Marek Zidlicky to Red Wings: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

The New Jersey Devils have agreed to send defenseman Marek Zidlicky to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2016 third-round pick.  

Ansar Khan of MLive.com reported the news:

Zidlicky, 38, counts for $3 million against Detroit's cap as part of the one-year agreement he signed with New Jersey last summer. He was in his fourth season (third full) with the Devils overall. The veteran defenseman has scored 23 points (four goals, 19 assists) while largely appearing with the team's second defensive pairing.

In Detroit, Zidlicky will likely step in as a back-line helper who can plug some of the team's remaining deficiencies. The Red Wings have struggled at times with their consistency, and adding a steady veteran like Zidlicky should help their playoff push.

They entered Monday with 81 points, competing with a deluge of teams near the top of the Eastern Conference. One or two losses may wind up being the difference between a top-two seed and losing home-ice advantage in the first round.

Zidlicky, at his advanced age, isn't going to alter results on his own, but moves are never made in a vacuum. His arrival will lessen the pressure on Detroit's less talented defenders and Jimmy Howard in the net.

The Devils, meanwhile, get compensation for an aging player as they nosedive out of contention.

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