The New Jersey Devils signed Brett Pesce to a six-year, $33 million contract at the opening of free agency. Pesce won't blow anyone away with his skills or be a major contributor at the offensive end. However, he plays his role well and will be a key contributor to the Devils. Pesce joined the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015-16, playing in 627 career games thus far. He totaled 30 points just once, in 2022-23, which was also only his second time playing every game. Pesce has some injury concerns in his career, as he has played 70+ games five times over a nine-year career. Two of his last three seasons saw him play 70 games exactly. The Devils must worry that the 29-year-old's injury problems will only worsen.
Pesce makes sense for the Devils, as he is a homegrown talent. He grew up in Tarrytown, New York, and played junior hockey with the Jersey Hitmen in the EJHL. He went on to have three successful seasons at the University of New Hampshire.
The Devils had a successful season for their young core in 2022-23. They won 52 games, finished second in the Metropolitan Division, and defeated their rival New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. They eventually fell in five games in the second round to Pesce and the Hurricanes.
However, they couldn't build on their first playoff appearance in five seasons. They regressed to 38 wins in 2023-24, finishing seventh in the Metropolitan. The Devils attributed their fall to a lack of defense and goaltending, which they hope to address with the Brett Pesce contract and a trade for goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
Brett Pesce is getting better with age
Pesce signing with the Devils may not feel like something that changes the trajectory of a division, but be wary of a slight fall-off for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes relied on Pesce to play 17 minutes per game at even strength, and a major role on the penalty kill.
Corsi is a stat that measures shot attempts for and against when a player is on the ice. Pesce's Corsi metric has been rising for his entire Hurricanes career, ending with a high of 58.4 this past season.
Pesce's concerning health history is also improving as he gets older. He played 70+ games twice over his first six seasons but has missed just 24 games over the past three. The Devils already have some injury issues on their back end, meaning a healthy Pesce will provide much-needed stability.
The Devils needed some defensive assistance
Pesce isn't flashy. He won't score more than 30 points, dazzle with his breakout passes, or be too effective in the offensive zone. However, the opponents won't get many opportunities when Pesce is on the ice. The Devils realized after last season that they needed some more players like Pesce.
Dougie Hamilton missed a portion of the season, but he is more of an offensive threat than a defensive anchor. The same goes for Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, two young defensemen who would rather rush the puck up ice than stay back and defend their goal. Jonas Siegenthaler is more defensive but has an injury history and can't shoulder the entire load.
The Devils also signed Brenden Dillon, who is more of a stay-at-home defenseman than Pesce. The combo of Pesce and Dillon will help with the physicality and elite players in the East and open up the rest of the defense to push for offense.
The Devils also filled that defensive hole when they traded for Markstrom. The Devils had been in the goalie market for over a year and eventually settled on the Flames' goaltender. They will be a much tougher team to play against next season, which could elevate them back up the standings.
The Devils have long-term stability
It may not have been the first thing on the Devils' minds when they added Pesce and Dillon, but their blue line looks set for the foreseeable future. They signed Pesce until 2030, Hamilton and Siegenthaler until 2028, and Dillon until 2027. Hughes' entry-level deal ends after this season, so they'll need to find the funds to give him a pay raise, and the same goes for Nemec, who expires in 2026.
If the Devils don't look into trading any defensemen, they could have their top six locked up for at least three years, with only Dillon needing to get replaced. Dillon will be 37 when his contract expires, so his term is perfect anyway. The Devils have to feel great about their chances in the Metropolitan Division with their moves in the offseason.
The final verdict for Brett Pesce's six-year contract with the New Jersey Devils is that it isn't a perfect signing with his age and injury history, but he will be a steady force on a Devils' blue line that needed it.
Final Grade: B+
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