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NHL Free Agency 2018: New Jersey Devils sign Stefan Noesen

By Thomas G

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 22: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (23) during the first period of the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild on February 22, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 22: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (23) during the first period of the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild on February 22, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils have re-signed forward Stefan Noesen to a one-year deal in NHL free agency

The New Jersey Devils have had a quiet offseason, especially in NHL free agency. However, Tuesday proved to be a busy day for them. For the Devils’ first signing of the day, forward Stefan Noesen agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.725 million.

Noesen scored 13 goals and 14 assists for a total of 27 points this season, appearing in 72 games. He has had a bit of a strange career. Originally, Noesen was selected 21st overall by the Ottawa at the 2011 draft, but he never quite reached his expected potential. He did, however, start off with a very successful career in the OHL, scoring 220 points in 215 games with the Plymouth Whalers.

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Unfortunately, he witnessed quite the drop-off once in the AHL. Noesen only appeared in 29 games with the Senators’ affiliate Norfolk Admirals, where he finished with 16 points. In 2013, he was used as a sort of balancing piece in a major trade. Noesen, along with Jakob Silfverberg and a first rounder (turning into Nick Ritchie) were sent to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Bobby Ryan.

Noesen was not spectacular with his new team, either. In two seasons with the Ducks’ AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls, he finished with a rather mediocre 47 points in 87 games. He eventually appeared in a total of 14 games with the Anaheim Ducks before being placed on waivers. He was claimed by the New Jersey Devils.

Finally, Noesen managed to secure a regular NHL spot with the Devils and has a total of 35 points in 104 games. He may not be a star, but it’s nice to see players like him finally finding a home. Noesen is a native of Plano, Texas and weighs 205 pounds, standing at 6’1″.

Further Analysis of Noesen

Looking at his advanced stats, Noesen is quite effective defensively. This is because, when we look at just his point total, we can see that he is not exactly a goal scorer or a playmaker. He has a fairly impressive Corsi for percentage of 50.2, and a relative Corsi of 2.0 percent. Since we know that this likely doesn’t stem from offensive ability, we can assume that his defensive ability probably has something to do with it.

So, Noesen is better than he may seem at first glance. Hockey isn’t just about scoring goals; you need to keep pucks out of your own net as well. His possession stats are not terrific, but they are clearly above average.

Conclusion

Was this a minor re-signing? Sure, but I think that it’s a good one. It really bothers me how players like Noesen get so easily overlooked, just because they display a more nontraditional sort of talent.

Next: Devils Offseason Outlook

At the very least, the Devils didn’t fall into this trap. They made a good decision in re-signing him.

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