Former Penguins Forward Just Became A Roster Watch For Pittsburgh

Stefan Noesen's waiver placement by the Devils highlights the tough decisions teams face balancing past performance with current form and salary cap considerations.

A familiar name from Pittsburgh’s past is suddenly on the waiver wire.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the New Jersey Devils have placed former Penguins forward Stefan Noesen on waivers, putting him within reach of the rest of the league. Noesen was scratched for New Jersey’s most recent game against the Utah Mammoth before the move was announced.

His start to this season has been quiet. In two games with the Devils, he has no points, four hits and a minus-2 rating. That comes after a much rougher stat line last season, when he put up three goals, seven points, 33 hits and a minus-12 rating in 38 games for New Jersey.

The bigger picture, though, is a little more complicated. Noesen was productive not long ago, scoring 22 goals and finishing with 41 points in 78 games for the Devils in the 2024-25 season. Before that, he had 14 goals and 37 points in 81 games for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023-24.

Whether that recent track record is enough to get him claimed remains to be seen. His $2.75 million cap hit could make teams hesitate.

Noesen also has a short stint in Pittsburgh on his resume. He appeared in six games for the Penguins during the 2019-20 season, scoring one goal and recording 10 hits with an even plus/minus rating. In the AHL that year, he was far more productive, posting 14 goals and 22 points in 22 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

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