Devils GM Reveals Motivation for Acquiring Paul Cotter from Vegas

It’s safe to say that the New Jersey Devils were a shell of their former selves in the 2023-24 season. Following a 112-point 2022-23 in which the Devils were a force to be reckoned with, they fell flat on their faces last season after gambling on some internal pieces to advance to another level. After that didn’t quite happen, New Jersey went through a bit of a makeover this summer, bringing in some necessary veteran leadership and a bit of elbow grease. One player who the Devils are relying on to bring some missing elements back to the lineup is forward Paul Cotter.

When the Devils acquired Paul Cotter and a draft pick for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid, it certainly shook up the New Jersey fan base.

However, Cotter quickly endeared himself to the Devils faithful after a fun X (formerly Twitter) exchange with a fan.

Unreal, cant wait to break the sweater out opening day 🫨#NJDevils pic.twitter.com/mL2DbxAFKS

— Dom (@di1499) July 1, 2024

The social media exchange quickly changed the tune of Devils fans with his show of good faith off the ice. Fitzgerald is depending on Cotter to keep the fans in their good graces with his play on the ice.

“For us today and what we wanted to accomplish, adding a guy like Paul Cotter, who we believe has upside and has a little bit of Miles Wood in him, he can skate and is physical,” Fitzgerald explained

Cotter is a much different player in contrast to Holtz. He’s made a name for himself in the NHL thus far as a bottom-six grinder who racks up the hits and can occasionally chip in on offense.

In 76 games with the Golden Knights last season, Cotter had a career year, scoring seven goals and 25 points. However, points weren’t Cotter’s forte. Instead, he was deployed as the kind of player who collected 233 hits and forced 35 turnovers as a threat on the forecheck which is likely the bit of “Miles Wood in him” Fitzgerald was alluding to.

For what it’s worth, Cotter is on the same page as the Devils’ GM. He even believes himself to be able to play in an elevated role which could perhaps tap into that upside Fitzgerald mentioned he believe’s is in Cotter.

“I think those three are perfect [terms],” Cotter said in response to a prompt that described him as a plus skater with speed and physicality.

“Those are great terms to use inside your game. I think one of my biggest assets is being able to be versatile. I mean, I can play first line, I can play fourth line, second, third. You know, I can fit a lot of different roles. So whatever is needed of me, that’s what I’ll do. And I think my core game itself, being physical and puck possession and high energy on the bench, that’ll always be there, and hopefully I can contribute to whatever line I’m on.”

Cotter is nearly entering the prime of his career as a 24, turning 25-year-old a month following the start of the 2024-25 season. His raw stats don’t scream much in terms of offense and his fancy stats don’t necessarily help his case, either.

However, Cotter has shown flashes of offensive potential. He owns a heavy shot that can certainly beat NHL goaltenders, and has a silky set of hands which help him beat defenders mixed with his speed to create scoring chances.

WATCH THIS GOAL 1,000 TIMES AND YOU STILL WILL NOT HAVE WATCHED THIS GOAL ENOUGH TIMES

😱 pic.twitter.com/C6lINmdzhA

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 25, 2023

Sure, he’s known as the guy who plays with a mean streak. However, he possesses two traits that could allow him to unlock another level to his game.

Confidence and maturity.

“That’s a part of growing up too, is to stay in the moment and not get down on yourself if you’re not playing, or let your mind wander,” Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said to The Athletic earlier in 2023-24 following a game where Cotter’s minutes were low, but he made an impact on the scoresheet.

“I just made a decision just to try to get other guys going, and he happened to be the victim of it. I don’t think he was worse than anyone else. It’s a sign of maturity that he stayed in the game. Maybe last year he would’ve drifted and said, ‘Aw, coach isn’t using me tonight. I don’t have it,’ and take himself out of the game mentally.”

At the end of the day, the Devils had a plan this summer to revamp their lineup. Whether Cotter reaches the untapped potential Fitzgerald and others see in him remains to be seen. However, at a bare minimum, the Devils are getting a workhorse player who — bluntly — will make the oppositions job hell every shift he’s on the ice.

Yet, Cotter scored 13 goals in 55 games during his first full NHL season in 2022-23. That’s nearly a 20-goal pace in an 82-game span.

No one is asking Cotter to be the next Eric Lindros. However, Fitzgerald’s belief in Cotter’s ability to find another level to his game is certainly justified. Especially if he finds himself in the mix for top-six minutes alongside one of Jack Hughes or Jesper Bratt.

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