time the Devils have yet to win a game and have likely fallen out of the playoff chase.

Bryce Salvador was sent for an additional opinion on his bruised right wrist.
Salvador hasn't played since taking a Zdeno Chara slapshot off his wrist last week. X-rays and MRIs have shown no fracture but there's been no improvement. It's possible Salvador has played his last game this season.

The New Jersey Devils have posted a 0-6-4 since Ilya Kovlachuk went down with a shoulder injury.
In their past two games they have outshot the opposition by a 65-14 margin, but they have been outscored 4-0. "Absurd's a good word for it," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said after defeats to Ottawa and Toronto. "I don't have an answer. I can tell you the guys are emptying the tank and they're trying everything we ask them to do. This is the NHL. You hold two very good teams to 11 shots and 13 shots. No explanation for it." The team's skid has probably ended any hope they had of making the playoffs.

Martin Brodeur made 11 saves on 12 shots in the Devils' 2-0 loss to the Leafs Monday night.
The future hall of famer is still stuck at 666 career wins as the Devils are currently riding a 10-game losing streak. With Ilya Kovalchuk still out of the lineup, Brodeur may only be worth a look in deeper leagues down the stretch.

Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) missed his 10th game in a row Monday night against Toronto.
Kovalchuk skated on his own Sunday rather than practice with his teammates and did not even accompany the team to Toronto. However, he might be available on Thursday. Needless to say, losing the Russian native proved very costly in the New Jersey Devils' bid for a playoff spot.

Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) might be available on Thursday.
"I would call him day to day," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. "My conversation with him before we left New Jersey is he had a good day (skating) yesterday morning and he was going to try and have another good one today and we would talk tomorrow morning." The Devils have lost nine straight games without him, but will try to end that streak on Monday.

Keith Kinkaid will return to AHL Albany.
Kinkaid was serving as Martin Brodeur's backup while Johan Hedberg was dealing with a groin injury. Kinkaid has a 2.69 GAA and .906 save percentage in 43 AHL games this season.

The ailment that sidelined Johan Hedberg recently was a sore groin.
Hedberg has been dealing with the ailment for a month. It was originally thought that Hedberg had a back problem related to a collision during the Devils' practice on Tuesday. "It wasn't the back," Hedberg said. "I had a little problem with my groin. It's been hanging around for a little bit and it was all right. There was no problem and then something happened during practice and it just got worse. Now it feels better." Hedberg will serve as the backup goaltender on Monday.

Martin Brodeur will play between the pipes on Monday.
Brodeur will be looking to end the Devils' nine-game losing streak. He has a 2.30 GAA and .901 save percentage in 24 starts this season.

Bryce Salvador (wrist) isn't traveling with the New Jersey Devils.
Salvador will consequently miss his second straight game on Monday. He has two points and 22 penalty minutes in 39 games this season.

Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) has been ruled out for Monday's game.
Kovalchuk isn't even traveling with the team at this time. He's already missed nine straight games and the Devils have lost every single one of those contests.

Peter DeBoer is staying positive despite the fact that his team has lost nine straight games.
"I went through some tough situations in Florida at this time of year and I learned that it's counterproductive to do anything but show up and be as positive and upbeat as possible," DeBoer said. The Devils are now six points out of eighth place. Even if they can break out of this funk now, it's probably too late. The damage to their season has been done.

It sounds like Johan Hedberg is geared up to play - or at least back up Martin Brodeur - for the New Jersey Devils again.
One cannot help but wonder if the clock is ticking on the Swede's scrappy NHL career. The same can be said for the Devils' playoff hopes, which might hurt his chances of playing much.

Not great news for those hoping Ilya Kovalchuk could return on Monday: he didn't practice on Sunday.
That doesn't guarantee that he'll sit out tomorrow's game, but it isn't a promising sign. Hopefully your league allowed you to place the New Jersey Devils' star on the IR.

Defenseman Damon Severson has joined the Albany Devils of the AHL.
Severson was chosen in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by New Jersey. Severson has been putting up solid (if unspectacular) numbers for a blueliner in the WHL this season. He will make his season debut with Albany very shortly.

Bryce Salvador (wrist) is considered doubtful for Monday's game against Toronto.
"I think the extent of the injury was more than day to day for him and I don't see him being ready for Monday," coach Pete DeBoer said. He hasn't skated since bruising his wrist on a Zdeno Chara slap shot on Wednesday night.

It doesn't look like Ilya Kovalchuk, who still ailing from a shoulder injury, will be ready to play Monday night in Toronto.
He said he may "need a few more days just to get the strength back in the hand and in the shoulder" and that he doesn't expect to travel with the team. Kovalchuk isn't taking slap shots or one-timers yet, but he is snapping wrist shots and skating with his Devils teammates at practice. It should be noted though that coach Pete DeBoer hasn't completely ruled Kovalchuk out for Monday's contest.

Despite some positive signs in his recovery lately, Ilya Kovalchuk is still experiencing discomfort in his shoulder when taking shots.
He skated on his own Friday and then when taking one timers he indicated that he still feels residual pain in his shoulder. Even if Kovalchuk returns to action sometime next week, the injury may still play a factor in his effectiveness. Keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to activate him.

Adam Larsson returned to action on Friday April 12.

Martin Brodeur made nine saves on 11 shots in the Devils' 2-0 loss Friday night.
Brodeur has started every single game since returning from injury and is now 10-8-7 on the season with the loss tonight. New Jersey's playoff hopes are slipping away and Brodeur and his teammates will try to bounce back on Monday night.

Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder) appears close to returning to the lineup, but it might be too late for the Devils.
With the 2-0 loss to the Senators Friday night, New Jersey dropped to 0-5-4 without the injured star forward. New Jersey is currently 10th in the Eastern Conference, four points behind the New York Rangers with seven games to play in 48-game shortened season. The Devils don't play again until Monday so it's possible Kovalchuk could return then.