New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said it a little over a week ago: “A little more violence would be great.” Well, he’s now delivered on that promise. The Florida Panthers created the championship mold of emphasizing physicality without sacrificing talent. With the recent additions of Paul Cotter, Brenden Dillon and Stefan Noesen, it seems the Devils are attempting the same.
There’s a direct correlation between physicality and success, as 14 of the top 16 teams in hits made the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and these three players boast 3,147 combined hits in their careers. But adding physicality means nothing if those players hurt you on the ice. But Cotter, Dillon and Noesen can fulfill important roles and bring that crucial presence.
C – Paul Cotter / 6-foot-2, 212 Pounds / Age: 24
Cotter said he was out golfing when he found out he was dealt to the Devils, but the golf balls weren’t the only thing he’s hit recently. His 233 hits last season ranked 17th in the NHL, and his 25 points are nothing to scoff at, especially at 24 years old. His 22.96 mile-per-hour skating speed is in the 84th percentile among NHLers (via NHL Edge), which will fit into the Devils’ system very well.
He also showed some defensive prowess with a plus-16 turnover differential. He doesn’t drop the gloves too often, but his combination of speed, hitting and defense earned him some time as far up as the Vegas Golden Knights’ second line last season. All the Devils need from him is to be an effective bottom-sixer, though the potential for more is there. Oh yeah, and his hands are filthy.
D – Brenden Dillon / 6-foot-4, 220 Pounds / Age: 33
Dillon is the exact defenseman the Devils have been looking for. While they had to go up to $4 million per year to make it work, it’ll be worthwhile. He is one of the most physical defensive defensemen in the league, as his 2,169 hits rank third among all d-men since his NHL debut in 2011-12. He’s in the 90th percentile in the league defensively, as well.
Last season, his 241 hits ranked 11th in the league and would have led the Devils by 62. He also got in seven fights last season. Dillon can eat up ~20 minutes per night and chip in offensively from time to time; he had eight goals and 20 points last season. He has 83 games of playoff experience, too. Essentially, he’s taking Kevin Bahl’s role, but everything Bahl can do, Dillon can do better.
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RW – Stefan Noesen / 6-foot-1, 205 Pounds / Age: 31
The Devils moved on from Noesen in the 2018-19 season after he had just eight points and a minus-19 rating in 41 games. Rest assured, Noesen is a different player now, and this version of him should fill a middle-six role perfectly. After bouncing around between call-ups and teams, Noesen exploded for 48 goals and 85 points for the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League in 2021-22. That earned him two full seasons at the NHL level for the Carolina Hurricanes, where he put up 36 and 37 points. In his time with the Hurricanes, he was a combined plus-25 while establishing himself as a physical, scrappy winger.
Noesen played a vital role in the 2017-18 Devils team that clawed their way into the playoffs, and that version of him didn’t come close to what he did with Carolina. He also found a niche on the power play, with 26 of his 73 total points coming on the man advantage. He’s already well-liked by the Devils’ fanbase, and if he replicates his career-high 118 hits from last season, they’ll like him even more. He has 30 games of playoff experience and potted four goals in each of the last two postseasons. Fun fact: he fought Erik Haula in the 2023 Playoffs. That should bring a nice laugh to the locker room.
Devils Moving Forward
Just six teams had fewer hits than the Devils this season, but that’s bound to change. Head coach Paul Maurice credited the Florida Panthers’ early offseason acquisitions of tough, veteran players as the kickstart for their Stanley Cup run. The Devils are (rightfully) copying that blueprint. Former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau commended Tom Fitzgerald on yesterday’s TSN Trade Deadline Coverage, saying that the Devils “got pushed around a lot” but won’t anymore.
