The New Jersey Devils missed the playoffs last season with a 38-39-5 record and knew they had to make some major moves this off-season to improve their roster. One of their biggest needs was finding another goaltender and the team did just that, trading for Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom in June.
On top of Markstrom, the Devils also added the likes of Brendan Dillon, Brett Pesce, and Paul Cotter. This roster is already full of talent with players such as Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, and Tomas Tatar, who re-joined this summer after two years with the club from 2021-23.
In Tatar's eyes, the Devils are a squad that should strike fear into opponents in '24-25. Via The Athletic:
“I look on paper,” Tatar said, “(and) the team looks very scary.”
Tatar was a key contributor for the Devils in 2022-23, scoring 20 goals and tallying 28 assists. While he struggled last season with the Seattle Kraken, the hope is Tatar can find his best again in familiar surroundings.
Markstrom should be game-changer for Devils
New Jersey's biggest issue last year was in between the posts. They ranked 27th in the NHL in goals allowed, with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid struggling immensely. Markstrom was actually a trade target during the season and wanted out of Calgary but a deal never materialized.
Markstrom's agent, Patrick Morris, was in contact with Flames GM Craig Conroy for months to try and make something happen. The Devils were always a team the Swede was interested in playing for:
“He basically picked New Jersey pretty early in the process and was fixated on New Jersey all last year,” Morris said, via The Athletic. “It didn’t just come up at the trade deadline. There were behind-the-scenes, lengthy discussions in December, January and February.”
New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald said they had offers before the deadline but nothing stood out for the Devils:
“There were offers made back and forth, but nothing of substance to be quite honest,” Fitzgerald said. “We felt we made a really fair offer at the deadline — picks and prospects. I would say I really felt there was something in the works prior to that, but it didn’t happen.”
The Devils got their man and when the trade happened, Markstrom expressed his excitement to play for a team with high expectations. Via NHL.com:
“This is a big challenge,” Markstrom said. “It's a big team with high expectations and as a goaltender, there's pressure, and I've been on teams where there was pressure on goaltending in the Canadian market. I know what's expected and me, as a person too, and people who know me that I just want to win hockey games. And when we don't win I'm my hardest critic, so I'm just super happy and stoked about going there.”
Markstrom posted a 2.78 GAA in 23′-24 and brings a ton of experience to the table. The Devils are going to score goals — it will come down to just how solid they are defensively and in net. After a busy offseason, it wouldn't be a surprise to see this organization competing in the playoffs next year.
As Tatar said, this roster is extremely capable.
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