Anssi Salmela placed on Waivers

The defenseman hasn't really brought much to the table in his 11 games back since returning from an ACL injury. If a team claims him, he and his $612.5k cap hit are gone. If not, he's eligible to go to Albany. The Devils have 6 defensemen for tomorrow's game. Also, Anton Volchenkov will miss the next two games.
With this move, it's possible Matt Taormina will start practicing soon.

over 1 year ago Matthew Ventolo 34 comments 0 recs |

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Whether he gets claimed or not I think he’s played his last game for NJ. I doubt he gets re-signed in the offseason. We have way to many young defensemen to keep him around

by C.J. Richey on Jan 13, 2011 2:44 PM EST reply actions

Also, Tedenby practicing on third line with Arnott and Zharkov. Good sign he might play?

by Murdoc on Jan 13, 2011 2:56 PM EST reply actions

I think so he’s practiced on that line all week.

by C.J. Richey on Jan 13, 2011 3:03 PM EST up reply actions

Mair has been playing…..defense the last few practices, so it seems Teddy is back. I’d rather have Zharky and Teddy with Elias while Rolston and Zubrus are with Arnott on the 3rd line. I just find it interesting that the line that has been together the longest (the 4th line) has been the best one.

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by Matthew Ventolo on Jan 13, 2011 3:17 PM EST up reply actions

this is not a coincidence...

Elias said the same thing about the powerplay alignment.

by Exit56 on Jan 13, 2011 4:27 PM EST up reply actions

Tedenby has been practicing with Zharkov and Arnott in most of the practices over the last week and a half.

by Triumph44 on Jan 13, 2011 4:32 PM EST up reply actions

From Gulitti:

Lemaire initially said he wasn’t planning any lineup changes "for now," but then added "If there is, it will be one player."

That one player happens to be rookie right wing Mattias Tedenby, who has been a healthy scratch the last four games.

"He’s the one I’ve got a question mark on," Lemaire said of Tedenby.

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by Matthew Ventolo on Jan 13, 2011 7:31 PM EST up reply actions

They need to either play him regularly in the NHL or send him to Albany. Him being scratched isn’t gonna due him any good

by C.J. Richey on Jan 13, 2011 10:13 PM EST up reply actions

When Salmela played in Atlanta he showed enough promise that he got signed to that contract he’s playing under now. I thought he had the potential to be a good top 4 d-man in the NHL. Unfortunately he can’t seem to stay healthy and he isn’t very consistent. Can’t say I’m surprised at this news. I’ve seen better (but admittedly more expensive) players pass through waivers already this season so I’m guessing that he’ll go to Albany. You still need more cap room than this to really do anything, but I guess moving him to Albany is one way to make a little headway.

by Zontar on Jan 13, 2011 3:18 PM EST reply actions

Cap room for what? The Devils are shopping players for this lost season. Salvador and Parise are on the LTIR and are most likely done for the year so with their contracts don’t count against the cap. With Langenbrunner gone and Salmela most likely out or in Albany, the Devils have ~$2 million in LTIR cap space.

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by Matthew Ventolo on Jan 13, 2011 3:29 PM EST up reply actions

With Langs/Salmela Gone

The Devils will save $283199 from Salmela and $1,415,054 from Langs being gone. Almost $1.7MM. Helps to make up for revenues they won’t receive from playoff games.

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by Tom Stivali on Jan 13, 2011 3:33 PM EST reply actions

That’s if Salmela is gone, which we don’t know yet, and they really don’t save anything by him leaving because ostensibly he will be replaced on the roster by a similarly salaried player.

by Triumph44 on Jan 13, 2011 4:30 PM EST up reply actions

Am I going out on a huge limb by saying a player just placed on waivers won’t be with the team come tomorrow?

They have no need to replace him on the roster. They have 7 healthy d-men.

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by Tom Stivali on Jan 13, 2011 4:53 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, once Volchenkov returns to the team (well the team will return to him in NJ), they’ll be fine with personnel. Taormina should return soon, but with all this time out, it’s beneficial for him to go back to Albany for a few games. They may even send Fayne back down and recall someone else.

One thing I wouldn’t be surprised by coming up is seeing Mair hit waivers. He’s a waste of a roster spot for the kids. Now he’s playing defense.

