As the Devils try to clear cap space, The Post sites rumblings that GM Lou Lamoriello is hesitant to part with D Bryce Salvador, thought to be one of the most likely players to leave. The article also adds former first-round pick Matt Corrente to the speculation (likely as an incentive for teams to take on a bad contract) and sites the Toronto Maple Leafs as an oft-mentioned, but unlikely, trading partner.

Meanwhile, In Lou We Trust is already cleaning out Salvador’s locker and says the final cap casualty will come down to Dainius Zubrus and Brian Rolston, offering an interesting head-to-head comparison along the way.

Morning Links

• The Sporting News offers a summer post-mortem with Ilya Kovalchuk’s agent, Jay Grossman, who says the decision came down to New Jersey’s ability to win night in and night out. I'm guessing the $100 million helped too. Just a little.
• With Kovalchuk added to the roster, the Devils currently have the third-highest payroll in the league. Who’d have ever thunk it? Only the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins have more money on the books. All three teams will have to shed salary before the start of the season to be salary cap compliant.
• Hockey’s Future looks at Mattias Tedenby and the rest of the organization’s top prospects.
• The team’s summer tour stopped by Cranford Tuesday.
• Mike Mottau and Jay Pandolfo are still looking for contracts, according to the Bergen Record’s Tom Gulitti.
• Marcus Nilson will attend Devils training camp as an unsigned free-agent, per Gulitti.
• In Lou We Trust continues to look at the soft goals allowed by Martin Brodeur in 2009-10 and the effect they had on the team.