Taking stock of each team's offseason moves

New Jersey Devils

	The re-signings of Brian Gionta (14) and Simon Gagne (12) will play a huge role in the outcome of the Atlantic race. Len Redkoles/Getty Images
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On the spot: GM Lou Lamoriello

Greatest need: Figuring out how to ice a team within the salary cap.

Did he fill it? Lou's close to building himself a pretty nice lineup, one that is essentially the same as last season's 101-point, division-winning club. The only new face of note may be coach Claude Julien, who was a fairly safe choice for the position.

Lamoriello's problem is that he still needs to sign several players -- including 48-goal scorer Brian Gionta and top-four defenders David Hale and Paul Martin -- but is already $3 million over the cap, thanks to his own mistakes (Alexander Mogilny, Vladimir Malakhov) and an arbitrator's generosity (Scott Gomez was awarded a $5 million per year deal). Until Lou gets this mess sorted out by dealing away some salary, his efforts shall remain incomplete.

Philadelphia Flyers

On the spot: GM Bob Clarke

Greatest needs: Speed on the blue line, resolving the Keith Primeau situation, getting Simon Gagne signed, and staying under the cap.

Did he fill them? Outside of the draft, where Clarke used his first-rounder to pick up the anti-Flyer -- small, speedy forward Claude Giroux -- it hasn't been a banner summer for the GM, primarily because he failed to upgrade the defense in any meaningful way. If anything, it got worse with the loss of UFA Kim Johnsson (who apparently was too good a skater to interest Clarke) and the addition of Nolan Baumgartner. It's hard to believe that Clarke watched his blue line turned into pylons by Buffalo's swift forwards and is satisfied to take an even lesser group into 2006-07.

Granted, the Flyers will go into the season with perhaps the deepest corps of forwards in the East, which should take some pressure off the back line, but Primeau's availability remains in question and first-liner Gagne's new contract  --five years for $26.25 million -- put the Flyers in cap peril. It would be crazy to trade a talent like Gagne at this point in his career, but with so many good young players in the system and so little cap wiggle room, it's a possibility.

On the plus side of the ledger, Clarke sent excess center Michal Handzus to Chicago for Kyle Calder and inked UFA Geoff Sanderson. Both are fleet of feet and provide left-wing insurance in case the Gagne situation implodes. Clarke's best move, however, may have been promoting head coach John Stevens of the AHL Philadelphia Phantoms to replace assistant coach Wayne Flemming. With so many young players assuming key roles, Stevens' touch will be critical in their development.