New Devils Forward Has Been Big Surprise

During the 2024 NHL off-season, the New Jersey Devils signed forward Stefan Noesen to a three-year, $8.25 million contract. The Devils already knew him well, as he previously played with the club from 2017-18 to 2018-19.

Noesen signed this new deal with the Devils after he had a career year with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023-24. The 6-foot-1 winger set new career highs with 14 goals and 37 points in 81 games. However, with the way Noesen is playing right now, he stands a very good shot of amassing those totals by the end of the season.

In 30 games this campaign, Noesen already has 13 goals and 22 points. The only Devils player with more goals than Noesen this season is star forward Nico Hischier. In addition, Noesen ranks fourth on the Devils with points and is ahead of notable players like Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier, and Dawson Mercer.

However, besides producing well offensively, Noesen has also been impactful because of his physicality. At this juncture of the campaign, he ranks third on the Devils with 76 hits.

When noting that Noesen carries an affordable $2.75 million cap hit until the end of the 2026-27 campaign, this deal looks like a complete steal for the Devils. Right now, it arguably looks like their best signing of the summer.

It will be fascinating to see how well Noesen can build on his hot start to the season from here.

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