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Defense has been an issue for the New Jersey Devils in the 2023-24 NHL regular season, which is also why it made sense for them to trade for Montreal Canadiens netminder Jake Allen.
But Allen, who will be earning $2.3 million in the 2024-25 NHL season, is probably not the end for the Devils' pursuit for a solution in front of the net, with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic saying that the New Jersey could still go big-game hunting in the offseason for a tier-1 goalie to partner with Allen.
“The Devils still aim to go out and trade for a bona fide No. 1 if possible this summer, and that includes re-engaging with the Calgary Flames on Jacob Markstrom but also investigating the situation with Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros and also a few other situations around the league.”
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At the time of this writing, the Devils are just 27th in the entire league with 3.48 goals allowed per outing. Vítek Vaněček was a subpar starter for New Jersey before the team traded him to the San Jose Sharks. Nico Daws hasn't been very effective either between the pipes, posting just a 9-11 record with a 3.26 GAA and .891 saves percentage through 20 games.
The 33-year-old Allen's best days seem to be behind him now, as it has been years since the last time he had a GAA lower than 3.30 in a season.
Considering all their current goalie options, it's easy to understand why they still feel the need to acquire another netminder with a higher floor and ceiling.
