Monday’s 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets was a doozy. Jake Allen played the first two periods in net for the New Jersey Devils, ceding the crease while up 2-1 due to cramping. Jacob Markstrom thus played the third period, and everything was going well for the first 19 minutes and 30 seconds he played. Then, with the Columbus net empty, there was some scrambling around the net, and Markstrom ended up hurt on a play where the Blue Jackets scored to pull back within one goal.
It was not entirely clear what happened. Markstrom threw his glove and blocker off, rolling around the crease in obvious pain. He stayed in for the final seconds of the game, but gingerly rushed off the ice once the final horn blew. To this point, there is no update on Jacob Markstrom, as the Devils are practicing. Sheldon Keefe may shed some light on what happened later, though.
For the time being, we know one thing: Nico Daws has been recalled from the Utica Comets for tomorrow’s home opener. Will he start? That much is unclear. Jake Allen is present at practice today, and he could very well get the nod.
To make room for Daws on the active roster, the Devils have placed forward Zack MacEwen on injured reserve. The exact details of MacEwen’s injury have not been revealed, but Keefe recently indicated his injury would require him to miss time. It is listed as an upper-body issue on the Devils’ website. This is rather unfortunate for MacEwen, who intrigued onlookers with his decent skating and hard shot in his season debut.
While MacEwen is now known to be out for at least seven days from the time of the injury (from Saturday), Markstrom is still technically able to play. If he were placed on injured reserve, he would have to stay out of the lineup until the Devils play the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Tuesday, October 21. Keeping Markstrom off of injured reserve really just preserves him as an option for the Saturday contest against the Oilers, though the extent of his injury has not yet been revealed.
I think the Devils should play this safe by giving Nico Daws the home opener start. Will they? With Jake Allen back at practice, I am a little doubtful. But after Allen had to leave his first game with cramping, giving fans fears of a worse issue, I would rather he stay off the ice until Saturday. Florida, while still a very good team, has been missing two of their best offensive forces. Edmonton, meanwhile, still has all their elite scorers.
Nico Daws is a capable goaltender. He stopped 27 of 28 in a 1-0 loss in his only game for the Comets this season. He had a .939 save percentage in his six appearances (four starts) for the Devils last season. He had an up-and-down 2023-24 season with an .894 save percentage, though he was likely not at his best because of overuse in February and March of that season due to the Devils’ numerous issues in goal that year. In that season:
- First 12 games: 6-6-0, .912 SV%
- Next 9 games: 3-5-0, .859 SV% (.750 SV% in two games directly after his 45-save Stadium Series game)
With Markstrom out of the lineup, Keefe should resist the temptation to load up games for Allen. By continuing to work in the rotation, he can avoid overworking Daws, who has not quite shown an ability to handle a full starter’s workload (his career high in total games was 46 in the 2021-22 season, coming closest with 40 in 2024-25 after getting hip surgery in 2023). Allen, meanwhile, has not played over 40 games since 2022-23, when he had an .891 save percentage for Montreal. Keefe needs to continue rotating his goalies with the health of his veterans over the 82-game schedule in mind.
This post will be updated if more is reported on Jacob Markstrom.
1:00 PM Update:
Jacob Markstrom will be out a couple weeks, then likely week-to-week, with a lower-body injury.
Your Thoughts
What did you think of Markstrom’s injury on Monday? Do you think Allen or Daws should start tomorrow? What expectations are you setting for Daws if he has to play for an extended period? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.