The Devils brought back Clemmensen as an option to backup Cory Schneider after he had several up-and-down seasons with Florida. Clemmensen last played for New Jersey in 2009 and had struggled to see consistent ice time with the Panthers, never playing more than 31 games for them, earning just nine wins the last two seasons and seeing some time in the AHL last year after the Roberto Luongo trade. Clemmensen is 37 and is not assured of being the team’s primary backup with Keith Kinkaid and Scott Wedgewood in the New Jersey system.
Clemmensen, at 36, will provide a veteran presence between the pipes in Sunrise this season, and may even begin the year as a starter, but the team is certainly not hoping to rely on him to lead them to the playoffs. The Panthers ultimately want the much younger Jacob Markstrom to take control of the job, but Clemmensen should get a good amount of starts even if that happens. In 19 games with the Panthers last season, Clemmensen's numbers were not exactly stellar. His .874 save-percentage and 3.67 GAA led to a 3-7-2 record, and if he can't improve dramatically on those, he doesn't have much fantasy value.
Clemmenson went 14-6-6 with a 2.57 goals against average in 30 games played for the Panthers last season. The veteran backup played well spelling Jose Theodore over the course of the season, and saw two starts in the first-round playoff loss to New Jersey, going 0-2 in those contests. Clemmenson will once again enter camp with an opportunity to win the job outright. The goalie situation is a little cloudy at the moment, but Clemmenson could be a viable option, in deeper leagues, should his name appear on top of the depth chart.
Clemmensen went 8-11-0 with a 2.62 goals against average and a .911 save percentage in 31 games played (25 starts) for the Panthers last season.
He'll get an opportunity to win a starting role over the newly signed Jose Theodore. Clemmensen, a career backup, has not played a full season as a starting goaltender, but has shown flashes, over short stints, in the past. He's a deep option if he somehow wins the job outright.
In his first tour with the Panthers, Clemmensen served as the primary backup to No. 1 puck-stopper, Tomas Vokoun. Clemmensen earned 23 starts between the pipes, spelling Vokoun when he needed a breather or had been struggling. If you draft the Panthers' backup, be forewarned that he could end up averaging close to three goals allowed per game in a backup role. Plus, even though they're expected to improve, the Panthers won't win very many games for Clemmensen in 2010-11.
Clemmensen was perhaps the Panthers' most intriguing signing of the off-season. After all, Tomas Vokoun lost a boatload of starts to back-up Craig Anderson last year. Meanwhile, Clemmensen was aptly filling in for injured Martin Brodeur in New Jersey to the tune of 25 wins. The possibilities here are clear — Clemmensen will swoop in if Vokoun falters, and that means the Boston College product could be in line for 25-30 starts along the way.
Clemmensen returns to the New Jersey organization but will begin the season in the AHL where he might actually step on the ice, as opposed to having the best seat in the house. He'll be counted on to tutor some of the club's up-and-coming netminders including potential Martin Brodeur replacement Jeff Frazee in Lowell.
The backup to Martin Brodeur, Clemmensen could see 10 games of action without an injury to Brodeur.
Likely to be Martin Brodeur's primary backup, Clemmensen won't see enough action to warrant being drafted. Should Brodeur get hurt, he'll likely battle for time with promising prospect Ari Ahonen.
