General manager Tom Fitzgerald and the New Jersey Devils will face difficult choices as the March 8 trade deadline sneaks closer. New Jersey is a talented team but has been battered by injuries, and it entered play on Thursday with the 10th-best point percentage in the Eastern Conference. That doesn’t scream “contender.”
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But if the team can fight its way into a playoff spot and regain its health, it’s still a dangerous group. The Devils showed that in 2023, finishing with 112 points and beating the New York Rangers in the first round.
If injuries have been New Jersey’s biggest issue, goaltending has been the clear No. 2. Vitek Vanecek, the Devils’ primary starter, has an .882 save percentage and has saved 12.84 goals fewer than expected, per Evolving-Hockey. That’s the second worst mark in the NHL. Akira Schmid, last year’s playoff hero, has had a similarly disappointing campaign, posting a .893 save percentage. He’s now with the AHL club in Utica.
Nico Daws (.916 save percentage) has been the team’s bright spot in net, but he’s played only six NHL games this season. Like Schmid, he’s only 23, so betting on him to be the No. 1 on a team with playoff hopes is risky.
That all means that New Jersey’s best hope in goal might be outside the organization. With Dougie Hamilton (torn pectoral muscle) possibly out for the remainder of the regular season, the Devils could put him on long-term injured reserve, then spend over the salary cap by up to $9 million, the total of Hamilton’s cap hit. If that ends up happening, Fitzgerald will have financial flexibility. Goaltending is the obvious position at which the Devils could try to upgrade, but they could pursue another defenseman, too.
The Athletic’s recent trade board, compiled by Chris Johnston, included five goalies. Let’s look at the top four of them — Jake Allen, Jacob Markström, John Gibson and Marc-Andre Fleury — and examine why they might or might not make sense for the Devils.
Jake Allen, Montreal
No. 5 on the trade board
$3.85 million average annual value contract through 2024-25
.901 save percentage in 15 games this season
Allen, 33, isn’t the flashiest name in trade circles, but he is an established goaltender from whom the Devils would know what they’re getting.
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Allen has a .908 career save percentage over 11 seasons and was the Blues’ backup when they won the Stanley Cup. With Montreal, he has worked as both a starter and No. 2. His numbers with the Canadiens haven’t been remarkable at surface level, but Montreal struggled defensively in 2022-23, so Allen shouldn’t take all the blame for his career-low .891 save percentage that season. He’s been above .900 every other year of his career and he entered play Thursday having saved 3.91 goals more than expected this season, according to Evolving-Hockey.
In an ideal scenario for a team, Allen would likely be a 1B rather than the go-to starter. But New Jersey needs options, and he’d be one who could at least provide stability. He also has postseason experience, with a .924 save percentage in 29 games (23 starts) for the Blues.
The Devils have kept tabs on Allen. The price of acquiring him will likely depend on if Montreal has to retain part of his contract. If the Devils are willing to pay Allen’s full contract for the remainder of this year and next, they might only have to give up a mid-round pick. But the more Montreal has to retain, the higher the cost.
Jacob Markström, Calgary
No. 19 on the trade board
$6 million AAV through 2025-26
.912 save percentage in 26 games
If Allen is a more cautious target, Markström would be a big swing. At his best, he’s an elite goalie who has twice finished in the top five of Vezina Trophy voting. He had a poor 2022-23 season for Calgary, finishing with an .892 save percentage in a disappointing Flames season. But the 33-year-old has bounced back this year and leads the NHL in goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey.
Markström has familiarity with Devils associate coach Travis Green, formerly the head coach of the Canucks. They went to a Calder Cup Final together with the Utica Comets in 2015, and Green relied heavily on Markström when Vancouver won a playoff series in 2020. That might not play into New Jersey’s thinking, but familiarity doesn’t hurt, especially considering that Markström has a no-movement clause.
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The Flames would expect a strong return if they’re going to move Markström, and the Devils would have to fit in his sizable cap hit for two seasons after this one.
John Gibson, Anaheim
No. 20 on the trade board
$6.4 million AAV through 2026-27
.901 save percentage in 28 games
Playing for a rebuilding Ducks team, the 30-year-old Gibson hasn’t appeared in the postseason since 2017-18. His save percentage has dipped in recent years, but a large part of that is the team playing in front of him. He has saved 12.55 goals more than expected, per Evolving-Hockey, and his name has come up during trade conversations in recent offseasons, as Johnston wrote on his trade board. Perhaps this is the time the Ducks decide to make a move.
While evaluating goaltending options, New Jersey has looked at big names, including Markström and Gibson. Both are longer-term options with pricier contracts that could make more sense to move during the summer. If the Devils acquire either, they would be part of the core going forward rather than a stopgap like Allen.
Marc-Andre Fleury
No. 26 on the trade board
$3.5 million AAV through 2023-24
.897 save percentage in 22 games
With a full no-movement clause, Fleury will dictate his own availability. The Wild’s playoff hopes will also play a part, too. If they’re in the hunt, they won’t move on from their veteran goalie.
At 39 years old, Fleury is not having a great year. He has a sub-.900 save percentage and has saved 4.37 goals fewer than expected, according to Evolving-Hockey. Since the start of December, though, he has a .912 save percentage. It would make sense for the Devils to keep an eye on him, but any concrete talks — if Fleury is even receptive to a trade — likely wouldn’t materialize until closer to the deadline. By that point, Fitzgerald might have already made a move.
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Wild card
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday that the Predators will listen to offers for Juuse Saros. The 28-year-old has only a .900 save percentage this season, but he finished in the top six of Vezina voting each of the three seasons prior. He comes with a $5 million cap hit that goes through the 2024-25 season. If New Jersey pursues him, he’d certainly fall into the same big swing category as Markström and Gibson.
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— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) January 18, 2024
(Photo of Jake Allen: Brett Carlsen / Getty Images)