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Former Devils forward Andrei Loktionov has played well for the Hurricanes.

(Ed Mulholland/USA Today)

RALEIGH, N.C.— Andrei Loktionov was happy playing for the Devils, but the 23-year-old Russian still prepared himself for the possibility of a deadline day trade.



"Nobody is safe. You have to be ready for that and I was ready," Loktionov said Saturday morning at PNC Arena. "It's part of the business."



The Devils received Tuomo Ruutu in the March 5 trade with the Carolina Hurricanes for Loktionov and a conditional third-round draft pick in 2017.



"It wasn't so much with Ruuts. It was what we needed here," Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller explained. "It was just more fitting the puzzle.



"We needed a guy who could run our power play. Some of our people here saw Lokti in junior and in L.A. They said if he gets a little freedom… He's played in New Jersey and L.A. so he has great structure in the five-on-five game. It's his playmaking. We needed a couple playmaking forwards and he's been great on the power play. He's been great five-on-five He's been steady."



In fact, Loktionov has been a regular on the power play for the Hurricanes. In 15 games for Carolina, he has eight points (three goals, five assists). With the Devils this season he had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 48 games.



The trade has been good for Loktionov.



"I guess so. More points than I had in New Jersey for 48 games," he said. "It's nice to play here. The coaches trust me. Everything is good. The last 10 games have been good.



"All the time I play on the power play. Sometimes the first unit, sometimes the second unit."



In 14 games for the Devils, Ruutu has seven points (three goals, four assists).



"(Loktionov) has been great," Muller said. "He was brought in for a couple of reasons. I think thew trade worked well for both teams. What we needed was a guy that could be a playmaker on our power play and play the half wall. If you look at our stats on the power play since he's been here, its really increased.



"He's been given the opportunity and he's taken full advantage. He's pretty close to a point a game type player. He's basically done what we were hoping he'd do when he came here."

* * *

After a taxing victory over the Capitals Friday night, no Devils players skated Saturday in Raleigh.

Even Martin Brodeur did not go to the rink to face shots, an indication that Cory Schneider will again be in net.

There was no injury update regarding Patrik Elias, Adam Henrique or Jacob Josefson.

* * *

Muller suggested his team has had trouble handling the pressure of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Instead, the Hurricanes play better when they aren't reminded of the standings.



"I find with a lot of young guys here we actually play better just loose," Muller explained. "We're not at that level yet. We can't put the board up and go: 'Here's a five-game segment and we need X amount of points.' We tried it and we're not there yet.



"We're better not even talking about it. Just play. It backfires on us all the time."



Jeff Skinner has again reached the 30-goal plateau and Muller thinks he could be a 40-goal scorer in the future.



"He's a natural goal-scorer. I think he can. He's at 30 now and he's had a few stretches without the production," Muller said. "I think because he's young, it affects a guy who scores goals. Through maturity you learn that when you don't score you work on other things in your game. You don't get so wrapped up about a few games when you don't score. You stay level-headed. When he does that he's a little more consistent."

* * *

Several Devils logged some heavy ice time in the 2-1 win over Washington.

Some of the numbers:

Andy Greene 28:35

Jaromir Jagr 25:28

TravisZajac 23:36