Devils bring back Ponikarovsky in deal with Jets

"He fit in so well for us last year. He played our style and he played in all situations," Lamoriello said in a conference call. "He was a player that played extremely well for us in the playoffs."

The 32-year-old Ponikarovsky had one goal, nine points and 50 hits last postseason, as New Jersey, a No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, defeated Florida, Philadelphia, and the New York Rangers before losing to Los Angeles in the Stanley Cup final. His tally was an overtime winner in a 4-3 victory over the Flyers, giving New Jersey a 3-1 lead in a second-round series the Devils eventually won in five games.

"I am surprised and excited at the same time," Ponikarovsky said in a conference call from Winnipeg. "I know this team. I know the way they play, and it suits me. The only thing I can do is go out and play the way I played before."

In 12 NHL seasons with Toronto, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Carolina, New Jersey and Winnipeg, Ponikarovsky, a native of Ukraine, has 137 goals and 179 assists in 648 regular-season games. He is viewed, among other things, as insurance for the first-place Devils (8-2-3). New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus could be out up to two months with a wrist injury. Zubrus, who has one goal and four points, will have exploratory surgery on Thursday.

"That certainly played a factor in us being aggressive," Lamoriello said. "There's a void in the lineup and (Ponikarovsky) is an all-situation player."