Pesce, Dillon each signs contract with Devils

Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon each signed a contract with the New Jersey Devils on Monday.

Pesce signed a six-year, $33 million contract ($5.5 million average annual value), and Dillon signed a three-year, $12 million contract ($4 million AAV).

“It's just a crazy day," Pesce said. "At the end of the day, I did always know I wanted to end up here. I loved my time as a ‘Cane and sometimes it’s just the nature of the business, it doesn't work out. But playing close to home for me is something really important. To be 45 minutes from the Prudential Center is a dream come true. I played my youth hockey at the Ice House in Hackensack, so I can't really ask for anything more.”

Pesce, a 29-year-old defenseman, had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 70 regular-season games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season and one assist in two Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Selected by Carolina in the third round (No. 66) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Pesce has 198 points (39 goals, 159 assists) in 627 regular-season games and 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 57 playoff games.

“Location aside, just you look at the group that they have, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, all these guys," Pesce said. "It's not fun playing against them, to be honest. God it's tough seeing them flying up the wing and you defending them. You don't see that often … I’m used to playing against top guys my whole career and those guys are cream of the crop and that's why I'm so excited to just get going because I think the sky's the limit for this team.”

Dillon, a 33-year-old defenseman, had 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 77 regular-season games for the Winnipeg Jets last season and three assists in three playoff games.

Signed by the Dallas Stars as an undrafted free agent on March 1, 2011, Dillon has 196 points (37 goals, 159 assists) in 892 regular-season games for the Jets, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks and Stars and 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 83 playoff games.

The signings came after New Jersey acquired goalie  Jacob Markstromfrom the Calgary Flames for a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and defenseman Kevin Bahl on June 19.

“It’s funny just looking at the back end of the Devils and as soon as they made the trade for Markstrom, and looking what I kind of bring to the table and what maybe the Devils could use a little bit more of, you start to kind of put the dots together of what could be a good fit,” Dillon said Tuesday. “I think those were the things I looked at. For the first time in my career, being a true free agent, what did I value and what was I looking for, and I’m super honored to have with the amount of teams that reached out and showed interest.”

New Jersey also signed forward Stefan Noesen to a three-year, $8.25 million contract on Monday ($2.75 million AAV).

The 31-year-old had an NHL career-high 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 81 regular-season games for the Carolina Hurricanes and four goals in 11 playoff games.

"It's going to be interesting and fun," Noesen said May 19. "I've never had a chance to be a part of that, go through the process, understand what value people value you at. … To have a chance to go through the process to me sounds intriguing. … You never know what's going to happen."

Selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round (No. 21) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Noesen has 127 (58 goals, 69 assists) in 366 regular-season games for the Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Devils and Anaheim Ducks and 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 30 playoff games.

NHL.com senior draft writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report