Jaromir Jagr is getting all the talk, but the Devils have another pending unrestricted free agent that could attract quite a bit of interest should Lou Lamoriello make him available.
That player is veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky who, despite his short comings, consistently does well in possession and produces points at a high rate.
Zidlicky had 42 points last year, and is on pace for just under 40 this season, so age hasn't caught up to him just yet.
He's been one of the best Devils this season and, like Jagr, seems to make everyone he plays with a better player.
Above are the shot attempt numbers with/without Zidlicky for every player he has played at least 150 minutes with at 5 vs 5 this season.
Some players seem to rely on him more than others (i.e. Jon Merrill), but all 11 of those guys get a better percentage of the shot attempts with Zidlicky on the ice than without him.
I know he's prone to the occasional turnover - and it's usually awful when it happens - but Zidlicky has a +6.2 scoring chance for% relative to the team when he's not on the ice, and he's been the best player on the roster in terms of preventing scoring chances. With Zidlicky the Devils allow just 21.1 scoring chances per 60 minutes of 5 v 5, which is probably due to his abilities to move the puck up ice and spend time in the offensive zone as much as anything.
Nevertheless, the Devils don't allow many scoring chances with him on the ice, and almost every player on the roster posts better underlying numbers with him than without him.
I don't think anyone will have to break the bank to bring him in, but I could see him fetching a 2nd round pick from a team looking for a boost on the backend.
Recent posts