Who Should Play Alongside Pesce on The Devils' Blue Line?

The New Jersey Devils ' blue line has undergone multiple changes since their Round 1 victory over the New York Rangers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Of the seven players who patrolled the blue line during that thrilling series, only two remain, Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton .

New Jersey's general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, traded Kevin Bahl, Damon Severson , and John Marino and let Ryan Graves and Brendan Smith become free agents.

Last season, rookies Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec got their first taste of the NHL, appearing in 82 and 60 games, respectively. It was a learning experience for both, who played through the peaks and valleys expected of first-year defensemen.

Once the 2023-24 campaign concluded, the Devils addressed their struggling blue line and signed veterans Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon in free agency.

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During his July 3 media availability, Fitzgerald confirmed Pesce, 29, will play against the opposing team's top lines, a role he is familiar with.

The question across all social media platforms became, who will play with him?

Many lineup projections have Pesce playing with Hughes, and when asked about that specific pair, Fitzgerald said, "I have no idea who is going to play with who, and it is not going to matter to me."

Hughes is offensively gifted. In his first full year, he led rookie defensemen in power-play points (25) and power-play goals (four) and was second in shots (135) and ice time per game (21:28).

With his style of play, giveaways will be part of his game. Last season, he was credited with 69, seventh-most among NHL defensemen and second-most on the Devils behind his brother, Jack Hughes (71).

If head coach Sheldon Keefe does not see the 2021 fourth overall pick as a good match stylistically with Pesce, there are other options, including Nemec.

In late November, Hamilton suffered an injury that would end his season. Nemec received the call-up and, after making his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks, became a mainstay in the lineup.

"He came in for Dougie Hamilton and played extremely well," Fitzgerald said.

The 20-year-old spent time on the power play and penalty kill in 2023-24 and earned 19 points (three goals, 16 assists). Since being drafted in 2022, his defensive game has evolved, and the public can see the early makings of a reliable two-way defenseman.

With so many under the assumption that the youngest Hughes brother will play with Pesce, Fitzgerald acknowledged that Luke would need to accept and adapt to the role that comes with playing with the New York native.

"Luke has to take a step in defending," Fitzgerald said. "If he is playing with Pesce he is playing against top lines, so he has to take a step and really respect the fact that defending comes first over offense. If he is going to play with a player like that, that is his role."

When healthy, the Devils' blue line is projected to include Siegenthaler, Hamilton, Nemec, Pesce, Hughes, and Dillon. Fitzgerald referenced Johnathan Kovacevic , 27, during his press conference as his seventh defenseman.

In addition to the above players, there will be plenty of competition, with Nick DeSimone , Colton White, and Santeri Hatakka looking to make their impression on the coaching staff.

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Fitzgerald has provided Keefe with an improved blue line and plenty of depth pieces. Now, the new head coach must figure out which defensemen have chemistry and stylistically complement each other.

Most times, a defensive pair will have balance and feature one player who takes on a shutdown role and another who takes an offensive approach to the game. Other times, coaches have a genuine shut-down pair similar to what New Jersey had with Graves and Marino, with neither being known for their offensive contributions like Hughes or Hamilton.

Speculation and projections are always enjoyable to see and read during the long days of summer, but defensive pairs and line combinations will remain unknown until training camp, especially with a new head coach at the helm.

Rookies will report to training camp on Sept. 11, while veterans will return to Prudential Center the following week on Sept. 18.

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