The New Jersey Devils continue to retool their blue line by adding Brenden Dillon.
The New Jersey Devils continue to retool their blue line by adding Brenden Dillon.
NEWARK, N.J. -- New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald continues to focus on his blue line after a disastrous 2023-24 season.
On Monday afternoon, Fitzgerald announced that the team had signed 33-year-old defenseman Brenden Dillon to a three-year contract worth $12 million ($4 million AAV).
Dillon was undrafted and began his NHL career with the Dallas Stars. In November 2014, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks, where he played 439 games. The defenseman briefly played for the Washington Capitals before landing in Winnipeg, where he has played for the Jets for the past three seasons.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound blueliner is coming off a season in which he scored a career-high eight goals. While not known for his offense, he does bring a much-needed physical presence. In 2023-24, he was credited with 241 hits, 11th most in the NHL.
He was relied upon on the penalty kill and averaged 2:13 of shorthanded ice time per game, second most behind Dylan DeMelo.
He joins a blue line that includes Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler, Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, Johnathan Kovacevic, Nick DeSimone, and Brett Pesce.
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