New Jersey obtained Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick from Vegas on Saturday in exchange for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid.
Cotter collected seven goals, 25 points, 100 shots on net and 233 hits in 76 games during the 2023-24 campaign. He could occupy a bottom-six role with the Devils next season while seeing some power-play time.
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Devils' Herman Traff: Round 3 pick of New Jersey
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Traff was the 91st overall pick by the Devils in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Traff saw some time with HV71 in the SHL last season as an 18-year-old. He didn't record a point in 10 games with the club but was excellent (13 goals, 21 points) in 26 games with their junior team. Traff is a massive (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) kid with a big shot. The Devils will likely let him marinate in his native Sweden for the next few seasons.
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Devils' Kasper Pikkarainen: Agitator drafted by New Jersey
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Pikkarainen was the 85th overall pick by the Devils in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Pikkarainen, who projects as your prototypical bottom-six agitator, is always involved in the play from a physical standpoint. He's always looking to lay the body on someone, and while his offensive game is quite basic, at 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 pounds, Pikkarainen is a big, strong kid. The Devils are likely hoping he can contribute 10-12 goals per season while making life miserable for his opponents.
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Devils' Mikhail Yegorov: BU commit links up with Jersey
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Yegorov was the 49th overall pick by the Devils in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
You wouldn't know it by his numbers this past season, but plenty of people feel the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Yegorov has the most long-term upside among goaltenders in this year's class. NHL Central Scouting ranked him as the No. 1 North American Goaltender. Coming over from his native Russia to play for, hands down, the worst team in the USHL, Yegorov finished the year with an 8-25-3 record, 3.86 GAA and .892 save percentage. Expect Yegorov to be better in the USHL next season before heading to Boston University in the fall of 2025.
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Devils' Anton Silayev: Massive defender devilishly fast
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Silayev was the 10th overall pick by the Devils in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Silayev is a 6-foot-7 monster before he adds his blades, and the guy skates really well and closes gaps fast. He also dishes the puck well, too. Silayev spent most of this past season as a 17-year-old regular in the KHL. Sure, there were moments when his decision making wasn't perfect and his offense plateaued as the season wore on. But we'll repeat -- he was 17 years old, playing against men twice his age in a pro league. Silayev has offensive skills, but they don't come near the elite puckmovers in this draft. He perhaps doesn't think the game like them, either. Still, Silayev is a defensive beast with top pairing potential a bit like Colton Parayko. He'll become a multi-category guy when he steps on the ice in 2026. He's exactly what the Devils need in their system.
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Devils' Nick DeSimone: Inks one-year deal
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DeSimone signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $775,000 with New Jersey on Monday.
DeSimone registered two goals, seven points, 28 shots on net, 42 blocked shots and 29 hits in 34 games between the Devils and Flames in 2023-24. He will compete for a depth spot on New Jersey's blue line during training camp in the fall.
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Devils' Adam Beckman: Dealt to New Jersey
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Beckman was traded to the Devils from Minnesota in exchange for Graeme Clarke on Friday.
Beckman played 11 regular-season games at the NHL level in 2023-24, picking up a pair of assists over that stretch. He also scored 19 goals and had 33 points in 51 AHL regular-season games with Iowa. Look for Beckman to challenge for a bottom-six role with the Devils during training camp.
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Devils' Jacob Markstrom: Acquired by Devils
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Markstrom was acquired by the Devils from the Flames on Wednesday in exchange for Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick, Darren Dreger of TSN reports.
Markstrom posted a 23-23-2 record, 2.78 GAA and .905 save percentage in 48 games with the Flames in 2023-24. He has two seasons remaining on his six-year, $36 million contract and has a no-movement clause, which means he had to approve this trade to New Jersey. Calgary has agreed to retain 31.25 percent of his remaining contract, which leaves New Jersey with a cap hit of $4.125 million for each of the next two years. The Devils missed out on the playoffs in large part due to poor goaltending, and the addition of Markstrom should address that. The 34-year-old is a safe bet to begin the 2024-25 campaign as the Devils' No. 1 netminder.
Devils' Kurtis MacDermid: Pens three-year contract
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MacDermid agreed to terms on a three-year, $3.45 million contract with New Jersey on Friday.
MacDermid will remain with the Devils after joining the club at the trade deadline this last season. In his 16 appearances for the club, the 30-year-old winger managed just one point to go with 29 hits, two blocks and 50 PIM. The decision to give MacDermid a three-year deal does seem a little surprising when you consider he averaged a meager 4:22 of ice time. Looking ahead to next season, MacDermid probably shouldn't be expected to offer much in the way of fantasy value given his limited minutes and lack of offensive upside.
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Devils' Samuel Laberge: Re-ups for another year
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Laberge signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with New Jersey on Thursday.
Laberge finally made his NHL debut this season, playing in two games for the Devils in which he generated three hits while logging a combined 6:11 of ice time. Considering the 27-year-old winger has never reached the 20-point threshold in AHL action, he figures to remain primarily a fringe roster option for New Jersey moving forward.
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Devils' Brian Halonen: Secures two-year deal
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Halonen inked a two-year, two-way contract with New Jersey on Thursday.
Halonen played in just two NHL games this season in which he registered two shots and two hits while averaging 8:17 of ice time. The 25-year-old winger was significantly more productive in the minors, racking up 20 goals and nine helpers with AHL Utica. Even with this new deal in hand, Halonen figures to remain primarily an AHL option for the club next season.
Legare signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Devils on Tuesday.
Legare spent the whole season in the AHL in 2023-24, logging eight goals and four assists in 54 games played. Look for the 23-year-old to once again spend most, if not all, of the 2024-25 campaign in the minors.
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Devils' Max Willman: Re-signs with New Jersey
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Willman signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Devils on Tuesday.
Willman played 18 games with the Devils this season, recording three goals and one assist. The 29-year-old also played 33 games in the AHL this year, logging 12 goals and 10 assists. He will likely once again split time between the AHL and NHL in 2024-25 as an injury-replacement option for New Jersey.
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Devils' Jakub Malek: Agrees to entry-level deal
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Malek signed a two-year, entry-level contract with New Jersey on Monday.
Malek posted a 16-4-5 record with a 2.32 GAA and a .915 save percentage in 27 appearances for Ilves of Finland's Liiga during the 2023-24 regular season. The Devils chose the 22-year-old netminder with the No. 100 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Malek will provide New Jersey with some goaltending depth and could get a chance to compete for the backup job behind Jake Allen during training camp.
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Devils' Seamus Casey: Inks entry-level deal
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Casey signed a three-year, entry-level contract with New Jersey on Monday.
Casey produced seven goals and 45 points in 40 games during his sophomore season with the University of Michigan in 2023-24. The 20-year-old defender was selected by the Devils with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Casey will compete for a spot on New Jersey's blue line during training camp in the fall but could start the 2024-25 campaign in the minors.
Schmelzer agreed to terms on a two-year, two-way contract with New Jersey on Tuesday.
Schmelzer went undrafted coming out of college but spent the last six seasons with the Devils' AHL affiliate without ever signing a two-way deal. The 30-year-old center appears to have finally shown the club enough after racking up 18 goals and 34 helpers in 72 games for the Comets this season. Despite the NHL contract, Schmelzer will likely continue to play the bulk of his minutes in the minors next year.
