Devils ink Pesce to six-year, $33M deal; add Dillon and Noesen

The New Jersey Devils have signed defenceman Brett Pesce to a six-year, $33 million deal with an annual average value of $5.5 million.

Pesce, 29, recorded three goals and 13 points in 70 games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. He added an assist in two playoff games before his team was eliminated by the New York Rangers in the second round.

The 6-foot-3 right-shot defenceman is coming off a six-year, $24.15 million deal he signed in August of 2017.

Pesce’s best season came during the 2022-23 campaign where he recorded five goals and 30 points in 82 games.

Drafted 66th overall by the Hurricanes in 2013, Pesce has 39 goals and 198 points in 627 career games.

Meanwhile, the Devils are also bringing in defenceman Brenden Dillon, agreeing to terms on a three-year, $12 million deal with a $4 million cap hit.

Dillon, 33, recorded eight goals and 20 points in 77 games with the Winnipeg Jets last season. He added three assists in three playoff games before the Jets were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

The 6-foot-4 left-shot defenceman is coming off a four-year, $15.6 million deal he signed with the Washington Capitals in October of 2020.

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Stars in 2011, Dillon has 37 goals and 196 points in 892 career games split between the Stars, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals, and Jets.

The New Westminster, B.C., native represented Canada at the 2013 World Championship, recording a goal in eight games en route to a fifth-place finish.

New Jersey forward Stefan Noesen to a three-year, $8.25 million contract with an average annual value of $2.75 million. 

The 31-year-old scored 14 goals and added 23 assists over 81 games with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023-24. Noesen played three seasons in New Jersey from 2016 to 2019.