devils-david-clarkson-0114.jpg.JPG

David Clarkson, the Devils winger, could bring his hard-nosed style of play to the team's first line this season.

(Photo by Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)



Coming off a 30-goal season, right winger David Clarkson is one player the Devils will hope can help fill the void created by the loss of Zach Parise.



But Clarkson won't say publicly whether he feels he deserves to be on the team's first line.

“It’s a tough question. Obviously everyone wants to play on the top line. That’s up to the coach,” Clarkson said. “I’m somebody that’s going to come out and work hard. The coach and Mr. (Lou) Lamoriello will decide where they put me in the lineup. That’s really all I can do.

"I know I'm not a finesse player to go end-to-end to score. I just go to those areas and try to be in the right spot at the right time."



Travis Zajac, who figures to be the Devils' top center, believes there should be no doubts about Clarkson being a first-liner.

“I don’t think so. I definitely don’t think that’s out of the question,” Zajac said. “Clarkie has gotten better every year. He’s played a bigger role every year. He had an unbelievable season last year and I think he’s just going to get better. I think he’s a guy who is going to have a big role on the team this year.”

If Devils coach Pete DeBoer is looking for a winger with finesse, that isn’t Clarkson.

“I’m not going to change too much personally. I’m not going to change my game to try to score more goals,” Clarkson said. “I’m going to play that same style of hockey and do what got me here. We’ll see what happens when the year is up.”

DeBoer said: "There is no doubt when you lose some of the players we've lost that other guys have to fill those holes. You're not replacing Zach Parise with one guy. It's got to be by committee. But we sat here at the beginning of last season and no one thought Adam Henrique would be able to do what he did. We're going to need some of those type of guys to step up."

Finesse is probably not a requirement for a spot on the first line.

"I don't believe so," Clarkson said. "Look around the league. There are a lot of guys who aren't. You have to be a piece to the puzzle. The coach has to find the pieces he's looking for."



Clarkson played the entire 2012 playoffs with a fractured foot. It did not require surgery in the offseason and did not keep him on the injury list, which would have allowed him to be paid during the lockout.



"I was feeling better and was able to train. It had healed. I was kind of back on the ice," Clarkson said. "To be honest, that never crossed my mind."

This will be a key season for Clarkson, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 5. He is making the remainder of $2.67 million this season, pro-rated for the lockout, but figures to cash in on his next contract.

“You have things to think about. You have to figure things out, but to be honest I’m not focusing on what’s ahead," Clarkson said of this season. "I just have to go out there and do my job and let the pieces fall where they will. It is a different situation for me, not one I’ve been in before.”

Will he feel some pressure?

“People ask me if I’m putting pressure on myself. I’m not," he insisted. "Especially after the lockout you realize how much fun it is to be able to play this game. I’m just looking forward to what’s ahead. I’m not thinking, ‘I’ve got to do this or that.’ ”

He was able to play in Austria for a short time, as well as train.



"You take a negative and try to make it a positive," Clarkson said. "I got time to spend with my family. I tried to work on little things in my game. I did the same things I did last summer and I tried to do a little more to get better."

* * *

Jacob Josefson (lower body injury) missed his second day of training camp.

The Devils' lines today:

Mathieu Darche-Travis Zajac-Bobby Butler

Mattias Tedenby-Patrik Elias-Steve Berrnier

Stefan Matteau-Dainius Zubrus-David Clarkson

Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Cam Janssen

Krys Barch-Tim Sestito-Harri Pesonen

Defense pairings:

Bryce Salvador-Marek Zidlicky

Andy Greene-Mark Fayne

Adam Larsson-Henrik Tallinder

Anton Volchenkov-Peter Harrold

Rich Chere: rchere@starledger.com; twitter.com/Ledger_NJDevils