New Jersey Devils 2024-25 Season Preview Part 3: The Defensemen

While much attention has been paid to the Devils acquiring Jacob Markstrom, their work on the blueline this offseason was extensive.

After an offseason of overhauling the defense, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald can confidently say that he has put the team in a good position to win low-scoring games. However, an offseason surgery for newly-arrived Brett Pesce, a former Carolina Hurricane, alongside a late-summer injury for Luke Hughes has complicated the outlook of the defense. Yesterday, the New Jersey Devils announced their roster for the NHL Global Series, giving us an idea of who will start on opening night for the team in Prague. In today’s Season Preview post for the defensemen, we will be discussing how the team will look at the start of the season on Friday as well as how they should look at full health.

For Alex’s Part 1 to our Season Preview, going over the forwards, click here. Yesterday, John previewed the goaltenders.

Departures and New Additions

Last year’s defense did not fare well. With a season-ending torn pectoral taking Dougie Hamilton out of the equation just 20 games in, the Devils had to press 19-year old Simon Nemec (who turned 20 in February) into action as a top for right-defenseman while using 20-year old Luke Hughes as their number one defenseman by ice time. This, combined with the prior loss of Damon Severson in free agency and the massive declines in the defensive results of Jonas Siegenthaler and John Marino, spelled disaster for the Devils despite the positive contributions and admirable performances of the rookies. Below, you can see how the defense regressed, with data from Natural Stat Trick.

Natural Stat Trick

In total, the Devils no longer have four of the defensemen who played in a significant number of games last season. After trading veteran Colin Miller to Winnipeg at the trade deadline, the Devils let Brendan Smith walk in free agency to the Dallas Stars. The Devils also moved young defenders Kevin Bahl and John Marino in trades this offseason, with Bahl being a part of the deal that brought Jacob Markström to New Jersey. Marino was traded to Utah for the 49th overall selection in the 2024 Draft and another second rounder in 2025, which enabled the Devils to pursue new help on the right-side, as Marino was particularly maligned for his physicality and his play around the net, which did not mix well with the team’s goaltending last season. With the 49th overall selection, the Devils took Mikhail Yegorov, a 6’5” Russian goalie who sported an .893 save percentage and an astronomical goals against average of 3.83 last season for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. Marino had three seasons left on his contract with a cap hit of $4.4 million per year prior to being traded.

Evolving-Hockey

Still, Tom Fitzgerald needed to move Marino to trade for Jonathan Kovacevic from Montreal for just a fourth round pick in 2026, while still targeting former Carolina Hurricane Brett Pesce in free agency with the cap space freed up by the Marino trade. Kovacevic will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, but he may be worth considering as someone to keep around if he can show he is capable of playing both sides as a right-handed defenseman, which is not particularly common — but there will be more on that later in the article. For the time being, he will be able to get playing time on the right side.

HockeyViz

Kovacevic, 27 was well-liked in Montreal, and it was easy to get the sense that their fans were disappointed by losing him. Good things seemed to happen with him on the ice, and there may be more to him than being a third pairing defenseman. Kovacevic only played a total of 1,024 minutes in 62 games last season for 16:31 per game, and he saw heavy deployment in the defensive zone. Still, despite playing two years in Montreal, Kovacevic has not yet had a season where he was underwater at even strength in goal differential. It’s easy to see why Tom Fitzgerald would be intrigued by a guy like this.

HockeyViz

As for Brett Pesce, any team that acquired him in the offseason was going to get a guy who has been a proven top pairing guy for the better part of the last decade. Pesce will be 30 in November, so that is something to keep in mind — but he’s never been a guy that’s made his living off being a super-physical defenseman. He has size at 6’3” and 205 pounds or so, but he has not been credited for 50 hits in a season since 2018-19. Last year, he was at 25. So temper your expectations if you thought the improvement from Marino that Pesce brings was in the physicality department.

Rather, Brett Pesce improves one rather key area of defense: preventing passes from making it through to opponents around the net. He will not be the most dynamic offensive player, but Pesce will make the lives of the Devils goaltenders much easier once he is ready to play. As he is currently in the final stages of rehabbing from his offseason fibula surgery, his status is presently out for the NHL Global Series — but he may not be too far from a return to play.

The Devils will have their other big defensive free agent signing in Brenden Dillon — most recently with the Winnipeg Jets, and one of the most physically imposing defenders in the league. He was credited with 241 hits — a career high — and 111 blocks for Winnipeg last season in 18:44 of average ice time in his 77 games played. Dillon was integral to the success of the Jets

At 6’4” and 220 pounds, Dillon is willing to throw hits in any area of the ice, and will seem much more aggressive in style compared to most of the players on the back end for the Devils over the past ten years. This does mean that Dillon takes quite a few penalties, but he may serve as a deterring force on the ice, limiting the need for enforcers in the lineup. His defensive results speak for themselves, anyway, and he will bring a veteran presence where Kevin Bahl was still growing into his role as an NHL defenseman. Bahl’s above average expected numbers last season were mired by horrible save percentage numbers, but his underutilized physical game left many frustrated in ways they will not be with Dillon. Additionally, fans will largely be glad to move on from the chaotic minutes of Brendan Smith, who was a wild card last season and not someone who really ever anchored things as a veteran on the ice.

