Free agency is officially underway in the NHL, and tons of big deals are being hammered out across the league. The New Jersey Devils were one of several teams that quickly got in on the action, as they brought in a pair of defensemen in Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon on big new contracts.
After spending the first nine years of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pesce was linked to the Devils frequently ahead of the opening of free agency. Sure enough, before things even officially opened, it was reported that he was signing a six-year deal that will carry an annual average value of $5.5 million.
Via Chris Johnston:
“When Brett Pesce's free-agent deal is finalized with New Jersey Devils, it's expected to come in at six years with an AAV in the $5.5M range.”
Pesce is a huge get for New Jersey, but they weren't done adding to their defense just yet. They quickly turned their attention to the former Winnipeg Jets defender in Dillon, and ended up locking him up on a three-year contract that has an annual average value of around $4 million.
Via Frank Seravalli:
“Sources say New Jersey Devils are closing in on defenseman Brenden Dillon: sounds like 3 years just around/under $4 million per year.”
Devils make some big improvements to their blue line
The Devils clearly wanted to address their defense early on in free agency, and they have done just that, shelling out around $45 million to land both of these guys. Pesce and Dillon are both extremely consistent veterans who will come and fill in some of the gaps that plagued New Jersey throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
Pesce is the big name that will immediately grab fans' attention, as he had been a key piece of Carolina's smothering defense for nearly a decade. He's certainly not the biggest-name defender in the league, but Pesce is a stout defender who can get up in the action on offense and contribute to goals, even though he's coming off just a 13-point campaign for Carolina.
Dillon is fresh off a strong three-season stint with the Jets, where he racked up at least 20 points in every season, while also having a positive plus/minus in all three campaigns as well. Perhaps most importantly, though, Dillon is a left-handed defender who will give New Jersey some much needed versatility on their blue line.
There is still a lot of work to be done for New Jersey this offseason, but adding Pesce and Dillon makes for a very good start. With tons of big names still on the board, and the Devils having some money to spend, it will be worth keeping an eye on them to see if they can manage to sign anyone else throughout the remainder of free agency's opening day.
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