The Devils could use some blueline depth and a look at how the salary cap affects early season trades.

NEW YORK POST: Mark Everson reports the New Jersey Devils could use some help on defense with Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya sidelined with injuries.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: Oduya is day-to-day for now but Martin is out for four-six weeks with a broken left arm. Keep an eye on the Devils performance in the coming weeks as that will be the determining factor in any potential trade/free agent signings to bolster their blueline.

TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby reports NHL general managers will be meeting next week in Toronto following the Hockey Hall of Fame induction, which is in range of the US Thanksgiving weekend, traditionally a time when many teams have seen enough to consider making roster changes.  Hornby points out that while the salary cap restricts trade it has resulted in more deals within conferences and divisions, something which rarely occurred in the pre-cap days. He points out that, of the 53 player trades made to date since March 1st 2009, 16 were in the conference and seven between division rivals.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: Interesting analysis by Hornby and worth keeping in mind, although I daresay most general managers would prefer not to deal within their conference or division.