What the Lineup Will Look Like in Prague

With the team traveling to Prague before the end of the preseason, there is now a clear picture at how the team will play for the opener. They took eight defensemen, excluding Kurtis MacDermid, and Brett Pesce was noted as someone who stayed home due to his injury recovery. The two extras, as of now, are Colton White and Nick DeSimone. Colton White was previously a Devil and signed with the team as a free agent this offseason. He will mostly play in Utica, but is someone the Devils have previously used as an injury replacement call-up. Nick DeSimone was acquired on waivers last season and played 11 games for the Devils, and he now finds himself the 6th right-handed defenseman on the depth chart after Seamus Casey surprised people in camp with his ability to keep up with NHL-level teammates and opposition.

The glaring absences are Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce. Would the team have kept Casey around were either of them healthy? I am not entirely sure. But for the time being, Dillon-Hamilton makes for one of the biggest pairings in the NHL, and they bring polar opposite skill sets to the table. Dillon is physically active, throwing as many checks as he can, while Doguie Hamilton will look to unleash his cannon of a shot for another 60 or 70-point season. Before his injury last year, Dougie was on pace for about 21 goals and 66 points, while not even being on the top power play unit. This season, with Hughes out, Hamilton will start there by default.

While Siegenthaler was dreadful last season, as one of the least effective defenders in the NHL, he played through injuries and pain, and may be more fit to play this season. With more of an experienced presence in the room, the 27-year old Siegenthaler may find his duties a bit less taxing in general as he looks to return to form at even strength while leading the penalty kill effort. His partner to start the year, Johnathan Kovacevic, may help him achieve those goals, though I hope Siegenthaler is more confident with his puck movement out of the defensive and neutral zones than he was last season. This pairing is also very much on the larger side of things, though they won’t be nearly as aggressive on either side of the ice as Dillon and Hamilton are.

Seamus Casey, fresh on the scene, is slated to jump directly from the Michigan Wolverines of the NCAA to the National Hockey League. He is a right-handed defenseman, and he is currently paired as a left-side defender with Simon Nemec. Casey and Nemec are somewhat similar players — very cerebral in the offensive game and capable defensively, while Casey is a bit on the smaller side. Casey, who showed positional versatility at Michigan, will try to be Nemec’s first successful right-handed partner, as he tries to make it difficult for the Devils to send him down. Nemec, meanwhile, looks to improve from his rookie season by cutting down on passes through the slot and perhaps getting on the scoresheet with more consistency — especially if he still runs the second power play unit. However, Seamus Casey may find himself there at the start of the season, as Casey has impressed on the power play during preseason play.

What the Team Will Look Like at Full Health

When Brett Pesce comes back for the Devils, the team will have a total logjam of righties. At this point, DeSimone is a clear odd-man out, but the team will also have to decide if they’re willing to use Seamus Casey as a left-side defenseman to keep him in the NHL. Additionally, Johnathan Kovacevic may find it difficult to get ice time when the team has Hamilton, Pesce, and Nemec in the lineup — and he may also find himself playing on the left side this season. Pesce will also join Kovacevic, Siegenthaler, and Dillon on the penalty kill, reducing any extra duties Hamilton or Nemec may have there at the start of the year.

When Luke Hughes comes back, Colton White — if he even stays on the team past their return to New Jersey, when they must cut their roster from 26 to 23 — will certainly be in Utica. At that point, Simon Nemec or Seamus Casey may find themselves replaced on the second unit of the power play, unless Sheldon Keefe uses two defensemen. Hughes will also be a sure lock for a top four pairing, but whether he ends up with Pesce on the second pair or with Hamilton at the top remains to be seen. While I do think a Hughes-Hamilton, Dillon-Pesce, and Siegenthaler-Nemec group might be very effective, I would understand if they wanted to keep a defensive partner with both of Hamilton and Hughes.

Beyond those six, their currently-expected extras in Johnathan Kovacevic and Seamus Casey, and the two Prague extras in Colton White and Nick DeSimone, there are a few more defenders who are worth mentioning. First is Santeri Hatakka, whose injury made it necessary to bring Colton White with the team to Prague. Hatakka was acquired in the Timo Meier trade and has proved himself useful in each of his appearances since then, putting himself in a position to battle with Kovacevic for the role of the seventh defenseman when the team is at full health. However, Hatakka will be out for awhile. When he returns, expect him to be the first left-handed defenseman to be called up if Keefe is missing one of Hughes, Dillon, or Siegenthaler and wants a lefty in the lineup. The Devils also had Jakub Zboril, formerly of the Bruins, in camp on a PTO — but he was left in New Jersey with the rest of the Utica squad that will play the remaining preseason games.

Will Things Be Different?

As long as the Devils are an average defensive team, they should be fine. However, they have the potential to be much more than that. With the return of Dougie Hamilton, who was a top-ten defenseman in the league with his off-the-charts offensive value when healthy, alongside the additions of Pesce and Dillon, the Devils have one of the most well-rounded defensive groups in the league. No longer needing Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec to handle top-pairing minutes and matchups, their young defensemen will have a much easier time coping with the ebbs and flows of developing in the NHL this season.

HockeyViz

A lot of the upper-end potential of this group hinges on Dougie’s health, as well as Hughes’ recovery from his shoulder injury. A quick-rising Seamus Casey might make it difficult to juggle minutes, but could also add a lot to the group as well. And even if the team does not reach the offensive highs they aspire for, the rock-solid additions they made to improve their defensive results should avert disasters like last year’s.

Your Thoughts

What do you think of the defenders on the Devils? Do you have high hopes for them? Will Dougie Hamilton challenge for a Norris Trophy with Brenden Dillon next to him? How do you think they will perform with Pesce and Hughes out at the start of the season? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading. And thanks to Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, HockeyViz, and JFresh for their analytical work and visualizations.