Top Penalty-Kill Defenseman Brenden Dillon Joins the Devils
After playing with the Winnipeg Jets for the previous three seasons, skilled defenseman Brenden Dillon, entered free agency as one of the best on the penalty kill in the league. Over the course of his career, Dillon has established a solid reputation as a hard-charging, gritty defender who is ready to go above and beyond to win, especially when it comes to his skills and the penalty kill unit. Dillon led the Jets in hits, was third on the club in blocked shots, and was fourth in plus/minus ratings during last season. Now, it has been reported that the New Jersey Devils have added Dillon to their roster next season on a three-year deal, worth $12 million.
The 33-year-old defenseman, who went undrafted at the beginning of his career, signed an entry-level deal with the Dallas Stars in 2011. Dillon played for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL for four seasons before moving on to the NHL. In 271 games, he scored 85 points, tallied 11 goals, and provided 83 assists. Following two seasons in which he gradually worked his way into the Stars' starting lineup, Dillon achieved new career highs in his third NHL season in 2013–14, finishing with six goals, 11 assists, 17 points, and the fourth-best plus/minus rating among NHL defensemen at +9. In 2014, Dillon was moved to the San Jose Sharks, where he would start to have an offensive breakthrough after playing for the Stars for four seasons. With 22 points and 17 assists in his fourth season with the Sharks, Dillon went on to set new career highs in both categories.
Last season with the Jets, in 77 games played, Dillon finished the year with eight goals, 12 assists, and 20 points and came up clutch with two game-winning goals in the regular season. Dillon was a constant presence on the Jets' attack and defense in their first-round playoff series against the Avalanche. He assisted on three goals before missing the last two games due to a cut hand sustained in Game Three. The arrival of Dillon this free agency has given the Devils more defensive depth going into the upcoming season since they will be playing in a division renowned for its hard-hitting and aggressive style of play. As they want to battle with the best teams in the Eastern Conference, Dillon, a 13-year starter, will have a significant effect on the team.
