Devils’ 2024 free agency numbers

The New Jersey Devils were among the favorites to compete for the Stanley Cup at the start of the 2023-24 season. Unfortunately, they haven’t come close to living up to those expectations. They struggled for large parts of the season and ultimately missed the playoffs entirely. However, after the 2024 NHL free agency, there is hope that the Devils will have better luck in the coming year.

The Devils have made a lot of moves this summer. In fact, they’re making moves well ahead of NHL free agency, which begins July 1. New Jersey certainly had a few targets in mind as the offseason began. And they’ve done everything they can to bring in the players they believe will help them overcome their adversity in 2023-24.

NHL Free Agency is largely over and done at this point. There are still some players on the market, but the Devils are likely done with their shopping spree. With that in mind, let’s take a look at their activities and give New Jersey its NHL Free Agency grade.

Devils land Jacob Markstrom, Paul Cotter in deals

One of New Jersey’s problem areas in 2023-24 was the crease. The Devils couldn’t keep the puck out of the net well enough to win. In fact, their netting woes were so bad that they decided to bring in an entirely new duo at the NHL Trade Deadline. New Jersey’s goaltending did improve toward the end. However, they still weren’t great.

The Devils addressed this issue in a major way during the Stanley Cup Final. New Jersey traded Jacob Markstrom to the Calgary Flames in a deal. 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 work.

After this move, New Jersey had three NHL-experienced goalies on their roster. That didn’t last long, though. They made an incredibly interesting trade with the Vegas Golden Knights for 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 in 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 in 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 Gets Key Veterans

When 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 deal after spending time with the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s averaged over 20 minutes a night in 2023-24, scoring 13 points in 70 games.

On the other hand, they signed Brenden Dillon to a three-year deal. Dillon played parts of three seasons with the Winnipeg Jets before heading to New Jersey. In 2023-24, he played about 19 minutes a night as the Jets made the playoffs. He scored eight goals and 20 points in the regular season before recording three assists in three playoff games.

New Jersey has signed two veteran forwards. Stefan Noesen joins Pesce in New Jersey after a stint with the Hurricanes. This will be his second stint with the Devils. Noesen is coming off back-to-back 35+ point campaigns. He scored 14 goals and 37 points this year, adding four goals in 11 playoff games.

Finally, the Devils brought back a former star player on a prove-it deal. Tomas Tatar played well for New Jersey, scoring 20 goals and 48 points in 2022-23 with New Jersey. However, he struggled when he split the 2023-24 season between the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken. Tatar scored just nine goals and 24 points in 70 games last season.

Rating 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 one less thing to worry about on the ice.

Pesce and Dillon should improve New Jersey’s defensive depth this coming year, which has struggled since Dougie Hamilton was injured. Pesce had a down year 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 are unlikely to crack the top six this year. But all three provide valuable depth to the lineup. Tatar is also making slightly more than the league minimum. It’s a cheap gamble on New Jersey’s part to see if he can bounce back this coming season. Noesen, meanwhile, returns to the Devils with more experience under his belt.

The Devils are looking to compete for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this upcoming season. Their work in NHL free agency has given them a much better chance of doing so. If all goes well, they could even be Stanley Cup contenders in 2025.

CLASS A