50 Greatest New Jersey Devils Players of All Time: Numbers 40-31

Greatest New Jersey Devils player of all time: 39. Bill Guerin

Bill Guerin had an interesting career with the Devils. He was drafted fifth overall in 1989, and he got to join the Devils as they were on their way up. His first season in the NHL was in 1992-93, a relatively long time to wait for such a high pick. He even took some time to get going while in the lineup, but he eventually became a really good player for the Devils.

He helped them in both the 1994 and 1995 runs in the playoffs. His numbers in 94 look putrid (three points), but he was getting everywhere on the ice and recorded 48 shots. The next season, he only took 28 shots as the Devils made their way to the Stanley Cup Final, but he recorded 11 points.

Guerin had the team lead with 29 goals in 1996-97. He was starting to hit his stride, and it looked like the Devils would have another major player to add to the core. However, he made the one mistake so many other greats made before him. He got into a contract dispute with Lou Lamoriello. He reportedly only signed in 1997 so he could play on the 1998 Olympic hockey team. He was eventually shipped to Edmonton with Valerie Zelepukin for Jason Arnott, a player who will be on this list later.

Guerin eventually had a really good career and is now the GM of the Minnesota Wild. He never hit the heights the Devils hoped from a fifth-overall pick, but he had some good seasons on a team desperate for offense. He was probably right that he deserved more, and maybe he felt going into a different system would be best for him. As for his time with the Devils, it was an interesting journey we chose to look at positively.