Dawson Mercer re-signing
Grade: C+
The Devils and Dawson Mercer finally came to agreement on a three-year deal in the middle of training camp, but he lost essential time in Sheldon Keefe's new system, and he always seemed like he was playing from behind. Many lost faith in Mercer, but he's still got two more years on his three-year, $12 million deal. It's early to judge this completely, but nobody is thrilled with Mercer's season this year. At least he avoided injury.
Brenden Dillon signing
Grade: C-
The New Jersey Devils went heavy on defense. The Brett Pesce signing was heavily rumored, but the Brenden Dillon signing came as a huge surprise. At the time, it was clear that the Devils paid too much for Dillon. They wanted the asset, and they gave him a $4 million per-season deal over three years. What makes it worse is that there is a full no-trade clause attached to the contract. He added physicality to the lineup, and he wasn't a negative asset, but the price is going to really hurt them this offseason unless his injury is worse than he says.
Tomas Tatar signing
Grade: C-
This one is less about Tomas Tatar as a player as it is about luck and situation. The Devils signed Tatar late in the offseason, and he was basically signed to be the Devils' top-six winger. They hoped that chemistry with Nico Hischier would deliver for them in 2024-25. That's just not what Tatar is anymore, and he ended up being a fourth-line forward. He was fine in that role, but the Devils were desperately calling for secondary scoring, and Tatar couldn't give them that. He was even a healthy scratch at times this season.
Kurtis MacDermid re-signing
Grade: F
This didn't make sense then, and it makes even less sense now. Kurtis MacDermid was added 18 months ago to bring toughness and camaraderie to the Devils. They were breaking under the pressure of the 2023-24 season, so his trade made sense to mesh the locker room, but giving him more than a minimum contract to return feels like the wrong move. Most think this was a move to give the Devils an answer to Matt Rempe, but that's a terrible reason to add someone to what is supposed to be a playoff-ready roster. The Devils should try to get out of this contract this offseason.