Devils sign veteran Sykora to 1-year deal

New Jersey has agreed with Petr Sykora to terms of a one-year deal, completing the former Devils' bid to return to the NHL after an 18-month absence. The 34-year-old forward said after practice Wednesday that he was happy to be rejoining the team that had selected him in the 1995 draft. New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer believes Sykora can help the Devils address their offensive struggles. The right wing has 302 goals and 375 assists in 935 NHL games. The Devils made salary cap room for Sykora on Tuesday by trading center David Steckel to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fourth-round pick in 2012. The Devils also announced that Zach Parise had been selected as the team captain, with Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias serving as alternates.