The New Jersey Devils looked as though they would have to sit out the first round of this year's NHL draft, but they have been given a new lease on life by the league.
After it was determined that the Devils circumvented salary-cap rules when they signed forward Ilya Kovalchuk in 2010, they were penalized significantly by the NHL. That penalty included forfeiture of their 2014 first-round pick, but New Jersey has recouped some of its losses, according to the league's official press release.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Devils won't pick based on where they finish in the standings, but they have been awarded the final selection in the first round of the 2014 draft:
With the Devils now picking 30th, all teams that would have picked at No. 30 and beyond will be forced to drop down one spot. Also, according to Tom Gulitti of The Record, it is being treated as a compensatory pick in that it cannot be traded:
The Devils were also initially supposed to pay a $3 million fine, but that was cut in half:
According to the Associated Pre ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mike Chiari
NHL Rescinds Portion of Salary-Cap Circumvention Penalties Against Devils
March 6th, 2014 by Mike Chiari Leave a reply »
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