Like all of the other teams in the NHL right now, the Devils are trying to decide what to do in advance of Tuesday's trade deadline. Rumors are running rampant throughout the league, as players' names are tossed from left to right on who will be traded.

For the Devils, Brian Gionta and David Clarkson's names have been thrown around as possible trade bait in recent weeks, even though there is no substantial backing to these rumors. I usually turn a deaf ear to trade rumors in the NHL. When the trade actually occurs, that is when I want to know the details. Who did we get, and for what?

The questions right now are: do the Devils need to make a trade to improve down the final stretch? And if so, what should happen? Who should they get?

Simply put, I do not believe that there should be a trade for the Devils this season. If it's not broke, why fix it? If they have a winning formula, why bring in a new element that could potentially damage the team's chemistry or cause a setback in these final weeks? That would be a risk the Devils would be faced with if they were to make a trade. With the race as tight as it has been all season, the Devils cannot afford to take that gamble.

The Devils are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division and just one game shy of being first in the Eastern Conference. The Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens are all currently tied in points. Only eight points separates the first place Ottawa Senators from the last three teams tied for the bottom three spots in the playoff berth.

To make a trade and wait through a new player's adjustment period could destroy the Devils' momentum. Sure, the Devils could take a continuously scratched player that was a dead weight and trade him away for future considerations or prospects, but why?

Injuries can happen at any time during the final stretch, and I'd rather have a player who knows the system who can step in capably when needed. After all, there is the youth in Lowell.

"Some years, no trade was the best trade to make," Lou Lamoriello said about his trade philosophy to the Star Ledger. "And sometimes, the little trade, for the supporting cast, played a major role. I can think back to when we picked up Grant Marshall from Columbus. He turned out to be a very integral part of that Stanley Cup. One year we made a big transaction and didn't get the major benefits until the next year. With every decision you cannot lose sight of tomorrow because it's going to come awful quick and we have always felt we do not want to be in a rebuilding situation by mortgaging everything. There is only one team that can win out of the 30."

Even though the Devils average 2.62 goals per game (twentieth in the league in goals per game), they are still ranked third in the NHL with the most wins. Even when the offense is lacking, the Devils can depend on their defense not just to defend the net but to score goals, as well. A good defense can be a great offense, especially when the forwards fail to generate quality shots on net. A pass to the blue line and a slapshot on net can surprise any goaltender. Just ask Karel Rachunek and Colin White about their offensive/defensive abilities that have developed over the course of the season, which finally showed up during the final stretch. A defenseman who can score can play an integral role in the playoffs.

What I see in the Devils right now is a winning team. They are amongst the top three teams contending for the Stanley Cup this season. The Devils have what it takes to bring Lord Stanley back to New Jersey, so why change the formula if it's a winning one?