Anssi Salmela knew he'd be back with NJ Devils some day

It wasn't too long ago that defensemen Anssi Salmela was wearing black and red, but even when he was traded to Atlanta in March of last year, Salmela had a feeling he would be back to the Garden State. Yesterday Salmela was part of the mega trade that brought Ilya Kovalchuk to New Jersey, a surprise for some, but not for Salmela. Always believing he had a chance to return, Salmela reiterated that, "[The Devils] organization likes to bring a lot of guys back. I played a bit here last time and I think everything went good." Devils coach Jacques Lemaire was also positive about Salmela's return stating, "I think [Anssi is] going to fit well. He's a mobile defenseman, has a decent shot, can move the puck and has that offensive ability that he could bring on at different times, which we need. Obviously."