5 Devils Who May Not Return in 2024-25

In addition to bringing in new faces, the New Jersey Devils will likely part ways with some players from an underwhelming 2023-24 squad.

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We know there'll be some new faces on the New Jersey Devils next season. That much is obvious, but there'll likely be some subtractions from a team that went 38-39-5 this past season. Let's look at five Devils who may not return for the 2024-25 campaign. 

Tomáš Nosek

The Devils signed Tomáš Nosek last offseason to a one-year deal worth $1 million. I liked the signing at the time, as Nosek had proven he was one of the better fourth-liners in the NHL during his previous few seasons with the Boston Bruins. 

Unfortunately, injuries derailed Nosek's 2023-24 season with the Devils. He played in just 36 games and only recorded two goals and six points. He did look better down the stretch under interim coach Travis Green, but that was more likely due to him finally being healthy enough after missing so much time earlier in the season. 

Nosek probably still has some good years left in him as a fourth-liner, but I'd be surprised if the Devils bring him back. Their bottom-six needs an overhaul, and I expect general manager Tom Fitzgerald to go outside the organization to do so, whether it's through free agency or in a trade. 

Brendan Smith

I don't think the plan ahead of this season was to have Brendan Smith become a regular in the lineup. But with injuries and a lack of experience on the blue line, he became an everyday player as the season went on. 

Smith finished with five goals and 15 points in 63 games — a 20-point pace over 82 games. That's more offense than he's produced for the majority of his career. Still, his underlying numbers were not so great. 

Smith's expected goals share (xG%) was just above 47 percent. The defensive miscues and untimely penalties were still an issue, and he seemed out of place playing on a pair with Luke Hughes (that's more on the coaches than anything else). 

If the Devils wanted to bring Smith back as the seventh defenseman, I guess I wouldn't be opposed to it. But with his contract expiring and the team needing some fresh faces, it wouldn't shock me if the organization decided to go in a different direction. It also wouldn't be a surprise if Smith decided to hang up the skates and call it a career. Time will tell.