Devils’ Free Agent Additions Give Sheldon Keefe Many Line Options
Amid the flurry of moves made throughout the NHL on July 1, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald resisted the temptation to remake his forward group by overpaying for a top-six caliber forward. Instead, he rebuilt his team from the crease outward by inking stellar defensemen Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon and forming one of the league’s most complete and deep units.
Fitzgerald then filled out his forward group by signing Stefan Noesen and Tomas Tatar, both former Devils. Noesen received a three-year contract of $2.75 million annually, while Tatar signed a one-year deal for $1.8 million. With Noesen, Tatar, and the draft day trade for Paul Cotter, the Devils became a more formidable, diverse, and versatile team.
New head coach Sheldon Keefe has promised to install a system predicated on high pressure in all three zones while allowing his stars room to exploit their talent to create opportunities. Keefe is known to tinker with his lines from game to game and even shift to shift to find chemistry and exploit matchups. These additions will give him the resources to implement his style and adjust to the game’s needs to give New Jersey the best opportunity to succeed.
Even when they were successful in 2022-23, the Devils had difficulty playing against heavy teams that employed a strong forecheck, suffocating the Devils’ rush attack. In 2023-24, New Jersey lacked answers for teams that trapped them in the neutral zone, denying rush opportunities and teams that clogged the slot, forcing them to try to make plays on the perimeter.
