The dog days of the NHL offseason are upon us, but the New Jersey Devils have been staying busy. On Wednesday afternoon (July 19), the team announced they had signed center Tomáš Nosek to a one-year contract worth $1 million. In other news, Elliotte Friedman reported on NHL Network that the Devils have checked in on goalies John Gibson and Connor Hellebuyck, among others. Finally, the Devils will return to Buffalo, New York, for the annual Prospects Challenge, beginning on Sept. 15, just before training camp starts.
Nosek Insurance at Center
Nosek was one of the original misfits on the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural roster in 2017-18. It was there where he gained a reputation as one of the better fourth-line centers in the league, leading to the Boston Bruins signing him to a two-year contract during the 2021 offseason.
His strong play as a defensive fourth-line center continued in his two years with Bruins, especially during this past season. Nosek finished with seven goals and 18 points in 66 games, which would’ve put him on pace for 22 points had he played 82 games.
Those are solid counting totals for a fourth-line center, but where Nosek’s value comes is defensively on both the penalty kill and at even strength. His even-strength defense has been worth an expected goals above replacement (xGAR) of 2.7 over the last two seasons. On the penalty kill, he was one of the Bruins’ top shot suppressors, both in quantity and quality. Overall, defense is where he’ll have the most impact for the Devils:
Another one of Nosek’s strengths is his ability in the faceoff dot. He finished with a career-high 59.3 faceoff percentage this season and has a career faceoff percentage of 54.7. Faceoffs don’t matter as much at five-on-five, but they do in certain situations; that’s certainly the case on the penalty kill. While he can play left wing, he’s primarily been a center over the last three to four years, so I’d expect him in that spot during the season.
Related: Devils Sign Tomas Nosek to 1-Year Contract
After signing Chris Tierney to a one-year contract just a week ago, bringing in Nosek is another move that gives the team insurance for bottom-six centers. Depth is key to any club sustaining success throughout an 82-game schedule. Nosek may not provide much offense, but he will make the Devils’ bottom-six a better defensive group while bringing value on the penalty kill and faceoffs.
Devils’ Goalie Search Continues
On the July 4 episode of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman mentioned everyone was wondering what the Devils would do in net. That was nearly three weeks ago, and we’re still wondering what will happen. Will they run it back, or is an acquisition still in the works? As it turns out, they’re still searching for a goalie.
Everyone knows about their interest in Hellebuyck, which Friedman reiterated in an NHL Network segment (begins at 4:15). Though Gibson’s name has been in the rumor mill for some time, Friedman mentioning him with the Devils on NHL Network was the first we’ve heard the two together this offseason. Friedman did say they had checked in on Gibson, so it’s unclear how interested Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is in the Ducks goaltender.
Gibson was once one of the top netminders in the NHL, but his game has fallen off over the last few years. He’s posted a .902 save percentage since 2019-20 and has had a negative goals saved above expected in each of those four seasons. Granted, the Ducks’ defense has been terrible, especially in 2022-23.
Perhaps a change of scenery would do Gibson well, but at $6.4 million a year for the next four years, he’d be quite the risk for the Devils. They wouldn’t go through with the trade without salary retention, so there’s plenty working against a hypothetical deal for him right now.
As for Hellebuyck, Friedman mentioned it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he began the 2023-24 season in Winnipeg with the Jets. If that’s the case, that dream is probably dead for now. The Devils likely want to acquire a goalie during the offseason, so one of the Boston Bruins’ netminders or Logan Thompson (if he’s available) would be the best bets.
Devils Return to the Prospects Challenge
An annual tradition that’s become the unofficial start for Devils hockey, they announced earlier in the week that they’ll return to Buffalo for the Prospects Challenge. Participating in this year’s event are the Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres.
The schedule is as follows:
- Senators vs. Devils, Friday, Sept. 15 at 12 PM
- Sabres vs. Devils, Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7 PM
- Devils vs. Bruins, Sunday, Sept. 17 at 10 AM
Even after winning 52 games in 2022-23, the Devils still have one of the top farm systems in the league. But it will be interesting to see which one of their top prospects will be in attendance in Buffalo. It’d be a surprise if Luke Hughes were there, but what about Alexander Holtz and Šimon Nemec? If I had to guess, both partake in the tournament since it could be a good confidence builder heading into training camp, especially for Holtz.
Seamus Casey is one of the Devils’ top prospects, but with the NCAA season getting close to underway then, it’s unlikely he’ll be in Buffalo. Graeme Clarke, Topias Vilén, Chase Stillman and Daniil Misyul will be the most notable names to watch if they’re in attendance, which they should be. Either way, fans should be excited no matter who’s in attendance since it marks the unofficial start to the 2023-24 season.