What's the most critical element to winning in the NHL?

Many will argue goaltending is undeniably the most important ingredient to winning. Still others will note how a solid defense and a defensive system are non-negotiable when it comes to being in contention for the Stanley Cup. And proponents of offensive hockey are quick to note that you can't win if you can't score.

In New Jersey, where Exit 16W of the New Jersey Turnpike has been renamed the "Exit of Champions" because of its close proximity to the Continental Airlines Arena, the case is made annually that preparation is the vital ingredient to winning Stanley Cups.

Lou Lamoriello, the Devils' CEO, president and general manager, leaves few elements to chance when it comes to building a winner. The results have been readily apparent. The Devils are current Stanley Cup champs and also have won in 1995 and 2000 and came within one game of the 2001 Cup. In addition, the team has remained among the League's elite for more than a decade.

In New Jersey, the Devils are constructed with a team-first approach that places a great emphasis on scouting. Drafted players are the linchpin of the Devils' success and have been since Lamoriello took over the GM's position prior to the 1987-88 season. Win or lose, no matter what, the team has been the priority. And that philosophy has paid off handsomely in terms of team success. But keeping a team atop the standings and competitive is hard work. There are so many elements that must be moving in the same direction, so many small details that cannot be left to chance.

During his tenure, Lou Lamoriello hasn't hesitated to make changes he deems necessary. In 2000, Alexander Mogilny and Vladimir Malakhov were late acquisitions that made a difference in New Jersey.

During his tenure, Lamoriello hasn't hesitated to make changes he deems necessary. Coaches have come and gone, as have players. By building a stockpile of talent throughout the organization, Lamoriello has been able to add a missing ingredient at the trading deadline to give his team a needed boost into the postseason. The additions of Claude Lemieux, Neal Broten and Shawn Chambers were vital to winning in 1995. In 2000, Alexander Mogilny and Vladimir Malakhov were late acquisitions that made a difference. In 2003, it was Grant Marshall and Richard Smehlik who added veteran depth.

The Devils were able to acquire players of this caliber because the organization seems to be always packed with talent. "The Pipeline", as it is often called, is a big part of the franchise's success. Knowing a Colin White was ready for the NHL, and that a Willie Mitchell was fine-tuning his game with the AHL's Albany River Rats, allowed Lamoriello to trade an emerging player like Brendan Morrison to the Canucks and come back with a game-breaker like Mogilny. Having seen a player like Patrik Elias blossom allowed Lamoriello to pull the trigger on a trade that sent Brian Rolston to the Colorado Avalanche and bring back an emotional catalyst like Claude Lemieux early in the 1999-2000 season.

"Whenever you are looking to add a player whether it be a goal scorer or any type of player you have to look and make sure of what you are getting and how you are getting it," Lamoriello said. "You have to be aware of things like chemistry, and you have to be sure it is going to make you a better team."

Scott Gomez and Patrik Elias are also Devils' draft picks that have panned out in the NHL.

The 2003 Devils, by their own admission, got straight A’s in chemistry. In terms of pure talent, the 2003 Devils may not have been able to beat out the 1995 and 2000 squads, but as a unit, they worked tirelessly for one another. There were no factions or cliques. It was said that any two players could go out to dinner on a given night and enjoy each other's company.

"With our situation, depth is something that is positive," Lamoriello said. "When we get to players nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (on the roster), they're very similar. But the dimension that they bring is different. That's where the decision can become a little more difficult because what you have to do then is look to your farm system and say; 'Are they ready or not?' Sometimes this is very difficult. I think we know who the players that we have that can play and are ready to play and now it's my responsibility to make some moves to make us better.

"Do we feel we have the talent to win? Yes," Lamoriello said. "And we feel that way throughout the organization, not only the coaches, but the players as well."

In the 2000 run to the Cup, Colin White was one of four first-year players the Devils used extensively to win a championship.

