Unless the Devils continue to pile up wins leading over the next month - which seems unlikely as they face Chicago, Nashville and Montreal in the next five - they are expected to sell when the trade deadline rolls around.
Among the most attractive pieces for contending teams is veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky.
While the Devils struggle mightily to score goals, Zidlicky is still on pace for a respectable 35 points, and is capable of eating top-4 minutes.
He's prone to the bad turnover at times, but generally more good than bad occurs when he's on the ice, and he makes all of his teammates better.
Zidlicky is looked at by many as a power play guy, but he is certainly capable of contributing at even-strength as well.
As you can see, from 2012-present he's top pairing caliber (top-60) in suppressing shots at 5 vs 5, and is a top-4 guy (top-120) in terms of generating shots, and producing points despite playing on a low-event, low-scoring team.
So what is he worth? I'm not entirely sure, but a he's a legitimate top-4 defenseman, and doesn't carry a high price tag so plenty of teams would be able to fit him in under the cap.
If Lou Lamoriello decides to move him - and I think he will (he should) - I can't see the Devils getting anything less than a 2nd round pick. It may not seem like much, but that'd be nice to get given this is a deep draft, and New Jersey's prospect system (beyond defensemen) is pretty bare.
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