Many New Jersey Devils fans were surprised when Tom Fitzgerald decided to bring back Stefan Noesen last offseason. He signed him to a three-year deal worth $2.75 million per season. It was more expensive than many thought after Noesen was a tweener player during his first stint with the Devils.
He ended up being worth the money, scoring 22 goals and adding 19 assists. His goals and points were both career highs.
Noesen was worth every penny, but he scores all of his goals in a very specific way. Fifteen of his 22 goals came fromt directly in front of the goal and just a few feet out. Noesen is cleaning up rebounds and standing in the way for on timers right next to the goalie.
Nobody is asking Noesen to play differently. This is how he scores goals, and he's one of the best in the league when looking at a few inches away from the crease. There's one issue when it comes to the Devils: Noesen takes forever to get there.
The Devils play somewhat of a run-and-gun transition system. They do that to fit the talent of its best forwards. Jack Hughes is always looking for his next takeaway, and he wants to get a two-on-one the other way. He needs players who can keep up with him. That's why it was great seeing him paired with Jesper Bratt. Both players can run and gun.
Nico Hischier isn't looking for turnovers like Hughes, but he does want to tip the puck out of the zone. Pairing him with Noesen slows everything down. Noesen was in the bottom half of the league (if not lower) in top-skating speed (21 miles per hour), 20-22 MPH bursts (21 when the league average was 78), and 22+ MPH bursts (0 on the season).
There is some value in slowing things down, but the Devils aren't the team for that. We learned that with how many turnovers they had in their own zone. The Devils need to be faster next season.
And that's the problem with Noesen. To be most effective, Noesen needs sustained offensive zone time. However, he doesn't fit with Hischier and Hughes because of his lack of speed. He doesn't fit on the fourth line because they aren't going to be in the offensive zone much, and he won't have the type of ice time to establish himself. The third line is where he will likely end up, but who will the center be on that line? That likely impacts Noesen's effectiveness.
Noesen provides timely scoring for the Devils, but they need someone who can establish the offensive zone without needing back-and-forth hockey.