3 Things to Know About Devils Paul Cotter

On Saturday afternoon at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the New Jersey Devils made a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, acquiring 24-year-old forward Paul Cotter for right-winger Alexander Holtz and goalie Akira Schmid.

The Devils acquired a young forward in Cotter, a fourth-round (115th overall, 2018) pick who can play center or left wing, while dealing away former first-rounder Holtz (7th overall, 2020) and Schmid, a former fifth-round pick (136th overall, 2018).

According to PuckPedia, Cotter makes $775,000 annually and is signed through the 2025-26 season. Let's learn a little more about the newest member of the Devils, who has played 138 games in the NHL.

Cotter is Now One of Four Members in New Jersey With a Stanley Cup Ring

Cotter was a member of the Golden Knights when they won the Stanley Cup in 2023, defeating the Florida Panthers in five games.

He skated in 55 games during the regular season, scoring 13 goals and 18 points. However, Cotter did not appear in a single playoff game but qualified to get his name inscribed on the Silver Chalice.

In New Jersey, he'll join Jake Allen (2019), Ondrej Palat (2020, 2021), and Kurtis MacDonald (2022) as teammates who have won the Stanley Cup.

Played Against Jack Hughes in the USHL

Cotter played one season (2017-18) in the USHL, skating in 51 games with 18 goals and 39 points. He finished 55th in scoring.

Meanwhile, Jack Hughes, who played in the USHL with the USNTDP Juniors, finished 12th in scoring with 54 points in 27 games, bagging 21 goals and 33 assists.

They shared the ice with another Devils prospect, Brian Halonen, who played with the Des Moines Buccaneers. Halonen appeared in 59 games and scored 35 points.

Won Rookie of the Year in the NAHL

Before Cotter skated in the USHL, he spent the 2016-17 season with the Brookings Blizzard in the NAHL, where he scored 1.01 points per game.

At 17, he netted 28 goals and 60 points, winning several NAHL awards, including divisional (Central) awards, Forward of the Year, and Most Valuable Player.

After the season, he was named to the league's All-Rookie First and NAHL First All-Star teams while taking home the Rookie of the Year honors.