Brodeur and Devils not worried about short season, with Kovy getting in late and Parise gone

New Jersey Devils head coach Peter DeBoer, left, writes on a board during the team's first official practice since the NHL hockey lockout ended, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (The Associated Press)

New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello smiles while talking to reporters before the team's first official practice since the NHL hockey lockout ended, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (The Associated Press)

Lockout-shortened seasons, star players showing up late or playing with another team, concerns about an upcoming season and wondering about all the question marks.

Goaltender Martin Broduer has seen it all in leading the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups and two other finals, including last year's loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

So he was not concerned that either Ilya Kovalchuk missed the team's first post-lockout practice or that team captain Zach Parise will be playing with Minnesota this season.

That's hockey. Things change, and Brodeur knows the Devils somehow seem to find a way to be in the mix at the end of the season. This season should be no different. The nucleus of the team is back minus Parise and it should be competitive.