New Jersey Devils’ 2025-26 Report Cards: Paul Cotter – The Hockey Writers – New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils’ 2025-26 season ended suddenly, as the team missed the postseason with a 42-37-3 record. After a commanding start, the Devils collapsed upon their return from the Olympic break, missing the playoffs. They will look to have an intense offseason to add depth, scoring, and strength on the blue line.

Every player on the roster contributed throughout the season, although some had a greater impact. This installment highlights forward Paul Cotter, who delivered an okay performance.

Performance With the Devils This Season 

This season marked Cotter’s second full season with the Devils. He played in 79 games and recorded 15 points via nine goals and six assists. He scored his first goal seven games into the season on Oct. 22 against the Minnesota Wild, opening the scoring for the two teams as well. Just three games later, he recorded his first assist. 

He had three multi-point games and had a streak in December where he recorded four points in three games. On March 16, Cotter scored two goals, including the overtime game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins. This game was down to the wire, and Cotter scored with seven seconds remaining in overtime, making him the hero of the game. 

Impact With the Devils 

Cotter has been a solid member of the Devils’ fourth line. He doesn’t always score goals, evidenced by his 15 points for the season, but he fills the needed role of the fourth liner well. He often eats away at minutes to get the first and second liners ready to get back out onto the ice. 

This season marked his fifth in the NHL, his fourth full-time. His veteran presence was necessary at the beginning of the season, when he was playing alongside less experienced players like Brian Halonen. He flexed between the third and the fourth lines, but spent the majority of the season on the fourth line.

Future With the Devils 

When the Vegas Golden Knights traded Cotter to New Jersey in exchange for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid after the 2023-24 season, he still had two more seasons on the contract he signed with Vegas. Now that Cotter has played two full seasons with the Devils, he has played until the end of this three-year contract, making him a restricted free agent (RFA). 

With Sunny Mehta now entering the Devils organization as the general manager (GM), whether or not Cotter returns to the Devils is a coin flip. The Devils want a team that could be considered a Cup contender, especially after their slide in the second half of the season that prevented them from reaching the playoffs. Mehta will want to be aggressive and pick up players who are known depth scorers. 

On the other side of the coin, Cotter does a great job at the role a fourth liner is supposed to do: eating away at minutes. He averaged 12:12 on the ice this past season, over a minute and a half more than he played with the Devils in the season prior. 

Thanks to some late trades, the Devils also picked up Maxim Tsyplakov and Nick Bjugstad, two forwards who ended their season on the fourth line with Cotter. Both of these players still have another year on their contract. Mehta will have some tough decisions to make regarding the fourth line. 

Overall Grade 

For the 2025-26 season, Cotter receives a D. His point production could use some work, as he recorded his lowest point total since he began playing in the NHL full-time. However, he played his role on the fourth line well, eating away at minutes to give the top-line players a moment to rest and recover to get back out on the ice and make an impact. 

Cotter’s future with the Devils is yet to be seen.