For better or worse, the Devils will have a new look next season. Pat Burns takes over for Kevin Constantine behind the bench, and he'll have a new cast of characters with which to work. Petr Sykora was traded to Anaheim along with Igor Pohanka, defenseman Mike Commodore and goaltender J.F. Damphousse. Bobby Holik signed with the Rangers, of all teams.

But is different necessarily worse? We asked ESPN.com users what they thought of the Devils' offseason moves and their chances in 2002-03.

Here is a sampling of your responses:

Lou Lamoriello is the master of recognizing talent and getting the most out of his team. Although he got burned when Bobby Holik left, he always finds away to provide a competitive team. Pat Burns is a disciplinarian and this team will thrive under his control. Look for Joe Nieuwendyk, Patrik Elias, and the newly acquired Jeff Friesen to have great years. Their defense is probably the best in the league (offensively and defensively) and have arguably the best goaltender in Brodeur. See you in the finals.

Joe Consiglio
West Milford, N.J.

I think Lamoriello blew it by: 1. Not signing (Bobby Holik) 2. Not trading him at the deadline last year. This may be the move that keeps us out of the playoffs this year.

Adam Levy
Staten Island, N.Y.

	“	I have just four words to say: 'In Lou We Trust.' ”
		— Scott Williams, Brentwood, N.Y.

The Devils have been paying the price for not signing Alexander Mogilny when they had a chance. The results are clear: The A-line is no more and the future looks dim. The problem with the Devils last season was that they had no scoring ability. The offseason shuffles haven't improved it. Though the trade with the Ducks has made them stronger, they need more scoring.

Alex Kunin
South River, N.J.

Change is good, I guess. The Devs can't fare much worse than last year. The East is weak and they have as good a shot as anyone. Remember 1995, they had few legitimate stars and still won the Cup. I have faith in Lou.

Adam Saad
Holmdel, N.J.

Devils dead. Better get prepared for another losing and frustrating season that will probably end in April.

Amr Sabet
Centreville, Va.

With (Pat) Burns usually depending on defense to win, the fit in Jersey seems to be a good one. However, the Devils were hardly a scoring machine last season and have lost Sykora and Holik in the offseason. With players like Kenny Daneyko, Stevens and Brodeur all getting a year older and likely a little slower, the Devils need to invest in youth, scoring and speed. ... With other teams spending in the off-season, and New Jersey not doing much to keep up, the Devils will be hard pressed to make the playoffs next year.

Adam Wonnacott
Masan, South Korea

Lou's luck has run out. During his tenure with the Devils he has done his best to dismantle the team. He refuses to keep fan favorites because he does not want to pay them. ... Fortunately for Lou, there has always been someone in the minors to pick up the loss. His luck has finally run out though. There is zero legitimate talent left on the farm. ... (The Sykora deal) was a decent trade, however. The Devils get two solid everyday players for the price of one. Unfortunately, the Devils need some serious scoring talent. They were near the bottom all of last year in scoring. They are just going to get worse. Holik and Sykora for Tverdosky and Freisen. That is not an improvement. Lou, open up the wallet and see if you can't salvage the season by signing Amonte!

Chris Kazlauskas
Parsippany, N.J.

This year they finally have (their first) coach since Jacques Lemaire who will make the players accountable for their actions or non-actions.

Alex Karampatsos
Williamstown, Mass.

If only Steinbrenner could spend half the money on his hockey team that he does on his baseball team.

Tony Notaro
Buffalo, N.Y.

The Devils are clearly a team that has lost its character. In past years, they have been known for their grittiness (i.e. crash line), their smooth cohesiveness (i.e. the A-line), or their generally boring play (i.e. the trap). This past year the players seemed to lack the sense of purpose that has been so evident in the past. Maybe it was the changes (Robinson fired, Robinson hired, trading Arnott) or maybe it was the lack of change. Lou never seems to make a bad move and the recent changes will obviously take time to be assessed. One thing that is evident is that the younger players like Rafalski, Gionta, Madden, and Elias enjoy playing the game. This was not evident in Sykora's play, maybe that is why he is gone.

Peter Dunn
Chatham, N.J.

It is a shame to know that the Devils are managed and owned by a the YankeesNets organization. How does Lou still have a job after letting top talent walk away from what could have been a team of the decade? I guess the Yankees get all the money.

Tom Knox
Charlotte, N.C.

	“	Let's not forget who they have in net. Brodeur is one of the hardest working goalies in the league and I really feel like he will keep them in it while the rest of the team works out any kinks. Yes, the Devils will make the playoffs, but they will only go as far as Martin can take them, which could very well be the Stanley Cup finals. Never underestimate the power of a good netminder. ”
		— W. Douglas Huckabay, Austin, Texas

I can some up this offseason in one word: disgusted. As a Devils faithful, I have watched Lou alienate our best players, then fail to sign them. We have seen over the years the likes of Guerin, Gilmour, Moligny and now Holik move on due to this organization's stingyness. I am for one sick of it. How could we let our best player go to the Rangers, then just sit by as all of other high-priced free agents were swallowed up? Way to go Lou. You have managed to topple a Stanley Cup contender in the matter of a few days. It is time to send Lou packing.

Kurt Mittenzwei
Bayonne, N.J.

It will truly be a pleasure to watch the Devils enter the season without their most versitile player, no team chemistry, and smurfs like Gomez and Gionta trying to grind it out with big teams like Philadelphia and Toronto. Perhaps all the bandwagoners from the last few years that left the Rangers will seek solace in MSG once again.

Ian Ferrato
Manalapan, N.J.