[Devils-list] Lamoriello to take Blues' first-round choice

[John Lopez]

Wednesday, May 2, 2001
Devils Watch

By MIKE ZEISBERGER AND TERRY KOSHAN
  MIND GAMES: New Jersey Devils goaltending coach Jacques Caron held
meetings with Martin Brodeur the past two days.

According to Caron, the sessions were aimed at making sure that Brodeur's
confidence was not waning after the Devils goaltender allowed four-third
period goals in Game 2, a 6-5 overtime victory by New Jersey over the Maple
Leafs.

IN DEFENCE: Devils assistant coach Slava Fetisov, who handles the New Jersey
defencemen, told the New York Daily News he did not intentionally keep the
Scott Stevens-Brian Rafalski tandem away from Mats Sundin in Game 2.

Stevens was critical of the Devils coaching staff for not allowing he and
Rafalski to take their regular turns against Sundin in the final 20 minutes
of regulation.

"He wants to play against the top line, no question, especially when we get
the last change," Fetisov said of Stevens. "But now we're on the road and we
have to set up our lineup first, and they react. So you have to check once
in awhile how the other D can do against the best lines, and I feel
confident with all our defence.

"Sometimes you can't just double-shift him because he's coming out of a
penalty kill or power play -- he plays both -- and you don't want to kill
him. On the other hand you want to let other defencemen feel responsible to
play against the other team's best forwards."

SETTING A PICK: Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello has decided to take
the St. Louis Blues' first-round choice in the entry draft next month as
compensation for the Blues tampering with defenceman Scott Stevens in 1995.

Lamoriello made his decision before yesterday's deadline. But he has asked
the NHL to push the deadline back to after the Stanley Cup final, when the
final draft order is determined. The Blues have the 25th pick, but could
fall to 30th if they win the Stanley Cup.

"Rather than take any chances on what the ruling is, we simply took the pick
outright, but not prejudicing our request to defer a decision until all
draft positioning is solidified," Lamoriello said.

In 1999, the NHL awarded the Devils the right to one of the Blues' top draft
picks through 2003, as well as the right to switch No. 1 picks once. The
only condition is that the Blues' top pick could not be affected in
consecutive drafts.

St. Louis has one opportunity to deny the Devils' move, and has yet to use
that option.

The penalties against St. Louis came after the NHL determined the Blues had
spoken to Stevens before he was officially a free agent.

"It's something we'll have to look at," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said
last night. "If it is an issue, both sides need the opportunity to tell me
what they're thinking."