hockeyfanland.com

Moving on to the Eastern Conference Final can only help the New Jersey Devils woo Zach Parise into re-signing for the long-term. Nothing offers stronger evidence of a winning culture/formula than, well, winning.

But ESPN.com's Craig Custance suggests the situation is more complex than that. Aside from an aging general manager -- Lou Lamoriello will turn 70 years old in October -- and a fuzzy future in net beyond Martin Brodeur, the Devils are plagued with uncertainty off the ice.

And that could suffice in encouraging the Devils captain to test the market as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Parise is in complete control. Any team in the NHL would love to have this guy. However, if I was on a franchise that put together this type of run, potentially winning the Stanley Cup. I would find it hard to turn my back on the team.  Every team needs some good players, no matter the circumstances. So, I believe New Jersey would do whatever it takes to re-sign Zach Parise.

With the current situation the club is in negotiations are definitely easier! The chemistry currently on display  between Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk might be enough for him to stay with the New Jersey Devils.