NJ Devils Sign Brett Pesce & Brenden Dillon In NHL Free Agency

welcome back Devils fans it is your host Ace here on running with the Devils where we are talking New Jersey Devils hockey all season long please hit that subscribe smash the like share with a friend thank you very much and here we are the day we all waited for I was super excited I was super pumped up into the wee hours of the morning dreaming what could have been and as it stands right now the New Jersey Devils big off season has got us two upgrades on defense has got us two upgrades on defense the heavily rumored Brett peshy is in fact coming to New Jersey all those rumors were not based on nothing he is coming and on the left side Brendan Dylan also coming to the New Jersey Devils and guys I’m trying to be optimistic I’m trying to stay positive but I honestly had such high hopes much more hopes I thought those would be the two pieces you know to kind of kick things off and we see something something exciting something sexy and it’s not there it wasn’t there peshy coming in at a little less I think than a lot of us thought getting a six-year deal at 5 .5 a year I think that’s a great value for peshi and he’s going to be an upgrade over John Marino that’s the reality peshi is better than Marino and he’s here for six years at 5.5 and then Dylan Brendan Dylan I’ve talked about for a while on the program I did think that the projections a lot of the projections had them making like 2.8 million and I thought that was kind of low and people told me uh that’s kind of what they expected given his age but I thought he was going to get more like the 4 million we did give him so Brendan Dylan to New Jersey for three years at 4 million peshy six years at five and a half and the blue line is better Kevin ball and Marino swapped out for Dylan and peshy is an upgrade however with some of the other Rumors in the past couple days the big names the big game hunting sarelli really got my hopes up with that Steven Stam Coast thing and it made all the sense in the world but it was not in the cards and as it stands right now we may still be looking for forward help but at the moment we got two blue liners guys and our defense will be better and we do have markster and net and so this Devil’s team should be improved we should be harder to score against I was just hoping for a little bit more I was hoping for a little bit more and maybe Fitz still has some tricks up his sleeve it’s disappointing and I’m a little disappointed in Steven Stam Co to be honest I thought you know he was an old school guy in the fact that he might leave money on the table to try to go to a winner but it turns out he was looking for money and it’s unfortunate he signs a four-year deal with the Predators at 8 million per I mean that is not you know I hate to to be that person but the Predators are not a cup favorite by any stretch I understand you know it’s very appealing location they got Broadway the bars the cowboy girls the cowboy chicks whatever you want to call them and it’s cool but I expected more from Steven Stam Co and the reality is these new school athletes are not the old school Guys these guys are not leaving money on the table for the most part and it’s a shame the modern athlete is a different breed and this just further cements it we’re not living in the good old days that I talk about anymore these guys are looking for money and Stam Coast got it 8 million bucks times four years to go to the Predators and then the Predators go out and get Marsha show as well shout out to Predators fans you guys should be ecstatic Barry trotz is in fact going big game hunting Barry trotz is a big game hunter that man on free agency went out and got arguably two of the most coveted forwards he lands Steven Stam coast and Mara show I mean wow that is phenomenal that is really big game hunting maybe Fitzgerald should take some cues maybe take some notes here and see how you truly go big game hunting because trotz did that today trotz was a big game hunter Tom Fitzgerald was just a expected Game Hunter you know peshi was rumored to us for a week so that was pretty much a foregone conclusion I don’t know honestly how how those rumors came out so early and how there was so many of them very interesting to know how that all came out and Brendan Dylan was rumored in the last few days as well so the two deals that seemed to be the most likely to happen are the ones that happened and here we are on the outside looking in at forward help um I don’t have much to say here I’m honestly in a State of Shock with all the you know speculations in the past day or so I I’m a little gutted I’m not going to lie I really am I thought today could have been one of those Monumental days that we look back on and we’re like do you remember where you were when you found out the Devils got St Stam Coast you know I really really was hoping for that it wasn’t meant to be and he went for the money and he’s in Nashville and they got Marshall show it’s crazy it’s crazy but I just wish I wish a lot of things honestly I really do it’s just