In sports, “rebuilding” is one of the most loaded words in the lexicon. It implies so much: recent failures, a dark immediate future and hope down the road. Oftentimes a team in rebuilding mode is located in a small market. The status implies their wallets are not deep enough to make an immediate fix with free-agent signings. Generally, the fans are asked to be patient as their team stinks it up for a few years and cultivates young talent into an eventual core.
The New Jersey Devils have missed the playoffs two of the past three seasons. The last time this happened, New Jersey was playing in the Patrick Division. Wayne Gretzky had 142 points for the Oilers. It was 1989 and the song “Eternal Flame” by a group named The Bangles was on top of the music charts.
You catch my drift. It was a long time ago. In front of Martin Brodeur, the Devils have been a model of consistency. General manager Lou Lamoriello gets a lot of the credit for ruling the organization with a fair, strong fist.
But the last championship was a decade ago. Only Brodeur and Patrik Elias remain from those dynasty years. Last year ...
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Article written by Terence McGinley
Are the Devils Heading Toward a Rebuilding Period?
April 25th, 2013 by Terence McGinley Leave a reply »
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