Devils sign defenseman John Moore, forward Blake Coleman

Thursday, July 2, 2015

NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils have signed defenseman John Moore to a three-year contract as a free agent.

General manager Ray Shero also announced on Wednesday that forward Blake Coleman signed a two-year entry level contract and free agent forwards Paul Thompson and Jim O'Brien received two-way contracts.

Moore, who is entering his fifth NHL season, will earn an average of $1.66 million. Shero did not disclose the financial terms of Coleman's contract. Thompson and O'Brien got contracts that will earn them $575,000 annually at the NHL level. Thompson got a two-year deal, O'Brien one.

Moore split the 2014-15 season between the Rangers (38 games) and Arizona (19 games), finishing with two goals and nine assists. He also won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2015 world championships.

The 24-year-old Moore has nine goals and 31 assists in 230 games with Columbus, New York and Arizona.

Coleman spent the past four years at Miami (Ohio), getting a career-high 20 goals and 17 assists in 37 games as a senior. He was taken in the third round of the 2011 draft by the Devils.

Thompson, 26, set a franchise record and finished second (tie) in the AHL with 33 goals in 73 games for Albany last season. He entered 2014-15 with 39 goals in 200 AHL games.

Thompson has played three of his four pro seasons at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) under new Devils coach John Hynes. Before turning pro, he played four seasons at New Hampshire and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

O'Brien, 26, joins the Devils' organization after completing the 2014-15 season with Hershey (AHL). He recorded 10 goals and 19 assists in 32 games, and added three goals and an assist in 10 postseason contests. The forward began last season with Novokuznetsk Metallurg (KHL).

He saw action in 63 regular-season NHL matches with Ottawa from 2010-11 through 2012-13, recording eight goals and four assists. O'Brien began his pro career in 2008-09 with Binghamton (AHL), and was a member of its 2011 Calder Cup championship team.