depressing I’m I’m going to I’m still going to hold that hope hope that we do something else later today but it seems like everyone’s coming off the board um and I’m just looking at the stuff in real time as it’s coming in yeah like you guys all know zadorov was my number one want he signs for five million a year for six years in Boston like why couldn’t we get zadorov why couldn’t we get zadorov I really wanted zadorov he is the Fitzgerald checklist personified heavier edgier more violent and I have to believe that again these are all analytics team driven decisions I hate to say it guys I’m G to say it and I I’m again I’m not trying to be negative I’m trying to stay positive but the analytics team is run the analytics team is running the team the analytics department is running the New Jersey Devils Dylan and peshy scream analytics picks I believe they were in the war room and the math nerds came out and maybe Fitz Dr was talking about some of these violent gentlemen back in the a couple weeks ago like zadorov and tanov but the math nerds were like nope you get peshy and you get Dylan those are the guys that were earmarked by them and those are the guys we got and I think that’s what’s Happening Here I really think that’s what’s happening here and it’s unfortunate because as I’ve said time and time again sometimes I think you need to look at things with the eye test and the the gut feeling and you know use human intuition if you will and that doesn’t always register on these charts and graphs and all those things and so I really wanted zadorov a lot of people were expecting him to sign for six plus million dollars a year and for the deal to come in at 5 million bucks it’s it’s an even more of a gut punch because you know what is that five million bucks I mean we should have been in on that it’s really disheartening let me know what you guys think in the comments about this you know I am happy on one hand that the defense is improved I mean listen that’s undeniable it really is Dylan and peshi in for ball in Marino is an upgrade and it could be a sizable upgrade time will tell but I just wanted the more violent variety and I really wanted to get some more of those nasty guys and as it stands right now again you know when you come out and say you want guys that are heavier edgier more violent I was expecting several of them and maybe a top six variety of that and a defenseman maybe or two and as it stands right now Paul cter a bottom six guy is our only heavier edger more violent acquisition and I like that move but I thought it was going to be in conjunction with other moves that kind of made the team really go more in that direction and that’s not the case it’s not the case I would would love to know if we were in on any of these other guys or if we just completely whiffed but wow just wow I’m stunned I’m completely stunned and I’m disappointed guys I’ll be doing a live tonight at 8:30 check it out on the page and it seems like it will be sorrow drinks not celebration in my opinion I know a lot of people will say this was a great day and it’s a good day but it’s not a great day because quite frankly I mean these are the two guys that it seemed like we were going to get and we were all for more maybe I’m alone maybe you guys are going to be like Ace you’re crazy this was a great day I don’t think it is I think it’s a good day but I I’m extremely disappointed I’m extremely disappointed I wanted more I expected more and I don’t think this is big game hunting I’m sorry this is not big game hunting to me whatsoever Barry trotz went out and went big game hunting that is how you go big game hunting taking two of the biggest top six guys on the board in in Stam coast and Marshall so that is how you big game hunt wow I just got to cool off a little bit maybe something else will trickle in I’ll be back you know shortly after this but 8:30 tonight we are doing a live come in chat with rest of devils fans I’ll have some Callins we’ll have some drinks we’ll about the Devils but it’s just a disappointing day it’s just a disappointing day then I saw some other things really late or really early in the morning that I didn’t even bother putting up because it’s just it was crazy pipe dreams and I wasn’t going to feed that I don’t know some of you may have seen something crazy out there I’m probably not alone some of you probably saw what I saw and I I immediately wanted to freak out and talk about it but I was like I’ve talked about this to death I’m not going to do it anymore Brady there was some rumors about that coming from different places early in the morning but I’m happy we did upgrade the defense but if I’m being honest I just I can’t get excited as I was hoping to get that’s it that is it let me know what you guys think about these signings I’ll be back soon I’m just trying to calm down and take a lot of stuff in right now it’s a lot it’s uh not the greatest July 1 for me throw it all out there in the comments I’ll be back shortly like comment subscribe and all that jazz until next time friends let’s go devils [Applause] oh

