<h1 class="red">A system error: Matvichuk trade expected soon</h1> <div class="subhead"> <div class="subhead"></div> </div> <div class="byln">Thursday, October 11, 2007 <div> <div>BY BRIDGET WENTWORTH</div> </div> Star-Ledger Staff</div> Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello announced yesterday he will attempt to trade veteran defenseman Richard Matvichuk, who has fallen out of favor in new coach Brent Sutter's system.</p> Lamoriello told Matvichuk of his decision in a meeting yesterday morning. Matvichuk, 34, did not practice with the team at Codey Arena in West Orange, and did not make the trip to Florida, where the Devils will play the Panthers tonight before heading to Atlanta for a game on Saturday.</p> <script language="javascript1.1" src="http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/sp/spd/@StoryAd" type="text/javascript"></script> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> </script> <noscript> </noscript> Lamoriello, who does not intend to put Matvichuk on waivers, believes he can get a deal done soon.</p> "It's a situation where we're trying to work with him and help him to get an opportunity somewhere else," Lamoriello said. "We're going to talk to other teams.</p> "When you've got a veteran and a player like Richard, who has given everything he could give, it's something we believe in, as far as giving him the opportunity somewhere else. It's just not going to work out here."</p> Matvichuk sat out all but one regular-season game last year following back surgery. The emergence of younger defensemen, coupled with a struggle to fit his $1 million salary under the team's cap, worked against him then.</p> www.sportstwo.com/Thread/New/NHL/NEWJERSEY/0</p>
