Although he may be the most popular Devil, Krzysztof Oliwa’s days with the team may be numbered.
While all eyes are on the March 23 trade deadline as teams try to bolster themselves for a playoff run or gain some return on upcoming unrestricted free agents, there is another serious dynamic at work. Many teams are in trouble for the June expansion draft, and they’re positioning themselves now for the situation where they must expose two forwards, a defenseman and a goalie from their list of regulars.
With the Devils, it appears Lou Lamoriello will expose Sergei Brylin to selection by Atlanta, if he plays seven more games this season to reach a total of 40. But his other forward exposure seems to be a choice between Oliwa and Vadim Sharifijanov.
“What’s the name of that Atlanta team?” Oliwa asked.
“Thrashers,” was the reply.
Oliwa rolled his eyes. Obviously, he wants to stay in New Jersey.
The Devils can’t lose a goalie this year because they lost Mike Dunham to Nashville last summer, but that selection shows how difficult it is to get around these rules. Teams may not use upcoming unrestricted free agents towards their requirement of two exposures, so players like Dave Andreychuk or Bobby Carpenter don’t count unless Lamoriello signs them now for next season. Signing either now would probably cost him plenty, and Lamoriello still wouldn’t have enough slots for both Oliwa and Sharifijanov.
The likely protected list among the forwards would include Bobby Holik, Petr Sykora, Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott, Denis Pederson, Brian Rolston, Randy McKay and Jay Pandolfo, leaving a choice for the ninth slot between Oliwa and Sharifijanov.
Each team can only lose one player to Atlanta, and the Devils will likely expose Brad Bombardir and Kevin Dean among their defensemen, if they are to protect Sheldon Souray in addition to Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko, Lyle Odelein and Scott Niedermayer.
That situation on defense suggests that the Devils will deal a backliner before the trade deadline.
What makes the rule so tough is that the required two forwards and one defenseman exposed must have played a minimum of 40 NHL games, regular season and playoffs, this year, or 70 NHL games this year and last.
“I haven’t thought about that for one second,” Oliwa said. “It never went through my head. all I’m thinking about is Sunday [noon vs. Phoenix].”