Throughout the course of New Jersey Devils history, second stints with the team are not uncommon. Former general manger Lou Lamoriello certainly had a habit of going back to the past and bringing former players back. Players such as Jason Arnott, Petr Sykora, and Scott Gomez all returned for second stints with the club. All were nowhere near the same level as their original stints in a Devils uniform.
Current general manager Tom Fitzgerald did that exact same thing this past offseason. In a summer that was successful for the general manager, one of his best moves was bringing back forward Stefan Noesen. His second stint with the club is proving to be much better than his first time around.
Remembering the First Stint
Noesen had his first stint with the Devils (2016-2019), where he had one productive season. During the team’s special run in 2017-18, Noesen had 13 goals and 27 points in 72 games. Also, he left the Devils with a memory that lasted, scoring the game-winning goal against the Lightning in Game 3.
The following season, Noesen went on to have just eight points in 41 games, which was a slight drop off from the season prior. He would move on to greener pastures, which in the end helped turn his career and help him regain his form.
Let’s Thank the Hurricanes
There is something to be said about the Carolina Hurricanes and that organization getting the most out of its depth players. Noesen entered the organization in the 2021-22 season. He spent majority of it in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves, where he made a name for himself. Noesen finished the campaign with 48 goals and 85 points in 70 games. It earned him a spot on the big league roster, where head coach Rod Brind’Amour got the best out of him.
Noesen was the perfect type of player in the Brind’Amour system. He is big, physical, and can be an effective forechecker. He worked as hard as is coach does and earned opportunities with the big league club. Noesen enjoyed two successful seasons with the Hurricanes at outlined by the on-ice impacts below.
He set a new career high in goals with 14 during 2023-24 season. That same year, he also set a career-best in points at 36. He was a complimentary piece to a contender, but what stands out the most is his defense (82nd percentile on-ice defensive metrics during his time with Carolina). The Hurricanes as a team buy in completely to the team defense and everyone does their job.
Noesen is a bigger body and plays the net front presence very well. The Hurricanes love to get their defenseman involved in the offense, so firing pucks on net and having Noesen screen the goalie worked wonders. Noesen compiled ten goals and 25 power play points in two seasons with the Hurricanes, as the above further confirms the success he had on the power play with Carolina (“PP Offense” section on the player card above).
Instead of being a fourth line grinder and playing an energy type role, Noesen became much more than that. The Hurricanes saw something in the player and tapped into his true potential. That true potential got the attention of Fitzgerald and the second stint with the Devils has turned into a major success.
Reunion In New Jersey
Noesen became an effective player with the Hurricanes and he’s translated that success to the Devils during the 2024-25 season. Noesen is a stable, middle-six presence and can play up-and-down the lineup. Furthermore, he’s the net front presence on the power play and has excelled at that role.
Noesen has done a tremendous job offensively for the Devils this season. Individually, Noesen has generated 7.7 expected goals at all strengths which ranks him fourth on the team while only averaging the 13th-most ice time per game. He is currently scoring at a 36-goal pace over 82 games, which is on pace to shatter his previous career high (14). A large part of this offensive success has come via the power play, where seven of his 18 points on the season has come. He is one of the reasons as to why the Devils’ power play has been so elite his season.
Overall, his on-ice offensive metrics ranks as one of the best in the league. His offensive goals above replacement (GAR) ranks 10th among 683 skaters this year and his power play offensive GAR ranks third among 683 skaters. Bottom-line, no one expected anything like this offensively from the 31-year-old.
Even though he has been a lightning bolt on offense, Noesen is still doing his job defensively. The Devils currently grade out as one of the better defensive teams in the league so far this year. A far cry from where they were by the end of the 2023-24 season. Noesen’s on-ice defensive impacts rank in the 76th percentile so far. Despite the large increase in offensive success, Noesen is not sacrificing his defensive game at all.
Granted, it is super early in the season, however, up to this point, Noesen has been one of the more valuable players in the NHL this season, despite playing less than 16 minutes a night. As per the GAR metric, which puts a win total number to a player’s overall value, Noesen checks in at 20th in the league among 683 skaters.
Not to mention, he is doing this on a price tag of only $2.75 million over the next three seasons. One of the most valuable contracts in the league so far.
Final Thoughts
General manager Tom Fitzgerald strikes once again. He had a strong offseason and made numerous moves to improve the club. Jacob Markstrom is arguably the most important move, but Noesen has been a tremendous boost in his own right. It’s not often that a second stint can be better than the first one, especially given the Devils’ history. But, Noesen is proving to be an effective player and a much more well rounded player than his first stint.
Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey. Player cards are from Evolving Hockey.