3. John Madden, C, New Jersey Devils
If you think Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is cheap, think again. Rather, Lamoriello is smart. He identified Madden as a key component to his team and re-signed him to five-year deal worth $20M on July 2. Among the game's best defensive pivots, the 31-year-old Madden goes head-to-head with an opponent's top offensive players on a nightly basis. Lamoriello was well aware of Madden's value to the Devils and he didn't let him get away.
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8. Richard Matvichuk, D, New Jersey Devils
With Scott Stevens' return still in doubt due to injury and not wanting to rush second-year D-man David Hale, Lamoriello added some experience and toughness to his back line by signing the career Star. Matvichuk, 31, had fallen out of favor in Dallas in recent years and is coming off a mediocre season. Still, ex-Stars (Neal Broten, Joe Nieuwendyk, Jamie Langenbrunner, Grant Marshall) seem to fit nicely with the Devils. Matvichuk's four-year deal calls for an affordable base salary of $1.8M per season.
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