With arbitration hearings looming, the New Jersey Devils were able to re-sign
two key restricted free agents yesterday in Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen.
Coleman inked a three-year deal worth $1.8 million a season, while Noesen
signed a one-year deal worth $1.725 million. Here';s why the Devils are
getting great value with both contracts.Noesen';s 2017-18 Breakthrough

Noesen proved to be one of the Devils'; unsung heroes in 2017-18. He finished
the year with a career-high 13 goals and 27 points in a bottom-six role. He was
 part of a dominant checking line - along with Travis Zajac and Coleman - that
helped carry the Devils to their first playoff berth since 2011-12.

The Devils had some struggles at five-on-five, but that wasn';t the case for
Noesen. He finished the year with a 51.76% Corsi (CF%) and a 54.47% expected
goals (xGF%) when on the ice. He also had a significant positive impact,
finishing with a relative Corsi (Rel CF%) of 3.36% and a relative expected
goals (Rel xGF%) of 4.51%. Both of those numbers were in the team';s top five
for players to play at least 100 minutes.Stefan Noesen had a breakthrough
season for the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18 (Photo by Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY
Sports)

Noesen';s value comes on defense, but that doesn';t mean he wasn';t able to
chip in on offense. His 1.54 points per 60 minutes (P/60) at five-on-five was
better than Kyle Palmieri, Pavel Zacha, and Travis Zajac';s scoring rates in
2017-18. The Devils take pride in having strong two-way forwards, which is the
perfect way to describe Noesen. If he';s able to repeat his performance in
2018-19, he should get some term when he';s a restricted free agent next
summer.Devils Get Coleman Locked Up Long-Term

Coleman, much like Noesen, proved to be a crucial role player for the Devils.
He finished the season with 13 goals and 25 points in 79 games. At
five-on-five, he had a 49.38 CF% and an xGF% of 54.07% when on the ice. He also
 had a significant positive impact, finishing with a Rel CF% of 1.33% and a Rel
 xGF% of 4.78%.

Coleman was one of the Devils'; top defensive forwards at five-on-five, and it
carried over to the penalty kill. He was one of the team';s best shot
suppressors and allowed the sixth-least scoring and high-danger chances per 60
minutes (min. 30 minutes played) while down a man (via Natural Stat Trick).New
Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (23) and New Jersey Devils center Blake
Coleman (40) high five prior to their game against the Washington Capitals at
Prudential Center. (Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

Coleman and Noesen totaled about the same amount of points, with Coleman
scoring at a slightly worse rate (1.23 P/60) than Noesen at five-on-five.
However, Coleman showed improvement, totaling seven goals in the team';s final
16 games. If he can score on a consistent basis, he';ll help give the Devils
much-needed secondary scoring in their bottom-six.Related: Devils'; Underrated
Rookie: Blake ColemanDevils Banking on Depth from Within

Instead of signing third and fourth-liners to expensive contracts in free
agency, the Devils are content to move forward with Coleman and Noesen. Giving
term and dollar to depth players in unrestricted free agency can be costly,
especially if the results don';t warrant it.

There are two examples of that taking place this summer - the New York
Islanders'; signing of Leo Komarov and the Vancouver Canucks'; signing of Jay
Beagle. The most notable difference between them and Coleman and Noesen was
their impact at five-on-five this past season, which the following table shows.

Player Rel CF%Rel xGF%Length of ContractCap Hit

Blake Coleman1.33%4.78%3 years$1.8 million

Stefan Noesen3.36%4.54%1 year$1.725 million

Jay Beagle-10.44%-8.05%4 years$3 million

Leo Komarov-5.87%-5.8%4 years$3 million

Even though Komarov and Beagle';s points totals (19 and 22) were not far off
from Coleman and Noesen';s, they had a severe negative impact on CF% and xGF%.
The same can';t be said of Coleman and Noesen, both of who had a positive
influence. Komarov and Beagle each signed for four years, $3 million a season.
There';s good to reason to believe they won';t live up to those contracts based
 off their results.

The Devils have to be pretty satisfied with how things turned out. Even though
Noesen re-signed for just a year, he';ll be an RFA next summer, so the Devils
still control his rights. Coleman would have been an unrestricted free agent
next summer so signing him for three years eats up two UFA years at a
reasonable cap hit.Blake Coleman proved a crucial part of the Devils'; success
in 2017-18. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Devils head coach John Hynes and his staff should be optimistic about Coleman
and Noesen moving forward. They';re both steady players at five-on-five, can
play tough defensive minutes, and have some offensive ability. Coleman even
goes an extra step by being a staunch penalty killer. They';re both signed to
deals that won';t hurt the team in the future. As long as they continue to
deliver results, the Devils will have great value in each player.*    *  
 *Advanced stats from Corsica Hockey except where noted.

The post Coleman & Noesen Deals Give Devils Value appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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