Report: Scott Gomez to return to Devils on professional tryout
The New Jersey Devils will welcome centerman Scott Gomez back into the fold on a professional tryout (PTO) this training camp, according to a report from Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record.
The 34-year-old spent the first seven years of his career with the Devils, winning the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 2000, and playing a prominent role on two Stanley Cup-winning Devils clubs in 2000 and 2003. In total, Gomez appeared in 548 regular season games with the Devils, and recorded more than 50 points in six of his seven seasons in East Rutherford, N.J.
Since his halcyon days as a Devils first liner, Gomez's effectiveness has flat-lined. The veteran was the target of a compliance buyout by the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, and over the past two seasons appeared in 85 games with the San Jose Sharks and the Florida Panthers and has managed just four goals and 23 assists.
"Scotty and I met a couple of times and he still has the desire to play and he would like to try," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello explained Wednesday. "I encouraged him that if that's what he'd like to do, he'd be given every opportunity."
Gomez is no longer a productive offensive player - only three players have scored goals at a lower rate over the past three seasons: Zenon Konopka, Jarrod Smithson and Eric Belanger - but he could still be useful, in theory, as a breakout specialist in a bottom-six role. At the very least Gomez's underlying numbers have remained solid, even as his production has atrophied significantly.
[Stats in this piece compiled from stats.hockeyanalysis.com]