2012–13 New Jersey Devils season
| Industry | Professional ice hockey team |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1982 (relocated from Colorado) |
| Headquarters | Newark , United States |
| Products | Ice hockey team participation in the NHL |
The 2012–13 New Jersey Devils season marked the 39th year of the franchise's participation in the National Hockey League and their 31st season since relocating from Colorado in 1982. Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, the regular season was reduced to 48 games.
As the previous season's Stanley Cup finalists, the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention following a 4–1 defeat against the New York Rangers on April 21, 2013.
Off-season
With more than ten unrestricted free agents on their roster, including captain Zach Parise, the Devils managed to retain key players such as goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg, along with defenseman Bryce Salvador. However, Parise departed to join the Minnesota Wild.
Pre-season
The Devils had scheduled seven pre-season matches, including a contest at the newly opened Barclays Center facing the New York Islanders. Nonetheless, all pre-season fixtures were cancelled due to the lockout.
Regular season
Originally set to commence on October 12 with an away game against the Washington Capitals and a home opener versus the Boston Bruins, the Devils’ season start was postponed because of the lockout. After play resumed, the team endured a 10-game losing streak, tying a franchise record, which culminated in a 2–0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 15.
For the second year running, New Jersey led the NHL in shorthanded goals, netting 11 during the shortened campaign. Despite their appearance in the prior year's Stanley Cup Finals, they failed to qualify for the playoffs after losing to the Rangers on April 21—a first for a finalist team since 2007.
Regular season
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 || January 19 || New Jersey || 2–1 || New York Islanders || W |||| 16,170 || 1–0–0 || 2 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 || January 22 || Philadelphia || 0–3 || New Jersey || W|| || 17,625 || 2–0–0 || 4 |- bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 || January 25 || Washington || 2–3 || New Jersey ||W|| OT || 17,625 || 3–0–0 || 6 |- bgcolor="#ffffcc" | 4 || January 27 || New Jersey || 3–4 || Montreal ||OTL|| OT || 21,273 || 3–0–1 || 7 |- bgcolor="#ffffcc" | 5 || January 29 || New Jersey || 1–2 || Boston ||OTL|| SO || 17,565 || 3–0–2 || 8 |- bgcolor="#ffffcc" | 6 || January 31 || New York Islanders || 5–4 || New Jersey ||OTL|| OT || 17,625 || 3–0–3 || 9 |-
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
| 7 || February 2 || New Jersey || 1–5 || Pittsburgh ||L|| ||18,635||3–1–3||9
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|8||February 3||New Jersey||3–0||New York Islanders||W|| ||11,558||4–1–3||11
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|9||February 5||New York Rangers||1–3||New Jersey||W|| ||17,625||5–1–3||13
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|10||February 7||Tampa Bay||2–4||New Jersey||W|| ||14,802||6–1–3||15
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|11||February 9||Pittsburgh||1–3||New Jersey||W|| ||17,625||7–1–3||17
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|12||February 10||New Jersey||3–1||Pittsburgh||W|| ||18,658||8–1–3||19
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|13||February 12||Carolina||4–2||New Jersey||L|| ||17,625||8–2–3||19
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|14||February 15||Philadelphia||3–5||New Jersey||W|||17,625|||9-2-3|||21
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|15|||February 16|||New Jersey|||1-5|||New York Islanders|||L|||15,488|||9-3-3|||21
|- bgcolor="#ffffcc"
|16|||February 18|||Ottawa|||2-1|||New Jersey|||OTL|||SO|||17,625|||9-3-4|||22
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|17|||February 21|||New Jersey|||3-2|||Washington|||W|||18,506|||10-3-4|||24
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|18|||February 23|||New Jersey|||1-5|||Washington|||L|||18,506|||10-4-4|||24
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|19|||February 24|||Winnipeg|||4-2|||New Jersey|||L|||17,625|||10-5-4|||24
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|20|||February 28|||New Jersey|||1-3|||Winnipeg|||L|||15,004|||10-6-4|||24
|-
|- bgcolor="#ffffcc"
|21||||March 2||||New Jersey||||3-4||||Buffalo||||OTL||||SO||||19,070||||10-6-5||||25
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|22||||March 4||||New Jersey||||2-4||||Toronto||||L||||19,435||||10-7-5||||25
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|23||||March 5||||Tampa Bay||||5-2||||New Jersey||||L||||15,229||||10-8-5||||25