NHL Free Agency is officially underway!

The New Jersey Devils have signed defensemen Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon.

I discuss this and more in this video.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

See our other videos for Devils Coverage!

Subscribe for more Devils content to come!:
https://www.youtube.com/@runninwiththedevils?sub_confirmation=1

Follow us on Spotify:

Follow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/runninwiththenjdevils/

Follow us on X:
https://www.instagram.co@m/runninwiththenjdevils/

Cash App:
https://cash.app/$RunninWithTheDevils

Venmo:
https://venmo.com/u/RunninWithTheDevils

#njdevils #nhlfreeagency #newjerseydevils #brettpesce #brendendillon #devils #tomfitzgerald #pesce #dillon #njdevilspodcast #newjerseydevilspodcast #nhl #hockey

21 comments

  2. At least he tried for stammer and John, rumor was Nikita wanted to play in Boston that’s why not many teams were tied to him

  5. We need a shoot first mentality winger now with these defensemen and Noesen. Palats contract is a real killer. $6 million should be enough for a top six winter but instead we get 40 games with 0.5 PPG production per season. Seems like a good guy but that contract aged poorly the minute that it was signed

  6. I’m not disappointed at all, we will be buyers at the deadline and make the playoffs with these changes and maybe we pick up someone else. Tarasenko for free is now my wish! Nashville had a lot more $ to work with and maybe Marchessault preferred Nash over NJ for reasons we don’t know. Happy we passed on stamkos honestly we don’t need another PALAT situation.

  7. Love ya bud but cmon dude. We got so much tougher to play against and defensively (which was our major problem) with with the additions of Cotter, Noesen, Pesce, Dillon, and Kovacevic. They had a combined 692 hits last season and they're big dudes, never mind MacDermid, Lazar and Bastian. Throw in Timo and Palat in there as well as not being a pushovers.

    The Stamkos deal is completely retarded, TB offered him half of what he got. Fitz should've be fired on the spot if gave him that contract, that would be insane for us. The Preds had double the amount of cash the Devils have as well and they used it but their defense is total trash.

    There's a thing called the cap, I would have liked a top six upgrade but there's not much else out there we can afford.

    Our defense is freaking stacked holy shit and if you're an old school Devils fan that's where we should concentrate on and build out from there. We already have the hardest part to acquire which are two stud defensemen in Luke and Nemec as well as the forward core of Jack, Nico, Timo and Bratt, throw in Mercer as well. We just need another top 6 guy and we're set.

  8. There are a lot more teams in the NHL we can’t assume they even wanted to come here at all. Can’t get everyone every time. We revamped the team with top hitting guys and defensive minded defenders. Added vets and size which fitz was true to his word completely. He delivered on everything he said so far except top 6 foward that’s very successful so far to me.

  9. Kinda wish we still had Holtz to play wing. We need someone up front I’m still holding out hope for Henrique. Let’s have him finish what he started

  13. Yo Ace, Vince from Brick here..I can't believe you're really shocked about this my friend, THE DEVIL'S NEVER SPEND THE MONEY ON ANYONE!!!..you should know that brother, once Lou left, we were fucked buddy..I'm totally with you on everything you said here bro, the Devil's screwed up horribly, and I'm pissed..I will be there watching your live tonight, looking forward to it..sorry my friend..sad Day! 🙏👹😢

  14. I think if Fitz had just kept silent, and made these exact same signings it wouldn't feel like a disappointment. You can't puff out your chest and tell us your big game hunting, and then go get B to B+ guys. Markstom is probably the best move he made and let's be real…any GM running our team would have made that happen as it was a forgone conclusion.

  15. You don't want to overspend in free agency, better to keep your powder dry for now, see how your season is going and pounce at the trade deadline for a difference-making player like a top-six forward.

  17. You wanted heavier, edgier, and more violent….. Dillon hits way more than Zadorov, and Dillon isn't a small guy either at 6-4 225.

    I can understand the disappointment with what was this point in the day on Day one, but at least the D is improved. They were sorrowful last season. The net and the blueline are secure for now. I'm happy from that perspective, but I would like to see another trade for a top-6 guy. I don't know how, or who, but one more would make me feel better too.

  18. When we were winning cups it was on the back of good defence and goal tending with average offence team is more similar to that makeup now.
    If meier and jack can stay healthy and we can still compete for a cup

  21. Zadorov signed with Boston because they are a better franchise lol Are you okay brother? And he isn’t that much better than Pesce

Leave a Reply