During the Devils’ recent matchup against the Minnesota Wild last week, center Paul Cotter broke New Jersey’s franchise record for most hits in a single season with 231 hits. Cotter surpassed Blake Coleman’s previous franchise record of 225, which was set during the 2018-2019 NHL season. Cotter hasn’t stopped there as he continues to record hits each game, and his current record of 232 will continue to grow throughout the remainder of the season.
Alongside breaking a franchise record, Cotter has been a reliable player by being a great goal scorer and a consistent choice for whenever the Devils enter a shootout, where he is 3-of-4. One of his most impressive and important goals was against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 11, where he came out of the penalty box and scored on a breakaway to give the Devils the lead. The 25-year-old currently has 22 points, 16 of them being goals.
It is also worth noticing that there was lots of backlash and criticism of the trade that was made to acquire Cotter. New Jersey sent goaltending prospect Akira Schmid and right wing Alexander Holtz to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and the man himself, Cotter. The Devils won the trade, as Schmid and Holtz are presently on the Knights AHL squad, the Henderson Silver Knights. In comparison, Cotter has been a dependable third and/or fourth liner for the Devils in a season that has featured injuries to players up and down the roster.
It’s only up from here on out in Cotter’s situation as his hits record should continue to rise on Saturday evening when the New Jersey Devils take on their Hudson River rivals, the New York Rangers, at 12:30 p.m. at the Prudential Center.
