Strong Reasons: The New Jersey Devils have quickly found out their mistake in signing both Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen to multi-year deals a year before they were free agents. There is no problem with Allen now, and he should be the starter in New Jersey if they are serious about winning games, but Markstrom is a problem this season.
Allen has started one more game than Markstrom and the numbers are vastly different. Allen has a 2.61 GAA, .911 SV%, one shutout, Jersey and 5.38 goals saved above expected (GSAx). He has a record of 11-10-1. Markstrom, on the other hand, has won despite his play. He is 10-10-1, but has a 3.48 GAA, .878 SV%, no shutouts, and a -11.58 GSAx.
To add fuel to the fire, Markstrom was left in net for all nine goals against in the Devils’ 9-0 loss to the New York Islanders. The Devils are only paying part of Markstrom’s current contract and his cap hit for the Devils is just $4.125 million AAV. Jersey Next season, his new contract starts and the team will be paying $6 million AAV. Allen is signed for four more years at $1.8 million AAV, which seems great right now.
A big problem that the Devils will have going into next season if Markstrom isn’t moved is that they will lose Nico Daws. The team got lucky this season that nobody picked him up off of waivers. Jersey He will be next season if he isn’t moved before that so the team avoids losing him for nothing. Daws could be playing in the NHL right now and has had some good looks. But the Devils, thinking they are clear cut contenders, went with their pair of 35-year-old goalies.
There’s not much the Devils can do this season because Markstrom has a no-move clause, but he has a 20-team no-trade list when the summer rolls around. The best course of action is to get Daws on the NHL roster and go a similar route to what the Montreal Canadiens did with Sam Montembeault or what the Carolina Hurricanes did with Frederik Andersen.
Markstrom can’t be sent down, but he can be put in a three-goal rotation and hardly play while he isn’t playing well. Sometimes veterans need to be reminded that their job isn’t safe and other talent can be brought in. This way the Devils play Allen more, Daws gets a better look, and there is a better chance of getting a quality start every night as the Devils try to climb back into a playoff spot.
