New Jersey’s latest roster puzzle is already taking shape, and it starts in goal. With Markstrom gone and the $6 million that was set to kick in now belonging to Florida, the Devils are left with Allen, Nico Daws and David Rittich at a combined $3.9 million. That’s the setup, and Sunny Mehta has already put a label on it: crease-by-committee.
Allen, for his part, said in July that he can handle three goalies as long as the communication is clear. He also admitted he didn’t enjoy the last time he was part of a situation like that. Both of those things can be true, and camp now has to turn that arrangement into something the Devils can actually use.
Elsewhere around the league, the clock is ticking on another major contract storyline. The Wild remain confident they’ll get Hughes signed to an extension before the season opens, with the start of the year just three weeks away.
They’ve made it clear these negotiations take time and have said they’ve heard nothing to suggest he doesn’t intend to sign. Still, until the deal is done, the uncertainty hangs there - the same kind of cloud that hovered over Kirill Kaprizov a year ago.
And in Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby confirmed on Tuesday that extension talks are happening with the Penguins. The challenge, he said, is finding the right term as he considers what comes next. Crosby, 39, is entering his 22nd NHL season with Pittsburgh, and it will be the final year of the two-year, $8.7 million extension he signed in 2024.
In Other News...
Devils Linked To Quinn Hughes But The Price Could Sting
The idea of Quinn Hughes landing in New Jersey is the kind of speculative swing that instantly gets attention, because it would change the Devils blue line in a hurry. Hughes is already viewed as one of the top defensemen in the league, and any conversation about bringing him in naturally comes back to what a team has to give up to make it happen.
In this scenario, the cost is part of the appeal and part of the danger, with the proposed return built around prospects, developing players and a first-round pick. That kind of package can look reasonable on paper for a club chasing impact now, but it also says plenty about how expensive a move for a player like Hughes would be, which is why the idea remains more intriguing than imminent. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Roster Battles Are Heating Up As A Bigger Shift Takes Shape
Training camp is doing what it always does in New Jersey: turning roster theory into a daily test. The Devils are sorting through how their lineup might fit around Luke Evangelista, while the competition for the third-line center job adds another layer to a group already being evaluated on puck retrievals and cleaner zone exits under GM Sunny Mehta's influence.
Andy Greene, now working as an advisor, has only sharpened the conversation by suggesting this roster may be more talented than the one that reached the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. It is the kind of internal confidence that can mean something once the games start, but right now it mainly underscores how much is still in flux, from the forward combinations to the bigger shape of the lineup the Devils are trying to build. [Read more 🡒]
Evan Rodrigues Faces A Devils Test That Could Define This Move
Evan Rodrigues arrives in New Jersey with a track record that makes him easy to trust and hard to pin down. The Devils brought him in as part of the Jacob Markstrom trade, banking on a forward who has carved out a long career as a dependable depth piece and shown he can fit into winning lineups, including two Stanley Cup runs with Florida.
For the Devils, the appeal is obvious: Rodrigues gives them another experienced option in a forward group that wants more stability and versatility. What is less certain is how much offense he can provide in this setting, and whether this move ends up looking like a smart supporting add or something closer to a bigger swing once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]