The New Jersey Devils have won four straight and were eight points out of a playoff spot before Tuesday night's games.
Still long odds at making it, but general manager Lou Lamoriello, who these days is also the coach, clearly hasn’t thrown in the towel just yet.
"We’re just focusing on the next game and not focusing on anything else," Lamoriello told ESPN.com Tuesday morning.
Still, you have to imagine some of his pending unrestricted free agents, notably Jaromir Jagr, will move before next Monday’s deadline, even if Lamoriello predictably will not tip his hand.
All I can say is that pending UFA blueliner Marek Zidlicky has a full no-trade clause and, as of Monday morning, a source said Zidlicky's camp had not yet been contacted by the Devils. That’s a conversation that has to happen before next Monday if he’s moving.
"We’ll do whatever is right for the organization and make whatever decisions have to be made, one way or the other," Lamoriello said over the phone.
When I pressed the veteran hockey man on the future of Jagr in particular, I could picture Lamoriello shaking his head at me.
"You know better," Lamoriello said.
Hey, a guy’s got to try, right?
