One name that's flown under the radar in terms of trade rumors is Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky.
Given the Devils are well out of the playoff race and Zidlicky is a UFA this summer, it makes sense to at least explore the avenue of trading him.
It's worth noting Zidlicky is happy in New Jersey, but TheFourthPeriod reported he might be willing to waive his NTC when the deadline rolls around.
Anaheim, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Calgary, Los Angeles and Detroit have all been mentioned as teams looking to upgrade their defense so, again, there should be plenty of interest if he's willing to go.
Zidlicky is a guy who makes his teammates better, can play on the power play, and he's an always coveted right-handed defenseman.
So what could he fetch?
I'd say no less than a 2nd round pick.
The Toronto Maple Leafs recently landed a 1st round pick from Nashville for a rental RHD in Cody Franson, and Zidlicky's numbers are very similar to Franson's:
Franson 32 points, 92 shots, +1.6CF Rel% in 55 games played. Zidlicky 23 points, 92 shots, +1.9CF Rel% in 57 games played.
Obviously Franson has more points, but he played on a team that - despite struggling mightily to score of late - has almost 40 more goals than New Jersey.
In terms of possession and shot totals, the two are almost identical.
It's probably unrealistic to expect a 1st round pick for Zidlicky, but based on the return for Franson you'd be ignorant to completely rule out the possibility given the demand for defenseman.
Now, this all could be moot if Zidlicky wants to stay in New Jersey, which is certainly possible. But if he's willing to go play for a contender, the Devils should get a nice return.
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