The New Jersey Devils were among the favorites to contend for the Stanley Cup at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Unfortunately, they didn't come close to living up to those expectations. They struggled for large stretches of the season and ultimately missed the playoffs entirely. After 2024 NHL Free Agency, though, there is hope the Devils will have better luck in the year ahead.
The Devils made a lot of moves this summer. In fact, they were making moves well ahead of NHL Free Agency beginning on July 1. New Jersey certainly had a few targets in mind when the offseason began. And they did everything they could to land the players they believe will help them overcome their setback in 2023-24.
NHL Free Agency is largely over and done with at this point. There are still some players left on the market, but the Devils are likely done with their shopping. With this in mind, let's go over their activity and hand New Jersey its NHL Free Agency grade.
Devils land Jacob Markstrom, Paul Cotter via trades
One of New Jersey's problem areas in 2023-24 was in the crease. The Devils could not keep the puck out of the net well enough to win. In fact, their issues in goal were so dire that they decided to bring in an entire new tandem at the NHL Trade Deadline. New Jersey's goaltending did improve down the stretch. However, they still weren't great.
The Devils addressed this issue in a major way during the Stanley Cup Final. New Jersey traded for Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the Calgary Flames. Calgary received defenseman Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick from the Devils in this deal. Markstrom waived his no-trade clause to make this deal happen.
After this move, New Jersey had three goalies with NHL experience on the roster. However, that didn't last long. They made an incredibly interesting trade with the Vegas Golden Knights involving Akira Schmid. Schmid and former first-round pick Alexander Holtz were traded to Vegas in exchange for Paul Cotter.
Cotter is a former fourth-round pick from the 2018 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in 2021-22 and earned a full-time spot the following year. He was on the roster when the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023, but did not play a playoff game. In 2023-24, he scored seven goals and 25 points in 76 games and did not appear in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
New Jersey adds key veterans
Once NHL Free Agency opened on July 1, the Devils went out and grabbed their targets. Their most notable moves saw New Jersey reshape their blueline in the form of two intriguing veterans. Brett Pesce joined the Devils on a six-year contract after spending time with the Carolina Hurricanes. He averaged over 20 minutes a night in 2023-24 while scoring 13 points in 70 games.
On the other hand, they signed Brenden Dillon to a three-year contract. Dillon spent parts of three seasons with the Winnipeg Jets before joining New Jersey. In 2023-24, he played around 19 minutes a night as the Jets made the playoffs. He scored eight goals and 20 points in te regular season before recording three assists in three playoff games.
Up front, New Jersey added two veteran forwards. Stefan Noesen joins Pesce in New Jersey after spending time with the Hurricanes. This will be his second stint with the Devils. Noesen is coming off of back-to-back 35+ point campaigns. He scored 14 goals and 37 points this year while adding four goals in 11 playoff games.
Finally, the Devils brought back a former standout on a prove-it deal. Tomas Tatar played well for New Jersey back in 20 goals and 48 points in 2022-23 with New Jersey. However, he struggled as he split the 2023-24 campaign between the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken. Tatar scored just nine goals and 24 points in 70 games this past season.
Grading Devils in NHL Free Agency
On paper, it's hard to hate what the Devils did in NHL Free Agency. New Jersey addressed some legitimate needs this offseason. Their biggest need is addressed by Markstrom, who was worth 4.1 wins above replacement last season, according to Evolving Hockey. He should give new head coach Sheldon Keefe less to worry about on the ice.
Pesce and Dillon should improve New Jersey's defensive depth this upcoming year. New Jersey struggled after Dougie Hamilton went down with injury. Pesce had a down year offensively in 2023-24, but he has a solid track record of providing offense from the blueline. If he bounces back, Dillon performs well, and the Devils make strides, this could be one of the better bluelines in the league.
Noesen, Cotter, and Tatar likely won't crack the top-six this year. But all three provide valuable depth down the lineup. Tatar is making a little more than league minimum, as well. It's an inexpensive gamble on behalf of New Jersey to see if he can rebound this upcoming season. Noesen, meanwhile, returns to the Devils with more experience under his belt.
The Devils want to compete for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this upcoming season. Their work in NHL Free Agency has given them a much better chance to do so. If everything goes well, they may even become Stanley Cup contenders in 2025.
GRADE: A
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