Seven victories stand between an admirable playoff run for the Devils and a fourth Stanley Cup.



They are barely halfway there, with a formidable Rangers team and the eventual Western Conference winners standing in their way. At this point the Cup is still very much a mirage.

Yet no matter what happens, one aspect of this Devils team has become clear. The Feb. 24 acquisition of 35-year-old Czech defenseman Marek Zidlicky has given them their first real chance in almost a decade of winning it all.

"It's tough to identify how important it is adding a No. 1 or No. 2 defenseman to your lineup at a critical time of the year," coach Pete DeBoer said today. "He's been invaluable. We wouldn't be here without him. I think it was a great trade Lou made identifying him and paying the price to go and get him.



"At the time it looked like a heavy price to pay but he's been worth every bit of it and more."



Unhappy with the way he was used by Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo, Zidlicky spoke out publicly and revealed he would waive his no-trade clause. He wanted to come to the Devils to join buddies Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora.

Ordinarily, that kind of outspokeness would have cooled Lamoriello’s interest, but not in this case.

“There aren’t many players like him around that you can acquire. There were extenuating circumstances,” Lamoriello explained. “We didn’t view his conflict in Minnesota as anything negative about him as a player or person. That’s where the knowledge of him from someone who coached him, like Dave Barr and Jacques Lemaire, was important. There was no hesitation.”

The Devils sent defenseman Kurtis Foster, forwards Nick Palmieri and Stephane Veilleux, a second-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional pick next year to the Wild to get Zidlicky.

"We wouldn't have given up what we did if we thought it was too much," Lamoriello stressed. "We didn't get him the first time because it was too much. It was something this team needed. We had missing pieces."



The Devils had tried to get Zidlicky in a trade with the Predators at the 2008 draft. Lamoriello couldn't come to an agreement with Nashville GM David Poile.



"We coveted him when he was in Nashville. We tried to get him, but it didn't work out and he went to Minnesota," Lamoriello recalled.



Zidlicky's skating ability and two-way skills have given the Devils a power play quarterback and a defenseman who is capable of supporting the aggressive forechecking style DeBoer chooses to play.

“He’s been really important,” Zach Parise said. “He’s done a really good job on the power play moving the puck. A thing that can go under the radar is the fact that he’s a right-handed ‘D’ man and that’s what we needed along with (Mark Fayne). He and (Bryce Salvador) have played well together.

"His skating ability and patience with the puck has really helped us out a lot up front and kept plays alive. He makes a great first outlet pass. That was a really good acquisition for us. He gave us a new attack and a new dynamic that we somewhat lacked."

DeBoer's willingness to take the harness off his defensemen has made a significant difference in the Devils' ability to score goals.

“That’s so important. It’s hard when your ‘D’ aren’t allowed to pinch and when your ‘D’ aren’t allowed to get involved, because you’re playing 3on-5 all night,” Parise said. “That’s too hard. It makes the game too hard and it makes scoring too hard. Once our ‘D’ started to be allowed to jump into the play and get involved in the offense, it opened some things up for everybody.

"It opens up second opportunities. You're allowed to get more offensive zone time. They've done a great job in the playoffs keeping pucks alive, keeping cycles going and really hemming teams in their own zone. From a forward's standpoint, it's kind of a relief to get those 'D' men involved. It just makes life a lot easier."



In 14 playoff games, Zidlicky has seven points (one goal, six assists) and is plus-3. His 32 shots are the most by a Devils defenseman.

"Fozzy gave us some good minutes. He helped our power play and did some good things," DeBoer said of Foster. "The thing about Zidlicky is he's multi-dimensional. He's not just offensive or just a power play guy. This guy can do a little bit of everything. He plays in your top two. He can play 25 minutes a game against top players in the league and defend and compete in his own end. And he can also run your power play. There are only a handful of those guys in the league."



Lamoriello likes Zidlicky's hockey sense, in addition to the fact he is signed for next season at $4 million.

“He’s not afraid to make a big play, to take a chance or a calculated risk,” the GM said. “Sometimes it may not turn out, but he’s not afraid to try it again. No question he’s become an integral part of our defense.”

Maybe the trade that wins a Cup.