Last summer, the New Jersey Devils organization set out to rectify the main issue that torpedoed the 2023-24 season: goaltending. While Jake Allen had been brought in at the trade deadline and was viewed as a useful piece, he wasn’t seen as capable of a full starter’s load. Tom Fitzgerald went out and got his guy, bringing Jacob Markstrom in prior to free agency opening in the summer of 2024. The moves paid off well enough with the Devils returning to the playoffs in 2024-25. And as we enter 2025-26 what’s old is new again…or what’s new is old again, take your pick.
The Jakes will once again be the Devils main options in net this upcoming season, as Allen was re-signed to a new five year deal mere hours before free agency officially opened. Options on the open market for a new backup were far less attractive than bringing back Allen, even if five years might be one or two too many. At the same time, this also seems to signal that the Devils feel the other goalies in their system either aren’t ready, or perhaps in the case of Nico Daws, they’re starting to lose some confidence.
The Main Tandem
Now running it back with the same goalies from last season is certainly better than the hodgepodge of poor results from prior to the Jakes being brought in, but there still could be some cause for concern. Allen and Markstrom brought the Devils back to the playoffs, but just barely, with 91 points allowing them to limp in; while some of the issues were injury and depth based, there’s some need for the goalies to play better this season as well.
If I’m less concerned about one goalie over the other, it’s actually Allen. While he had some rough outings, particularly earlier in the season, a .908 save percentage in 31 games is respectable for a backup. He was also the ninth best goalie in the entire league (with a minimum of 15 games played) in terms of goals saved above expected, with 18.4. Allen’s high GSAE lends some credence to the struggles at times of the team in front of him, and the hope is that his numbers will look better with improved depth in front of him. Additionally, with half the defense not being hurt at the same time, if Jake plays the same he should wind up with more than 13 wins across 31 appearances this season.
I do have a bit more concern with Jacob Markstrom, as for a guy being paid and played as a starter, his numbers certainly were not what you would want to see. While his 26 wins in 49 appearances i=was fine, his .900 save percentage (a decline from .905 he had for Calgary the season prior) was alarmingly low for a guy who is expected to stabilize his position. He finished 30th in the NHL in GSAE with a mere 3.4, which again isn’t good enough for a starting goalie. The silver lining with Markstrom? His postseason was much more encouraging. He had a .911 save percentage across the five game series against Carolina and was the 4st best playoff goalie in GSAE with a 6.1. Take out the absolute stinker of a Game 4, and Marky’s numbers look even better. If THAT Jacob Markstrom comes to play every night in 2025-26, the Devils have a real shot to do a lot of damage this season.
The Rest of the Depth Chart
Health will be key for the Devils in net, as beyond the two veterans, there’s a whole lot of unknown. Nico Daws looked good for New Jersey in limited games/minutes last season, but he struggled behind a bad Utica Comets team. While he’s had some great moments as a Devil, there’s still a lot of question marks around him. Consistency has not been a synonym for the name Daws, and for a position where the Devils have had consistency struggles for a while, that does not bode well for his Devils future. With other talented prospects coming up (both in the AHL and elsewhere) Daws is at a juncture where he finds himself in danger of being passed by another goalie.
Speaking of question marks, the other goalie set to join him in Utica, Jakub Malek (Jake #3? Jake the Third?) will be playing in his first North American season. How his game will translate remains to be seen. He has looked pretty good in prospect and preseason games, and it will be interesting to see how he performs against more consistent competition in the AHL on a nightly basis. Tyler Brennan is also under contract, and right now he projects to be starting the season with Adirondack of the ECHL. He’s found a little less success so far in his professional career, but he’s still young enough to continue to grow and improve. Based on development so far and the play of Daws over his career, if either NHL goaltender gets hurt, it will be interesting to see who gets called up to join New Jersey. Hopefully, we don’t get a chance to find out; with all the question marks surrounding the young guys right now, the veterans will give the Devils the best chance to have a successful season.
Final Thoughts and Your Take
If the Devils main goalies stay healthy, and can elevate their play behind a (hopefully) improved Devils team, the Devils have a good chance to exceed last season’s success. If not, then the Devils will have to hope that the rest of their roster can stay healthy so that the team doesn’t falter down the stretch again this season. I do think health for both defenders and the goaltending will be key to the Devils improving their fortunes again this year. At the same time, I’m cautious regarding Jacob and Jake, as both are 35 (with Markstrom turning 36 mid-season) and father time affects all goalies differently. If the play drops off greatly for one or both, the Devils don’t really have a strong third option ready to go just yet. Hopefully, the wheels stay on the goaltending bus for at least one more season, and the Devils continue to push closer to being a true Stanley Cup contender.
Now I’d like to hear your thoughts regarding the Devils goaltending; do you think the Jakes will be enough to push the Devils further this year? Are you concerned about what will happen if one of them misses an extended period of time? Which goaltending prospect has you most excited for what they could bring to the team in the future? Any predictions for wins or other stats for the goalies? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!