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|24||||March 7||||Buffalo||||2-3||||New Jersey||||W||||SO||||17,625||||11-8-5||||27
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|25||||March 9||||New Jersey||||3-6||||Carolina||||L||||18,680||||11-9-5)||27
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|26||||March 10||||Winnipeg||||2-3||||New Jersey||||W||||SO)||17,625)||12-9-5)||29
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|27||||March 13||||Philadelphia||||2-5||||New Jersey)||W)||17,625)||13-9-5)||31
|- bgcolor="#ffffcc"
|28||||March 15||||New Jersey)||1-2||(Philadelphia)||OTL||(SO)||(19,971)||(13−9−6)||(32)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|29||(March)||(Montreal)||(Devils)||L||(17,625)||(13−10−6)||(32)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|30||(March)||(NY Rangers)||(Devils)||L||(17,625)||(13−11−6)||(32)
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|31||(March)||(Devils)||(Carolina)||W||(16,941)||(14−11−6)||(34)
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|32||(March)||(Florida)||(Devils)||W||(17,625)||(15−11−6)||(36)
|- bgcolor="#ffffcc"
|33||(March)||(Devils)||(Ottawa)||OTL||(SO)||(18,902)||(15−11−7)||(37)
|- bgcolor="#ffffcc"
|34||(March)||(Devils)||(Tampa Bay)||OTL||(SO)||(19,204)||(15−11−8)||(38)
|- bgcolor="#ffffcc"
|35||(March)||(Devils)||(Florida)||OTL||(OT)||(18,138)||(15−11−9)||(39)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|36||(April)||(NY Islanders)||(Devils)||L||(17,625)||(15−12−9)||(39)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|37||(April)||(Devils)||(Boston)||L||(17,565)||(15−13−9)||(39)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|38||(April)||(Toronto)||(Devils)||L||(17,625)||(15−14−9)||(39)
|- bgcolor="#ffffcc"
|39||(April)||(Devils)||(Buffalo)||OTL||(SO)||(18,703)||(15−14−10)||(40)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|40||(April)||(Boston)||(Devils)||L||(17,625)||(15−15−10)||(40)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|41||(April)||(Ottawa)||(Devils)||L||(16,099)||(15−16−10)&&(40)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|42||(April)&&(Devils)&&(Toronto)&&L&&(19,425)&&(15−17−10)&&(40)
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|43&&(April)&&(Devils)&&(Philadelphia)&&W&&(19,727)&&(16−17−10)&&(42)
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|44&&(April)&&(Florida)&&(Devils)&&W&&(16,018)&&(17−17−10)&&(44)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|45&&(April)&&(Devils)&&(NY Rangers)&&L&&(17,200)&&(17−18−10)&&(44)
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|46|(April)|Montreal|(Devils)|W|(15,219)|(18−18−10)|(46)
|- bgcolor="#ccffcc"
|47|(April)|Pittsburgh|(Devils)|W|(16,122)|(19−18−10)|(48)
|- bgcolor="#FF9999"
|48|(April)|Devils|(NY Rangers)|L|(17,200)|(19−19−10)|(48)
|} Legend:
Player statistics
Final figures
Skaters
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Sortname | 48 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 5 | 22 |
| Template:Sortname | 37 | 11 | 20 | 31 | −6 | 18 |
| Template:Sortname | 48 | 15 | 9 | 24 | −6 | 78 |
| Template:Sortname | 48 | 7 | 13 | 20 | −5 | 22 |
| Template:Sortname | 48 | 4 | 15 | 19 | −12 | 38 |
| Template:Sortname | 48 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 20 |
| Template:Sortname | 42 | 11 | 5 | 16 | −3 | 16 |
| Template:Sortname | 47 | 8 | 7 | 15 | −7 | 17 |
| Template:Sortname | 44 | 6 | 9 | 15 | −2 | 31 |
| Template:Sortname | 48 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 14 |
| Template:Sortname | 28 | 8 | 4 | 12 | −2 | 4 |
| Template:Sortname | 22 | 2 | 7 | 9 | −3 | 12 |
Goaltenders
| Player | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 29 | 1757:21 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 65 | 2.22 | 654 | .901 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 19 | 19 | 1108:16 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 51 | 2.76 | 435 | .883 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
†Player joined Devils after spending time with another franchise; stats pertain to Devils tenure only.
‡Player was traded during the season; figures represent performance with Devils exclusively.
Bold and italics indicate franchise records.
Awards
| Player | Award | Date Received |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Sortname | NHL Third Star of the Week | February 10, 2013 |
Milestones
| Player | Milestone Achieved | Date Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Sortname | Reached career total of 900 NHL points | January 27, 2013 |
| Template:Sortname | Debut NHL game played | January 29, 2013 |
| Player | Milestone Achieved | Date Achieved |
|---|
Transactions
Throughout the season, the Devils executed numerous significant 2012–13 NHL transactions.
