The New Jersey Devils addressed their biggest offseason need when they acquired goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames. Wwith the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and free agency coming up, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald will look to improve the rest of the roster. One name that is being linked to the Devils is defenseman Brett Pesce.
The 2023-24 offseason exposed New Jersey’s depth issues on defense. With veteran defenders Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler missing significant time with injuries, rookie defensemen played more than anticipated. Luke Hughes played in all 82 games while Simon Nemec played in 60. Rookies playing major minutes is beneficial in the long run but, it garnered inconsistent results from the Devils’ back end. The Devils must add veteran blueliners during the offseason, and Brett Pesce should be the first addition.
Brett Pesce’s Background
Pesce was drafted 66th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2013. He is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman from Tarrytown, New York. Pesce’s hometown is only an hour away from Prudential Center, and he grew up playing for the Jersey Hitmen of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL). He played for the University of New Hampshire for three seasons and played seven games with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL) before making his NHL debut in the 2015-16 season. His game is simple but extremely effective in his own zone. He does not produce high point totals but can be a key addition to a team’s penalty kill.
Pesce has played 627-career games, scoring 39 goals, 159 assists and only 227 penalty minutes, an average of 25 minutes per season. On average, he plays 22:01 per night game is a prominent fixture on the penalty kill. In nine NHL seasons, his plus/minus has only been in the negative twice; he was minus-7 in 2015-16 and minus-6 two seasons later. In the 2023-24 season, he played 70 games, scoring three goals and recording 10 assists 13 points.
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Pesce is a defensive defenseman who faces the top offensive players in the league. What he lacks in point production, he makes up for by shutting down the opposition.
Pesce’s Potential Fit on the Devils
Free agency does not start until July 1 and until then, rumors will swirl about which player ends up where. Pesce signing with the Devils has been the most recent rumor floating around. However, nothing is concrete until a contract is signed.
Does it make sense for the Devils to sign Pesce? The short answer is: yes, for the right price. They already have Hamilton, John Marino, and Nemec on the right side, but Marino could be the odd man out. Despite an impressive start in New Jersey, his defensive play has dropped off dramatically. Pesce would be an upgrade, but he would likely come at a higher cost than Marino’s $4.4 million contract that has three seasons remaining. According to Evolving Hockey, Pesce’s next contract is projected to be around fivef years with an average annual value of $5.5 million.
If the Devils sign Pesce and trade Marino, they would be paying approximately $1.1 million for a bigger and more consistent defenseman. Furthermore, Pesce can shut down passing lanes better than Marino, who struggled for most of the season. However, it should not be the only move New Jersey makes to improve their defense. The Devils are getting crowded when it comes to right-handed defensemen. In order to combat that issue, some defenders will have to adjust to playing on their off side.
The Devils will open the 2024-25 regular season against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague, Czechia on Oct. 4. Acquiring Markstrom and targeting veteran defenseman in free agency will bolster the roster that has its core in place. Expect more additions and subtractions in the upcoming week.
