The New Jersey Devils are already staring at a goaltending problem, and the awkward part is that they helped create it.
This summer, the club made the move to move on from Jacob Markstrom, a decision that fit what plenty of fans had been pushing for. Markstrom has opened well with the Florida Panthers, but the same old volatility has started to show back up.
The bigger issue came with the plan that replaced him. Sunny Mehta opted to lean on Jake Allen and Nico Daws, a choice that turned heads from the start. Mehta even described goaltending as “random,” brushing aside the idea that the Devils needed to swing big for a top-tier netminder.
That “randomness” showed up fast. Daws’ first start of the season ended in a 6-0 loss to the New York Islanders.
If that had been against the Colorado Avalanche, the reaction might have been different. Colorado brings a kind of offensive punch that can overwhelm almost anyone.
But the Islanders? They are not supposed to be that kind of team, and that is what makes the result so troubling.
Allen, at least, is the steadier part of the picture. He is the kind of goalie you generally know how to read. Daws is the one who looks like the swing factor, and unless he sharpens up quickly, Mehta may be forced to deal with the very unpredictability he shrugged off.
It is also worth noting that this is still early. On Tuesday night against the Utah Mammoth, Allen did enough to keep the Devils in it. His defense, though, gave him little help and made several mistakes that left him exposed.
Utah is young and fast, and it tested New Jersey throughout the night. Allen stopped 26 of 31 shots, but the five goals against still left the Devils short. He gave them a chance, just not enough of one.
The pressure will climb again the next time Daws gets the net. Sheldon Keefe cannot ride Allen every night, so the Devils will have to live with whatever version of Daws shows up.
For now, Daws has the runway to prove he belongs. If he does, Mehta’s plan starts to make sense. If he keeps showing cracks, the Devils may have to go hunting for another goalie to pair with Allen.
That search will not be Connor Hellebuyck. Rumors have linked him to New Jersey, but Mehta may be second-guessing the price the Winnipeg Jets have attached to their former starter.
There is still a chance this sorts itself out. The problem is that Mehta does not appear eager to gamble on that kind of luck. After Tuesday, Allen looks like the one Devils goalie who can be trusted to hold things together.
In Other News...
Devils Have An Early Weakness Keefe Cant Ignore
The Devils early season has already shown a familiar stress point, and it is not hard to spot why Sheldon Keefe is paying close attention. New Jersey has been giving up too many goals in bunches, including recent games against the Islanders and Utah Mammoth, and the issue has quickly moved beyond a one-off bad night. Keefe has pointed to defensive habits and the little details in front of the net, the kind of breakdowns that can make a game feel much harder than it should.
Penalty killing has also been part of the concern, which only adds to the urgency as the schedule keeps moving. The Devils are working to clean up those issues before they harden into something bigger, because early defensive slippage can linger if it is not addressed quickly. For a team trying to establish its identity, the next few games will say plenty about whether this is just a rough patch or a problem that needs more than a few corrections. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Gave Devils Fans Another Reason To Defend Nico Hischier
ESPNs latest ranking of the NHLs top 100 players for the 2026-27 season gave Devils fans another familiar debate to pick at, with Nico Hischier landing 54th after being placed 23rd in the previous version. For a player who has become the face of New Jerseys leadership group and one of the steadier two-way centers in the league, the slide raised eyebrows well beyond Newark, especially given the way the list is framed as a look ahead rather than a simple recap of last season.
The comparison points make the ranking even harder to square. Aleksander Barkov, who missed the entire prior season, was placed ahead of Hischier, while Connor Bedard came in at 43rd despite an expected injury absence early in the year. For Devils fans, it is the kind of list that invites an instant defensive reaction, because Hischiers value has never been tied to flash alone, and the gap between reputation, production and outside perception still seems to be widening. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Loss Exposed A Roster Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The loss to the Utah Mammoth put a familiar Devils issue back in the spotlight: once the top six stop driving play, the offense can run dry in a hurry. Sheldon Keefe pointed to the gap in talent and scoring support beyond Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and the rest of the clubs best forwards, a problem that has lingered whenever the top group is quiet or dealing with injury.
For a while, New Jersey could lean on speed as a separator, but that edge has narrowed as more teams around the league have caught up. With that in mind, management has already started looking for ways to rework the roster, and Sunny Mehtas group now faces a clear test of whether it can add the kind of depth that keeps the Devils dangerous even when the stars are not carrying everything. [Read more 🡒]