Many New Jersey Devils players have succeeded not just in New Jersey, but on other teams as well. Here a few major examples.
Throughout New Jersey Devils’ history, we’ve seen many players sign with the Devils and players who left the Devils. Even if we see players like Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur up in the rafters, that doesn’t mean they spent their entire career in New Jersey. Many Devils players who come here are far and few in between when it comes to future stars for other teams. However, there have been, on some occasions, many Devils players who panned out with other teams. Most of these guys have gotten to the Stanley Cup Final, with some of them winning one. So, let’s look over which starts have panned out after their time with the New Jersey Devils.
How Zach Parise Has Panned Out In Minnesota So Far
We all remember this dark day in Devils history. Where were you when Zach Parise signed that 13-year $98 million contract on the 4th of July 2012? I was sitting in my house when I got the news, but let’s get back on track here.
After having a 69-point season in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final run, Parise left the Devils and signed with the Minnesota Wild. He ended up becoming perhaps one of the best players in recent history, as he averages almost 40 points in seven of his eight years playing there.
Despite not reaching the Stanley Cup Final as of yet, he’s had the moments that made him a Wild legend, like scoring that game-tying goal against the St. Louis Blues in the Game 1 of the 2017 playoffs.
There is one big issue with his contract. When he got signed to a 13-year deal, he was only 28 years old. Now four years away until he turns 40, Parise’s contract will have a massive cap hit by the time Parise turns 40. Usually, players don’t play in their 40s in the NHL, so it will likely that Parise could retire. It was a gamble the Wild needed to take, but the Wild better hope he has several good years left and gets to a Cup soon because taking Parise was a risk. It affected the Wild cap so severely that it may go down as one of the NHL’s stupidest moves.
When Scott Niedermayer Panned Out with the Ducks to win a Cup
Now we go to a player whose jersey is hanging up in the Prudential Center. Scott Niedermayer is one of many fans can name when you think about the New Jersey Devils. Niedermayer would spend 13 years with the Devils before leaving during the 2005 NHL Lockout. When hockey returned the following season, he signed a four-year contract worth $27 million with the Anaheim Ducks. It was probably not a coincidence that his brother Rob Niedermayer played in Anaheim. Ducks fans must’ve felt ecstatic about having both brothers on one team.
However, it would be Scott amongst the two brothers who would pan out. In his first two years with Anaheim, he would have more than 60 points a season. But it was Niedermayer’s second season that Ducks fans remember the most. Niedermayer that season put up 69 points, which put him in in the NHL All-Star Game for the 3rd straight year. Most importantly, he became a vital piece to help the Anaheim Ducks win the Stanley Cup. Niedermayer would continue the rest of his career with the Ducks and retired after the 2009-10 season at 36. However, both his times with the Devils and Ducks will never be forgotten by the NHL fans.
When Brian Rolston Panned Out for Other Teams
Finally, we come to a player that begins his first season as Stanley Cup champion with the Devils during the 1994-95 season. During his first few years with the Devils, he would average more than 30 points per season. Brian Rolston seemed like a future Devils star in the making. However, something exciting happened with Rolston during the 1999-2000 season. Rolston got traded to the Colorado Avalanche and played only 50 games before being traded to the Boston Bruins. While in Boston, Rolston started to stand out more as a player. It would get even better once he signed with the Minnesota Wild during the 2005-06 season. In his very first season with the Wild, he had a 79-point season, which was the highest point totals for him in his career.
After spending two more seasons with the Wild, the Devils decided to sign him again during the 2008-09 season. While he wasn’t near the player he was in Minnesota, he did average 30 points per season. However, he turned 37, so it seemed his career had to come to an end soon. In his final season during the 2011-12 season, he played with the New York Islanders and finished off his career in Boston for the last 21 games. Rolston was the player that this article was all about, starting his New Jersey career and playing well with other teams. It goes to show you that the Devils can produce talent almost yearly.