The New Jersey Devils tried so many forwards during Tom Fitzgerald’s tenure as general manager. It seemed like every year there was a new version of Luke Glendening on the roster. This past season, they had two with Glendening and Juho Lammikko, guys who were signed as depth but were forced to play way too many games because of injuries.
Another great example of that was back in 2023-24. The Devils were forced to play Tomas Nosek and Chris Tierney for way too many games. This was the year from hell where just about everything went wrong just one year after the best Devils season since they went to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.
Taking 10 steps back was hard, but it wasn’t as hard as it was to put a lineup together. Lindy Ruff essentially had an impossible job, and he failed at said impossible job. Tom Fitzgerald signed Nosek in the offseason and added Tierney after a successful PTO, but neither did much of anything. Nosek was supposed to be the better of the two, but injuries made him largely ineffective in his one year in Jersey.
Nosek finished the year with two goals and four assists in 36 games. The Devils needed so much more from him after the fourth line from a year prior was changing games.
Nosek would sign with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers after the season. Devils fans were confused by the move, as they saw nothing worth signing, let alone to a team that was an actual contender.
Nosek turned out to be the type of player they needed. He filled a role for the regular season, and he ended up playing 16 playoff games en route to seeing his name on the Stanley Cup.
Clearly, Nosek found a better home in Florida than in New Jersey, but he also found what might be the end of his NHL career. After a second year in Sunrise, Nosek is leaving North America and heading home after failing to sign a contract in free agency.
Tomáš Nosek se vrací domů! 🏡
— HC DYNAMO PARDUBICE (@HCPCE) July 31, 2026
Zkušený útočník odešel z Pardubic do NHL v roce 2014. Od té doby nasbíral v nejlepší hokejové lize světa přes 500 startů. V roce 2025 získal Stanley Cup. Nyní se vrací tam, kde to všechno začalo. pic.twitter.com/dDwixfVJ07
Tomas Nosek is going to play in Czechia this season
Nosek is signing with the club where he started his career, HC Dynamo in the Czechia league.
Nosek was probably going to have a quality NHL career as a bottom-six player, but injuries derailed him every time he found the right fit. He was claimed during the expansion draft by the Vegas Golden Knights, and he helped them make the Stanley Cup Final in their first year of existence. And like we said, he won a ring with the Florida Panthers.
It’s possible that Nosek could go to Czechia for a year or two and return to the NHL, but it’s unlikely. Usually a step towards Europe or the KHL is the last move by a player before he finishes out his career overseas. Still, Nosek is an undrafted player who has stretched a career that nobody expected.
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