After a long summer, New Jersey Devils hockey is finally upon us. The offseason proved eventful for Tom Fitzgerald, who crafted a roster that looks much different from last season, both in terms of personnel and style of play. Additionally, new head coach Sheldon Keefe should bring a fresh look to the Devils’ system that could further capitalize on the high-flying offensive talent in New Jersey.
Additions
Jacob Markstrom (G)
In 48 games played for the Calgary Flames last season, Markstrom had a .905 SV% and a 2.78 GAA, earning 23 wins. He ranked near the top of the league in GSAx, with 13.7.
Goaltending was a major hindrance to the Devils’ 2023-24 season. Adding a true number-one goaltender to the tandem should provide much-needed stability.
Markstrom will wear No. 25 in New Jersey.
Brett Pesce (D)
After playing nine years for the Carolina Hurricanes, defenseman Brett Pesce signed a six-year deal with the Devils.
Pesce played 70 games for Carolina last season, tallying three goals and 13 points. He also routinely played 20+ minutes per game and thrived as a shutdown defenseman, a role that the Devils lacked.
Pesce will wear No. 22 on the Devils.
Brenden Dillon (D)
New Jersey also signed defenseman Brenden Dillon to a three-year deal worth $ 12 million.
While he isn’t generally known for his offensive production, he fills a huge gap in physical presence. Fitzgerald made it abundantly clear that he wanted a ” harder ” defense to play against, and Dillon brings that physical, gritty style of play to the table. He also tallied tough penalty kill minutes for the Winnipeg Jets.
Dillon will wear No. 5 for New Jersey.
Stefan Noesen (RW)
A familiar face for many Devils fans, Stefan Noesen returned to New Jersey on a three-year deal. He previously played 145 games for the Devils between 2016-17 and 2018-19.
Most recently, Noesen played for the Carolina Hurricanes, where he notched 14 goals and 37 points in 81 games last season.
He provides a great bottom-six option for New Jersey and will add grit to a group that Fitzgerald described as “vanilla” this past season.
Noesen will wear 11 in his return to New Jersey.
Tomas Tatar (LW)
Another familiar face, Tomas Tatar, rejoined the Devils on a one-year deal after a 2023-24 season that saw him play for the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken.
Tatar spent two previous seasons with New Jersey, highlighted by his 2022-23 campaign that earned him 20 goals and 48 points in 82 games. His chemistry with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer was also notable, as the trio formed one of the most dominant lines in the NHL two seasons ago.
Tatar will wear 90 in his second stint with the Devils.
Paul Cotter (C)
Acquired via trade, Paul Cotter is a young forward who also exhibits the “grit” that Fitzgerald wants to bring to New Jersey. He also has a bit of a scoring touch, having tallied seven goals and 25 points in 76 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
He has two seasons left on his current contract, with an AAV of $775 thousand.
Cotter will wear No. 47 in New Jersey.
Johnathan Kovacevic (D)
Also added in a trade is Johnathan Kovacevic, a 6-foot-5 and 233-pound defenseman. Kovacevic played in 62 games for the Montreal Canadiens last season, notching six goals and 13 points.
Also notable is his +11 rating. While +/- can be a misleading stat, Kovacevic led his former team in +/- in a year where they had a -49 goal differential.
The Devils learned how important defensive depth was last season, and Kovacevic should provide exactly that.
He will wear No. 8 in New Jersey.
Departures
Leaving New Jersey are defensemen John Marino, Kevin Bahl and Brendan Smith, forwards Alexander Holtz, Tomas Nosek and Chris Tierney and goaltenders Akira Schmid and Kaapo Kahkonen.
While the team will look quite different from previous years, Fitzgerald did a nice job addressing obvious needs and adding players that embody his desired team identity.
Remaining Free Agents
Dawson Mercer, a restricted free agent, remains without a new contract. The 22-year-old had a breakout season in 2022-23, scoring 27 goals and 56 points in 82 games. However, he suffered a regression last season, netting 20 goals and 33 points in 82 games.
To further add to the complications, the Devils are tight on cap space following numerous additions to the team. On “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman specifically cited the cap restraints as a reason to believe Mercer and the Devils will settle on a bridge deal.
A bridge deal would allow New Jersey to remain cap-compliant, while also providing Mercer an opportunity to bounce back from a down year and sign something long-term in the prime of his career.
Injuries
Luke Hughes
On Thursday, the Devils announced that defenseman Luke Hughes suffered an injury to his left shoulder during off-season training. It was determined that he would not need surgery but is estimated to miss six to eight weeks.
This timeline indicates a return in early November.
Simon Nemec
Simon Nemec suffered a left shoulder injury on August 30th, while playing in an Olympic qualification match for Team Slovakia. While nothing was broken or dislocated, he was held out of the final game for Slovakia.
Nemec has been rehabbing his shoulder in the weeks since his injury, but the Devils have not identified if he will miss time.
Already, Fitzgerald’s added defensive depth is coming into play. With Luke Hughes out and Nemec’s status unconfirmed, players like Kovacevic as well as Santeri Hatakka and Nick DeSimone in the AHL could see regular ice time to start the season.
Rookie Camp
Rookie camp got underway for Devils’ prospects on Thursday at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House in Newark. The rookies then kicked off a series of three games at the annual Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, where they faced the Senators on Friday, winning 9-1.
The remaining games include Devils vs. Sabres at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 14 and Devils vs. Bruins at 10 a.m. on the following Monday.
Matt Loughlin and Sam Kasan are on the call for each game. Live streams are available to watch on NewJerseyDevils.com and the mobile app.
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