The New Jersey Devils appeared to be a team on the rise at the start of the 2023-24 season. They were expected to battle the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers for the Metropolitan Division title. They had a boatload of great offensive talent, and after finishing second in the division and beating the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, there was quite a bit of confidence surrounding head coach Lindy Ruff's team.
But with less than 30 games remaining in the regular season, the Devils find themselves on the outside of the NHL's playoff structure looking in. They are in fourth place in the division, a surprising seven points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the last divisional playoff spot.
The last Wild Card spot is much closer. That position is currently held by the Detroit Red Wings with 60 points and the Devils are just two points back, and both teams have played 53 games going into Saturday's action.
The Devils have been troubled by injuries and inconsistent goaltending throughout the season. They may address the latter problem prior to the March 8 trade deadline by making a move for Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
The 34-year-old goaltender has a no-movement clause in his six-year, $36 million contract, but Markstrom has said he would consider waiving that option if he was presented with a solid opportunity.
The Flames have struggled most of the year, and do not look like a playoff team at this point. Markstrom has a 17-14-2 record along with a 2.50 goals against average and a .916 save percentage. That's significantly better than Nicolas Daws, Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid, the three goalies that have played for the Devils this season.
Follow Us
Subscribe