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by Matthew Ventolo on Jan 13, 2011 5:05 PM EST up reply actions

Speaking of Mair, how much worse could Marcus Nilson have been in training camp?

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by Tom Stivali on Jan 13, 2011 5:07 PM EST up reply actions

I guess MacLean thought he was going to do a terrible job centering Ilya Kovalchuk.

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by Kevin Sellathamby on Jan 13, 2011 5:31 PM EST up reply actions

Haha

I preferred him over Mair just because he could help out the Swedes. But you’re right, how bad was he?

I think Chere said it best in the first sentence of this article(needs a slight tweak):

Marcus Nilson is~~n’t~~ in training camp with the Devils to be a babysitter for the team’s young Swedish prospects.

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by Matthew Ventolo on Jan 13, 2011 5:31 PM EST up reply actions

Good thing they didn’t sign him for 2 years like they did Peters.

by C.J. Richey on Jan 13, 2011 5:38 PM EST up reply actions

Nilson was awful. Mair has an on-ice shooting percentage of .83%, and yes, you are reading that correctly. He certainly hasn’t been good, but he hasn’t been terrible.

by Triumph44 on Jan 13, 2011 5:48 PM EST up reply actions

You see I don’t think Nilson was awful. Just really ‘unlucky.’

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by Tom Stivali on Jan 13, 2011 5:56 PM EST up reply actions

He would have been perfect for this team!

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"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch

by Matthew Ventolo on Jan 13, 2011 5:57 PM EST up reply actions

I wish it worked in real life. Sorry Boss, I didn’t meet my quarterly budget because we were incredibly unlucky the past few months. I can show you an article by this guy named Gabe that will prove it!!!

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by Tom Stivali on Jan 13, 2011 5:59 PM EST up reply actions

The article by Gabe would likely show a past history of meeting said budget.

But seriously, the involvement of luck isn’t that controversial. Probability exists in all things.

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by John Fischer on Jan 13, 2011 7:51 PM EST up reply actions

yes, and? if salmela clears waivers and then gets sent down, they save nothing. if salmela gets claimed, they save some money, but they could also have a healthy salmela being the 7th d and one of the two D men on the roster who have two-way contracts could be in the minors. point is, what they save is not likely to be in 6 figures.

by Triumph44 on Jan 13, 2011 5:47 PM EST up reply actions

But if they put Mark Fayne in the minors how will the Devils ever survive?

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by Tom Stivali on Jan 13, 2011 5:57 PM EST up reply actions

they also save money if Salmela clears waivers, he’s not a 35+ contract.

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by Kevin Sellathamby on Jan 13, 2011 5:57 PM EST up reply actions

you don’t just get to stop paying someone when you send them to the minor leagues.

by Triumph44 on Jan 13, 2011 5:58 PM EST up reply actions

well cap hit wise is what i meant, but even then that doesn’t matter right now.

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by Kevin Sellathamby on Jan 13, 2011 5:59 PM EST up reply actions

He’s not on a two-way, so in this case, he makes the same whether he’s in the AHL, NHL or ECHL.

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by Matthew Ventolo on Jan 13, 2011 6:10 PM EST up reply actions

send him down maybe he will get picked up

i have never been happy w/ him!! he was always making a lot of mistakes!
bring in the rookie Taormina!!

by ANDY IN VA on Jan 13, 2011 6:12 PM EST reply actions

He’d play if he wasn’t injured

by KovyisLove on Jan 13, 2011 8:17 PM EST up reply actions

They are saying they want him to be able to play regularly but tedenby has been scratched for four games?!? This team is just driving me crazy…

by Matt Kjelle on Jan 13, 2011 8:46 PM EST reply actions

It’s not crazy. Either Salmela’s claimed by someone and he plays there or he plays in Albany. He’s not going to play regularly in NJ any time soon.

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by John Fischer on Jan 13, 2011 10:10 PM EST up reply actions

Salmela’s Agent, Jay Grossman (who is also, Kovy’s, A-Train’s, and Moose’s agent) was using twitter today to sell Salmela to other teams:

Here:

Salmela goal vs. #Flyers and Carter hit http://youtu.be/fxKau5eviks

and Here:

Salmela viscious fight with Backes in WC, Selanne, Kessel involved too http://youtu.be/Ir9qsMohr80

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"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch

by Matthew Ventolo on Jan 14, 2011 12:42 AM EST reply actions

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