The Fourth Period :: New Jersey Devils


February 16, 2012 \| 11:20am ET

Devils in the details
TheFourthPeriod.com

The New Jersey Devils may be limited in terms of what they can do at the Feb. 27 trade deadline due to a secret payroll budget they must remain under, according to the New York Post.

It is unsure if the payroll budget could prevent GM Lou Lamoriello from making a significant move at the deadline, however the undisclosed limit is likely to hush complaints from opposing team officials that the league's financial help represents an unfair competitive advantage for the Devils.

Meanwhile, the Devils are believed to be interested in bringing back defenseman Johnny Oduya, if the Winnipeg Jets fail to reach the post-season.

However, Minnesota Wild veteran blueliner Marek Zidlicky has reportedly agreed to waive his no-trade clause to potentially be moved to NJ, despite the fact that no deal has been settled at the moment.

Given what's left of Zidlicky's $4 million cap hit, his salary might not fit under the Devils' budget.

If the Devils can't take on much salary, they may well view this as the season to not trade their first-round pick and forfeit it as part of the penalty for bypassing the CBA in the Kovalchuk signing.

They must surrender their first-round pick either this June or next.

The Devils currently sit in sixth place of the Eastern Conference with a 32-20-4 record.

More Trade Deadline Info
List of Trades | No-Trade/No-Movement Clauses | Top 25 Available Players | Team-by-Team Cap Info