The Detroit Red Wings wasted no time replacing the departed Mathieu Schneider, signing former New Jersey Devils defenseman Brian Rafalski to a five-year, $30 million contract, which breaks down to $6 million per season.

Rafalski's departure from the Devils caught most observers by surprise. He'd expressed his desire to remain with the only NHL team he's ever played for, and with Scott Gomez poised to leave it was expected that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello would re-sign Rafalski.

But according to reports out of New York, Rafalski didn't receive any offers from Lamoriello, and opted to go with the Red Wings for a hefty $6 million per season.

He should be a good fit in Detroit, indeed, he's a terrific replacement for the departed Schneider. He plays a very good two-way game and stepped up well over the last two seasons with the Devils to fill the void left from Scott Stevens' retirement and Scott Niedermayer's departure via free agency.

 Rafalski's playoff experience also makes him a good fit with the Wings, meshing with Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios on Detroit's blueline.

This signing likely means Todd Bertuzzi won't be back unless he agrees to a paycut, and it could cast doubt on the possibility of the Wings re-signing blueliner Danny Markov, especially when they still have to re-sign goalie Dominik Hasek.

As for the Devils, the big question now is how Lamoriello can replace Rafalski and Gomez, who by recent accounts may have signed with the Rangers.

Lamoriello has just over $30 million committed to 11 players heading into the UFA market, so he's got room now to find more affordable replacement in the UFA market. Something tells me Lamoriello's response could come sooner rather than later.