Dammit where's Tommy when you need him!
Despite an embarrassing first-round exit (see, that pesky division title really doesn't do you much good), the Devils should be relatively happy about their overall season. After all, they proved they can actually still win even without Martin Brodeur. Start the trade rumors!
Anyway...
UFAs:
Brendan Shanahan
Brian Gionta
John Madden
Bobby Holik
My Krupp
Barry Tallackson
Niclas Havelid
Johnny Oduya
Kevin Weekes
Scott Clemmensen
I think it's a safe bet to say we've seen the last of Brendan Shanahan. Holik might yet have some left in the tank, but not much. He'll likely find work elsewhere. I believe Lamoriello will make a concerted effort to retain Madden while he lets Gionta walk for what will likely be too much money. He can't score at even strength anyway, right? In any event, it's a loss the Devils should be able to offset, especially if Nicklas Bergfors and Petr Vrana are ready to make the jump.
The cap might get a bit tricky for Lou after next season. He has a few hefty long-term contracts already in Zubrus, Rolston, Brodeur, and Elias. Both Martin and Parise will be due for major raises after '09-10, and both are indispensible. On the other side, the Devils seemingly have decent scoring depth up front, but on the back end they have Martin and...nothing. Oduya should be retained given his modest cap hit, but I doubt Havelid sticks around. Might a guy like Mathieu Schneider fit in? Again, tricky considering the long-term cap hit possibilities. Is there anyone in the system ready to help? I read up a bit but didn't really see anyone.
Clemmensen might get wooed away by a better offer, but it's in NJ's best interests to keep him around, especially considering how well he played in Brodeur's absence.
Last but not least, Sutter most certainly shouldn't be fired, but during his tenure the Devils have flamed out in the first round twice. On top of that, does he even want to stick around?