New Addition | THREE THINGS

The Devils find themselves on the precipice of clinching the playoffs (magic number is four as of Wednesday) for the first time since 2018. The Devils are also in a battle for the top spot in the Metro Division, though time may be against them in that respect. Nonetheless, it's a remarkable place to be mid-March for a team that netted the second-overall pick in the NHL Draft just a season ago.
But it was a season ago (coincidentally starting at the Draft) that began the Devils' upward trajectory. Though many factors are involved in the team's rapid ascent - such as personal player development, coaching changes, etc. - it was kick started in the summer in the form of three new additions.
In today's edition of Three Thing, presented by Geico, we look at those three players and how they've panned out.

With injuries incurred to Mackenzie Blackwood, Vanecek has carried the load. He has already set career highs in every category from games played (45), minutes (2,530), wins (29), goal-against average (2.49) and save percentage (.908). He's one win shy of hitting 30 for the first time in his career.
Vanecek, 27, was named the Second Star for the month of November after going 8-1 with a 2.13 GAA and .930 save percentage. He allowed two or fewer goals in seven on his 10 appearances.
Vanecek won 10 straight games from Dec. 30 to Feb. 6 and nine straight from Oct. 25 to Nov. 21. The 6-foot-2, 184-pound netminder also posted stretches of 15-1-1 and 12-1-1.
And of course, he's become a fan favorite with chants of "Vi-Tek! Vi-Tek!" during games. Thanks in part to his spectacular play on ice and quirky personality off.

1. Johnny Hockey

After bolstering the goaltending situation, general manager Tom Fitzgerald turned his attention to bolstering the defense. And Pittsburgh's John Marino drew his eye.
Marino was young at 25, under contract for the next five seasons and is a right-hand shooting blueliner. He checked a lot of boxes that the team needed.
The Devils flipped defenseman Ty Smith and a third-round pick 2023 to the Penguins.
Marino has developed into a top-4 defenseman for the Devils, eating up a lot of minutes while being a steady force on the blue line and penalty kill. His addition has allowed the coaching staff to more evenly distribute their defenders' ice time. The balanced attack helped New Jersey become a top-5 (fourth) defensive team in the NHL with 2.66 goals against per game.

1. The Czech Warrior

The Devils built a foundation on its young core talents such as Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Now, it was time to surround them with more veteran leadership. And a veteran with championship pedigree would be all the better.
New Jersey signed Ondrej Palat to a 5-year, $30-million contract. Palat won two Stanley Cup titles and played in four Stanley Cup Finals with Tampa Bay over his career.
The Czech forward is a battler and a warrior, earning quite the reputation for his ferocious play in the postseason. He's exactly the type of player to teach the young Devils what playoff hockey is all about all the while leading by his example.
Though an injury has limited him to just 39 games so far this season, Palat's time to shine is right now. Games will get harder as the season draws to a close and the postseason nears. And when the puck drops in the playoffs, Palat will show why he is beloved by his former Lightning teammates.
But don't just take my word for. Just ask the
guys who played and won with Palat in years pas
t.