The Devils’ youth movement took a detour yesterday when they signed free agent Rob Niedermayer to become their checking center.
New Jersey was looking toward their crop of prospects, notably Rod Pelley, to fill the voids left by the departures of John Madden and Bobby Holik in July, but general manager Lou Lamoriello appears to have changed his mind.
“I felt we needed a little more size and strength down the middle,” Lamoriello said. “With Travis [Zajac] and [Dainius] Zubrus, we have three pretty big center icemen.
“This gives us more flexibility, more options,” Lamoriello said. “He has played against the top lines most of his career, and he has an edge to his game.”
The 34-year-old forward, brother of former Devil Scott Niedermayer, is listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. He was a first-round pick (fifth overall by Florida) in 1993, and won a Stanley Cup with his brother with Anaheim.
“That was something that really drew me towards signing with New Jersey,” said Niedermayer, who inked a one-year, $1 million contract. “I think New Jersey has a real [Cup] chance.”
The Devils planned to use left wing Patrik Elias at center, and had expectations for Pelley, who played there two seasons ago with New Jersey. This signing will affect some of those plans, but Lamoriello and head coach Jacques Lemaire said it hasn’t demolished either idea.
“My role has been to try to shut down some of the other teams’ top lines,” Niedermayer said. “I’ve played [center] a lot. The last few years I’ve mostly played wing, but before that, it was mostly center. I feel comfortable with it. It was more of an adjustment going to wing.”
He has played 1,011 NHL games, tallying 171 goals, 257 assists, 428 points and 835 penalty minutes. He also has played 104 playoff games, 17-22-39 with 103 penalty minutes.
Niedermayer had considered playing in Russia before taking the Devils’ offer.
“I thought it was something we were going to have to entertain,” Niedermayer said. “I had been talking with a few NHL teams, but it was a little slow. It was close, but I’m happy to be a New Jersey Devil.”
Niedermayer said he expects to join the Devils Monday, arriving from British Columbia, where he has been skating with a junior team. Lemaire said he hopes to play Niedermayer in the exhibition finale against the Islanders Tuesday.
Scott Niedermayer turned down a more lucrative Devils offer to leave New Jersey to play with Rob in Anaheim in 2005.
Niedermayer said he spoke with brother Scott yesterday, “about Lemaire and Lou.” He said the turn of events was “pretty ironic.”
“We were laughing about it,” he said.
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The Devils play host to the Flyers tonight, and Martin Brodeur is expected to be in net again. The Flyers beat the Devils 2-1 in overtime in Philadelphia Thursday. . . . Mike Mottau (upper body) and Mark Fraser (head injury) sat out practice yesterday. Both were injured in Philly. . . . Andrew Peters signed with New Jersey for two years at $500,000 per season.