Kurtis MacDermid Fills Void For Devils

"Okay, but why?"

That became a repeated online response to the New Jersey Devils Friday morning announcement that the organization re-signed 30-year-old Kurtis MacDermid to a three-year contract worth $3,450,000.

The return of the 6-foot-5, 235-pound forward was expected as general manager Tom Fitzgerald revealed he was speaking with MacDermid's agent, Ian Pulver, back in April during an MSG Networks broadcast.

"Both parties agreed to the term, and Kurtis is really excited to be a New Jersey Devil and part of a future championship team like the Colorado Avalanche," Pulver said to The Hockey News in a phone call. "He enjoyed his short time in New Jersey, and both sides believe Kurtis can play a valuable role on and off the ice."

For some, this move felt reactionary and was triggered by New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe, who was ejected in back-to-back games against the Devils this season for his hits on Nathan Bastian and Jonas Siegenthaler .

While the Rempe narrative is valid, that is not the only reason for MacDermid's presence. Another example is the Florida Panthers and their recent history with the Devils.

In Dec. 2022, Devils captain Nico Hischier took a faceoff against Aleksander Barkov. The latter suffered an injury , and for the remainder of that game, seemingly every Panthers player targeted and took a run at Hischier.

That nastiness carried over, and in their next meeting, Matthew Tkachuk saw an opportunity to go after Hischier in the final seconds of the third period and took it.

While the Panthers do not have a Rempe, Ryan Reaves, or Nicolas Deslauriers on their roster, they do have Tkachuk and Sam Bennett - two players known for their more aggressive style of play, with Bennett leading the way.

"There are several players who feel Bennett is a nasty player and has become one of the meanest players in the league, and it's why he has become so effective," Elliotte Friedman said on the May 13 episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast .

Players like Bennett will always play with an edge. Still, one has to wonder if he or Nick Cousins, who has recently built a reputation for himself, would play with that same level of snarl, knowing MacDermid is on the opposing bench, or will be someone they would have to contend with later.

There is value in MacDermid's presence on the ice, and if it allows New Jersey's star forwards, including Jesper Bratt , Hischier, and Jack Hughes , to be more comfortable and play with more time and space, how is that a bad thing?

It is not how many minutes a player is given but what that player is capable of doing in those minutes. MacDermid may have averaged 4:22 of ice time in his 16 games as a Devil in the 2023-24 season, but he effectively stood up for his teammates, sent a message to opposing teams, and played a physical game. In essence, he fulfilled the role that was expected of him.

The Devils will not win with 12 Jack Hughes-type players. Teams need diversity throughout their forward group, and each player has a role. Some players have bigger roles or, as fans would say, more important roles, but each ultimately serves a purpose.

"Overall, there is a presence," Mercer said of MacDermid. "You do feel it, and I think the other teams feel it, too, so it's nice for us."

MacDermid brings something to the Devils that no other current roster player has. A lot of it is the intangibles that will not necessarily show up on the scoresheet or on his stats line, and that is why only judging a player on their analytics and stats card could lead to missing the entire point.

The Quebec City native plays with heart and will do what is necessary, whether it is hitting and wearing opposing players down or dropping the gloves against other league heavyweights.

The breakdown of MacDermid's contract is as follows: 2024-25: $1,250,000; 2025-26: $1,200,000; 2026-27: $1,000,000.

Related: Devils’ Kurtis MacDermid: ‘There’s a Right Way to Go About Things and a Wrong Way'

Related: Devils Re-Sign Kurtis MacDermid to Three-Year Contract