Dawson Mercer, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Nathan Bastian spoke about Kurtis MacDermid and what he has meant to the New Jersey Devils.
With summer just around the corner, New Jersey Devils general Manager Tom Fitzgerald has a laundry list of items he needs to address over the next several months.
In an interview with MSG Networks host Erika Wachter and analyst Bryce Salvador, Fitzgerald revealed one of those items is to re-sign forward Kurtis MacDermid.
The Devils acquired MacDermid from the Colorado Avalanche on March 1 in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and forward Zakhar Bardakov.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound forward appeared in 16 games for the Devils, collecting one assist and 50 penalty minutes while averaging 4:21 of ice time.
He most notably fought New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe on April 3 for his hits on Nathan Bastian and Jonas Siegenthaler, two incidents that occurred prior to his arrival in New Jersey.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phGAeWcsSw8[/embed]
"(MacDermid) wasn't even here when the original incident happened, and he is the first guy to step in and stick up for guys he has known for a couple of weeks," Bastian said during his exit interview.
The Metropolitan Division has its fair share of tough customers beyond Rempe, including Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals and Nicolas Deslauriers of the Philadelphia Flyers. Having a player like MacDermid on the roster is not a bad thing for New Jersey.
After Dawson Mercer's media availability, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News asked him what MacDermid's presence in the locker room and on the bench has meant to him and his teammates.
"I think a lot of people can pretty much tell he is that big, intense character guy," he said. "For sure, in the game, he gives that presence of don't mess around and don't do anything stupid because he is there."
Through those 16 games, he amassed 29 hits and made his presence on the ice known even when he was not dropping the gloves.
"I would say he really cares about his teammates and the way that he presents himself; you definitely feel pretty comfortable with a guy like that," Mercer continued.
The Hockey News then asked Siegenthaler what it meant to see MacDermid stick up for him that night at Madison Square Garden.
"It means a lot. He's part of our team and battles for his teammates," the defenseman said. "I think that it's good to have in a team. You want to be as tight as you can. Sticking up for each other, it is always good to have guys like that on the team."
MacDermid is set to become an unrestricted free agent and, during his exit interview, reflected on his time with the Devils.
"Great team here, great young core. Obviously, there's some good pieces, and just got to put it together. There's a bright future for this organization, for sure."
The importance of momentum in hockey can't be ignored, and having a player on the roster with the ability to swing it to your team's advantage is never a bad thing.
"Overall, there is a presence," Mercer said. "You do feel it, and I think the other teams feel it, too, so it's nice for us."