Grading the Devils' 2024 Offseason
The New Jersey Devils were quite busy this offseason. Which of their transactions graded out as the best?
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Folks, we made it. New Jersey Devils rookies report to camp next week on Sept. 11, with veterans to follow soon afterward. Barring something unforeseen, general manager Tom Fitzgerald is likely done adding from the outside, at least for major moves.
Among those moves were acquiring Jacob Markström, Johnathan Kovacevic and Paul Cotter in separate trades, then signing Brenden Dillon, Brett Pesce, Stefan Noesen and Tomáš Tatar in free agency. Let's grade the Devils' offseason.
Brett Pesce
The Devils and Fitzgerald obviously weren't satisfied with their defense last season, which is why they brought in Pesce. In doing so, they traded John Marino to Utah HC in exchange for a couple of draft picks, one of which turned into Mikhail Yegorov at the 2024 draft.
Pesce will likely fill the shutdown role that Marino held the last two seasons with the Devils. It came at a price, though, as the Devils signed Pesce for six years at an AAV of $5.5 million. It's not the worst contract in the world, and I'm pretty confident Pesce will be an upgrade over Marino, even if it isn't by too much.
Still, the Devils' right side of their blue line should be in good form with Pesce, Dougie Hamilton and Šimon Nemec. Free-agent signings tend to be busts more often than not, but I'm cautiously optimistic Pesce will work out, especially in the short term.
Grade: B+
Brenden Dillon
The Devils' other main addition on defense, Brenden Dillon, might not work out as well as I think the organization hopes it will. His impacts last season were fine, but there are some clear signs of decline in his game.
New head coach Sheldon Keefe could shelter Dillon in a third-pair role, but his AAV of $4 million doesn't exactly suggest they're expecting him to be a third-pair defender. I think the Devils hope he can play top-four minutes, but I'm not too confident that will work out.
We'll have to see how he looks in the preseason and the first 15-20 games of the regular season, but this signing could turn problematic.
Grade: C+
Johnathan Kovacevic
You might not think of Johnathan Kovacevic as a big-time addition. You wouldn't be wrong, but he will likely play a key role once someone gets injured. We don't wish injuries on anyone, but they're a reality every team deals with in an 82-game schedule in today's NHL.
The good news is Kovacevic showed he was a capable third-pair defender in his time with the Montreal Canadiens. Chances are he will be the Devils' seventh defenseman heading into the regular season, but he can play. You don't want him to play too high up the lineup, but Keefe should be able to count on him if he has to put him in.
Grade: B
Jacob Markström
The Devils had plenty of problems that led to their demise last season, but goaltending may have been the most significant. As I stress often enough, goalies are voodoo, so you never know. But Jacob Markström should be a big-time upgrade.
Vitek Vaněček was...not great a season ago. Now, the Devils are exchanging him for a goalie who finished in the top 10 in goals saved above expected and 99th percentile in high-danger SV% a season ago. That most likely puts them in the playoffs, and it certainly should in 2024-25 if Markström repeats that or comes close to it.
The price to acquire Markström may have been a tad high (a first-round pick and Kevin Bahl), but I don't have much issue with it since the Devils got Markstrom's cap hit down to $4.125 million. He's exactly what they needed in net, and having him signed for two years is a positive for me, given his age.
Grade: A-
Stefan Noesen
The Devils needed to upgrade their forward depth, and they very much did so this offseason. Some of Stefan Noesen's results may have been inflated by Carolina Hurricanes system stuff, but there still appears to be a pretty good player here.
Noesen was a double-digit goal scorer and 30-plus point producer in each of his two seasons with the Hurricanes. His defensive impacts were also excellent, and that looks legit, even with the Hurricanes' system possibly padding his five-on-five numbers. He can also contribute to the power play, so he'll likely play a valuable depth role. His three-year contract at an AAV of $2.75 million shouldn't be problematic, either.
Grade: B+
Tomáš Tatar
I love Tomáš Tatar and am happy the Devils brought him back for a second stint, but he's coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. Tatar totaled just nine goals and 24 points in 70 games between the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken, and the Devils will need much more than that from him this season.
I'm hoping to do another deep dive on Tatar's game from last season, but he wasn't the same player he was with the Devils. Fit does matter, and the Avalanche were clearly not a good fit. You can probably say the same for the Kraken, though he did show signs of life in Seattle.
The good news is Tatar only signed for one year at $1.8 million, so there's no long-term commitment. It could work, but it also could not, and that's why signing him is more like drawing a walk and hoping he steals a couple of bases and scores a go-ahead run.
Grade: B-
Paul Cotter
The Devils' bottom six makeover rounds out with Paul Cotter, who the Devils acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Alexander Holtz/Akira Schmid trade. Cotter finished with seven goals and 25 points in 76 games last season, but he may have a bit more untapped offensive potential.
Cotter is also one of the more physical players in the league, and he’s an excellent skater who plays with some pace. His defensive impacts were solid a season ago, so he should help there, too.
It seems the Devils missed the elements Miles Wood brought to the bottom six, and Cotter should replace some of those elements. It also helps he's under contract for two more years at an AAV of $775,000, so he should provide more value than his AAV.
Grade: B+
Devils Had a Solid Offseason
I wouldn't go as far as to say Fitzgerald killed it this offseason, but it was a solid summer that should help the team improve in areas they need to improve. Cotter and Noesen shore up the bottom six, and hopefully Tatar rebounds and finds his game alongside Hischier.
I'm not crazy about the Dillon signing, but Pesce should be an upgrade. And, of course, Markström gives them the high-end netminder they've lacked since Cory Schneider. Overall, it's hard to argue against most of the moves. The Devils should be improved and playoff-bound this season.
Devils Offseason Grade: B+
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