Trades
| Date | Transaction Details | |
|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2013 | Traded to Los Angeles Kings 5th-round selection in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft |
Acquired from New Jersey Devils Andrei Loktionov |
| February 13, 2013 | Sent to Winnipeg Jets 7th-round pick in 2013 NHL Entry Draft 4th-round pick in 2014 NHL Entry Draft |
Received from New Jersey Devils Alexei Ponikarovsky |
| March 22, 2013 | Delivered to St. Louis Blues Conditional 5th-round draft choice in 2015 NHL Entry Draft |
Obtained from New Jersey Devils Matt D'Agostini Conditional 7th-round pick in 2015 NHL Entry Draft |
| April 3, 2013 | Exchanged to Phoenix Coyotes 7th-round selection in 2014 NHL Entry Draft |
Acquired from New Jersey Devils Steve Sullivan |
Free agents signed
| Player | Previous team | Contract details |
| Krys Barch | Florida Panthers | Two-year deal worth $1.5 million |
| Bobby Butler | Ottawa Senators | One-year contract for $525,000 |
Free agents lost
| Player | New team | Contract specifics |
| Alexei Ponikarovsky | Winnipeg Jets | One-year agreement valued at $1.8 million |
| Eric Boulton | New York Islanders | One-year contract for $540,000 |
| Vladimir Zharkov | CSKA Moscow | Two-year deal |
| Zach Parise | Minnesota Wild | Thirteen-year contract totaling $98 million |
| Matt Taormina | Tampa Bay Lightning | One-year contract worth $700,000 |
Claimed via waivers
| Player | Previous team | Date claimed on waivers |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Kostopoulos | Pittsburgh Penguins | March 6, 2013 |
Lost via waivers
| Player | New team | Date claimed on waivers |
|---|---|---|
| Bobby Butler | Nashville Predators | March 4, 2013 |
Player signings
| Player | Signing date | Contract details |
| Steve Bernier | June 29, 2012 | Two years, $1.5 million total |
| Ryan Carter | June 29, 2012 | Two-year contract valued at $1.55 million |
| Stephen Gionta | June 29, 2012 | Two years, $1.125 million total |
| Peter Harrold | June 29, 2012 | One-year deal worth $525,000 |
| Cam Janssen | June 29, 2012 | One-year contract for $575,000 |
| Martin Brodeur | July 2, 2012 | Two-year agreement totaling $9 million |
| Johan Hedberg | July 2, 2012 | Two years, $2.8 million contract |
| Bryce Salvador | July 3, 2012 | Three-year deal worth $9.5 million |
| Stefan Matteau | August 14, 2012 | Three-year entry-level contract valued at $2.5275 million |
| Reece Scarlett | September 6, 2012 | Three-year entry-level deal for $1.86 million |
| Damon Severson | September 6, 2012 | Three-year entry-level contract totaling $1.9275 million |
| Travis Zajac | January 16, 2013 | Eight-year extension worth $46 million |
| Reid Boucher | March 13, 2013 | Three-year entry-level contract valued at $2.0775 million |
| Mattias Tedenby | June 20, 2013 | One-year deal for $600,000 |
Draft selections
The New Jersey Devils' picks during the 2012 NHL entry draft held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| Round | # | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | Stefan Matteau | Center |  United States |
U.S. National Team Development Program (USHL) |
| 2 | 60 | Damon Severson | Defenseman |  Canada |
Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
| 3 | 90 | Ben Johnson | Center/Left Wing | United States |
Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| 4 | 96Template:Ref label | Ben Thomson | Left Wing | Canada |
Kitchener Rangers (OHL) |
| 5 | 135Template:Ref label | Graham Black | Center | Canada |
Swift Current Broncos (WHL) |
| 5 | 150 | Alexander Kerfoot | Center | Canada |
Coquitlam Express (BCHL) |
| 6 | 180 | Artur Gavrus | Center | Template:Flagcountry | Owen Sound Attack (OHL) |
- Notes on draft picks
- On January 20, 2012, the Devils transferred their fourth-round selection to the Carolina Hurricanes in return for Alexei Ponikarovsky.
- The fourth-round choice originally belonging to the Toronto Maple Leafs was obtained on October 4, 2011, in exchange for Dave Steckel.
- The fifth-round pick from the Calgary Flames was received on July 14, 2011, as part of the deal involving Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond.
- The Devils' seventh-round selection was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on December 12, 2011, in a transaction that included Kurtis Foster and Timo Pielmeier.