The NHL Entry Draft is where the Devils have enjoyed their greatest talent success. In the club's 2003-04 training camp guide, 36 of the attending players had been drafted by New Jersey. Only seven had come to the organization via trades, free-agent compensation or the waiver draft. And only 15 were in camp as pro or amateur free agents.

When it comes to developing players, few teams have been better than the Devils. In the 2000 run to the Cup, the Devils used four first-year players extensively -- centers Scott Gomez and John Madden and defensemen Colin White and Brian Rafalski. They not only played, but made significant contributions. Having four rookies playing integral roles on a team competing for the Stanley Cup is testament to the eye for talent Director of Scouting David Conte and his staff have displayed throughout the years.

"The bottom line of success is getting out to games and doing your homework," Conte said of the work that's involved to bring players like Gomez and Rafalski to New Jersey. "I don't know of another secret formula. You have to be just like a player and do the work. For this draft, scouts had to start doing their preparation two years ago. Your efforts have to be consistent day in and day out. Again, just like the players."

"If there's anywhere where this can happen, it's here," said Larry Robinson, who coached the Devils to the 2000 Cup and is a special-assignment coach with the organization, and has repeatedly seen rookies not only step in, but also contribute so heavily. "One of the great things about this team, not unlike when I was in Montreal, is the way they bring rookies along when they feel they're ready and not just because there is an opening. The rookies are here because they can help, not because they have to be."

Scott Niedermayer doesn't get the ink he deserves, but that doesn't stop the Devils homegrown defender from turning away the opposition.

"If you work hard, when your time comes, your time comes," White said. "That's what I've learned about this organization. Other teams rush their players, up and down, but they'll never rush you here."

Largely because there very rarely is a need to rush a youngster. The Devils have built a deep and talented base that not only allows the fans to see a winning team year after year, but it allows the next generation of players to fully develop, further allowing the franchise to flourish.

Obviously, developing outstanding players is a prerequisite for success. If you don't have great players, all else becomes moot. During Lamoriello's stewardship of the franchise, the Devils haven't lacked for top players. From home-grown Devils like Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer and Elias to critical acquisitions like Scott Stevens, Lemieux and Marshall, the Devils have been able to ice a very talented team.

"You've got to have guys who played for the Cup, and you've got to have guys who have never done it," Lemieux said of the mix it takes for success. "You have the experience that the one group brings, and the excitement and enthusiasm that all these young guys bring. And that's a good mixture." "We've got a lot of guys who have won Cups, but we've also got a lot of rookies," Lemieux said in 2000. "That means there are guys who want to taste it again and guys who are just thrilled to be playing for the Cup."

"We have a lot of talented players and skaters," said Niedermayer, who was a huge factor in New Jersey winning the 2003 Cup. "We have a lot of confidence in our ability to play an up-tempo game."

During Lamoriello's stewardship of the franchise, the Devils haven't lacked for top players. The New Jersey GM has brought in great players like Scott Stevens and Claude Lemieux to mesh with his young talent.

How the 2002-03 Devils were built displays the framework of how the organization has been constructed for years. Shrewd drafting, opportunistic signings, timely trades -- all have played a key role in building the current Stanley Cup champions.

Twelve Devils were former draft picks of the franchise -- defensemen Daneyko, now retired, Niedermayer, and White, goalies Martin Brodeur and Corey Schwab, and forwards Sergei Brylin, Jay Pandolfo, Brian Gionta, Jiri Bicek, Mike Rupp, Elias and Gomez. Two more, Madden and Rafalski, have never played for another organization. These two important Devils were unheralded free-agent signings.

The remainder of the playoff roster was acquired in trades or as compensation for the loss of previous free agents. Stevens, for example, came to the Devils from St. Louis as compensation for the Blues' signing of Brendan Shanahan. Jamie Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk came over in a trade with Dallas, Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky were acquired from Anaheim, Marshall and Turner Stevenson were acquired from Columbus, Smehlik and Pascal Rheaume from Atlanta, Tommy Albelin and Jim McKenzie were free-agent signings.