Though he played in just 19 regular season games and five playoff games for the New Jersey Devils, defenseman Brian Dumoulin had quite the impact.
Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on Mar. 6 for a 2025 second-round pick and prospect Herman Träff, Dumoulin was brought in to stabilize a depleted Devils blue line. With Jonas Siegenthaler on the shelf, Luke Hughes and Brendan Dillon were the only healthy left-handed defensemen on the roster. Veteran Dougie Hamilton was also out with a long-term injury at the time as well.
Dumoulin immediately slotted into the Devils’ second defensive pair alongside Johnathon Kovacevic, allowing Brett Pesce to move back to the right side. As a member of the Ducks, Dumoulin provided defensive reliability and was a fixture on the penalty kill. He continued to provide those same qualities after moving to the Devils. His ability to evade forecheckers with ease and exit the defensive zone in an efficient manner are two attributes that have made him such a steady player in the league for many years. His postseason resumé—81 playoff games and two Stanley Cups—is a testament to how much coaches can depend on him.
Veteran Defenseman Flying Under The Radar For Devils
Brian Dumoulin has flown under the radar since being acquired by the <a target="_blank" href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/latest-news/seamus-casey-receives-call-up-reconnects-with-devils">New Jersey Devils</a> on March 6, 2025. At least, that is what goaltender Jacob Markstrom believes.
Though the Devils (without Jack Hughes) bowed out in five games to the Carolina Hurricanes, Dumoulin stood out. After averaging just a shade under 19 minutes of ice time with the Devils during the regular season, he averaged just under 30 minutes of ice time in the playoffs.
After the Devils lost Hughes and Dillon to injury in Game 1, head coach Sheldon Keefe to relied mainly on four defensemen for Game 2 in Dumoulin, Pesce, Kovacevic and Hamilton.
Game 3 went to double overtime and with Kovacevic leaving the game in the first period due to injury, Dumoulin was called upon to play a whopping 36 minutes. He blocked five shots and was a plus-2 in a 3-2 victory, the Devils’ only win of the series.
In Game 4, Keefe continued to lean on Dumoulin with Hughes, Dillon and Kovacevic all unavailable. Siegenthaler, who had returned from a long-term injury prior to Game 3, was not yet ready to handle the heavy workload he likely would have assumed from Dumoulin if fully healthy.
Game 5 also went to double overtime and once again, Dumoulin was tabbed as the workhorse on the blue line. With the aforementioned defensemen still unavailable, Dumoulin had been paired with Pesce as Keefe stacked the deck defensively as best as he could.
Dumoulin outdid his Game 3 time on ice performance, playing a little over 37 minutes in the 5-4 defeat, nearly five minutes more than the next Devils skater. They essentially played with five defensemen because Seamus Casey—who was making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut—played just nine minutes. These two instances marked two of the three highest ice time games in Dumoulin’s career.
The 33-year-old is now set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer for the second time in his career. He’ll be 34 when the 2025-26 season begins, but he demonstrated that he still has a lot to provide during his time with both the Ducks and the Devils. His workhorse capability and dependable nature in all three areas of the ice will be attractive for teams looking to strengthen their blue line. While Dumoulin isn’t a flashy, point producer, his ability to open up space for his more offensively-inclined teammates by being a reliable defender won’t go unnoticed.
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