The New Jersey Devils have built a roster that can light up almost anybody in the Eastern Conference. Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and, to a lesser extent, Timo Meier give them plenty of firepower. But if the Devils want to turn that talent into a deep playoff run, the question hanging over them is in net.
So far, New Jersey’s goaltending hasn’t been bad. It just hasn’t been good enough to inspire much confidence, either. And for a team trying to push into contender territory, “fine” can turn into a problem fast.
The Devils moved Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers in the offseason after an uneven stretch in New Jersey, and at the time that decision made sense. The expectation was that the team would swing back and find another answer between the pipes.
That hasn’t happened yet, even after Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets became available. Instead, general manager Sunny Mehta has said he is quite comfortable with his goaltending.
That stance stands out because New Jersey is in a real window right now, even if it’s not viewed as one of the NHL’s true championship favorites. The issue is that the window is not exactly wide open, and the Devils do not seem especially urgent about trying to maximize it.
What they have now is Jake Allen, Nico Daws and David Riitich. Allen sits in the upper echelon of NHL backups.
Daws is still trying to settle in at the NHL level. Riitich is a steady third option who can step into a backup role when needed.
Together, that’s not the kind of trio most teams picture on a Stanley Cup contender.
There are exceptions, of course. The Carolina Hurricanes won the Cup with Brandon Bussi, Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov.
But Carolina is a much deeper team and operates in a system unlike any other in the league right now. New Jersey is not built the same way.
That’s why there may be nights when the Devils need five goals just to get two points. And that wouldn’t necessarily mean the goaltending was awful.
Sometimes it’s not about disaster; it’s about average play and the absence of that one extra save at the right moment. That’s how goaltending works.
It can cover up roster flaws, or it can expose them in a hurry.
For the Devils, that risk is real. They can spend long stretches controlling play and generating the better chances, only to come away empty because the save they needed never came. That danger only gets bigger when a talented team has some defensive shortcomings baked in.
Could this trio get them into the playoffs in a weakened Metropolitan Division? Sure.
But would you trust them to win a playoff round? Probably not.
Even if the group gets hot at the right time, it does not look like one that will steal a series for New Jersey.
Mehta’s thinking is understandable. Goaltending is volatile, and paying big money for a name does not guarantee better results.
Goalies are unpredictable by nature. Even elite ones can disappear into slumps, while average ones can catch fire for a stretch and change everything.
Andrew Hammond in Ottawa is the kind of example that reminds teams how strange this position can be.
Still, the Devils are making a bet. They are hoping they can find enough goaltending for less than Markstrom cost, or that a bigger investment would bring clearer results.
Trading Markstrom to the Panthers carried risk, and so does rolling ahead with Allen, Daws and Riitich. Mehta may still have one more swing left in him: a move for the goalie of the future.
Or he may simply believe this is good enough for now.
Allen has the résumé and has shown he can be effective in short bursts. But at 36, asking him to carry a heavy workload over a full season probably is not the best way to get peak performance, especially if he ends up as the playoff starter.
Daws, meanwhile, remains more of a question than a backup plan. The Devils can let him develop, and they should, but it would be a mistake to count on him as a postseason starter if they get there.
Hughes, Hischier, Bratt and the rest are going to put up plenty of goals. Even so, every serious contender has to survive stretches when the offense dries up.
That’s why the teams that truly go anywhere can win 1-0 and 2-1 when they have to. Right now, it’s hard to see New Jersey doing that often enough with this setup.
Mehta should be watching the goalie market closely. If a legitimate starter opens up, the Devils need to be ready to pounce and find someone who can share the load with Allen.
In Other News...
Devils Suddenly Have A New Path To A Superstar Trade
The Devils spent the offseason doing what contenders usually do when they believe their window is open: they reshaped the roster with a mix of trades and signings, including the addition of Luke Evangelista and new deals for key returning players. It was the kind of business that signaled New Jersey is trying to keep pace now, not just later, and it has left the front office with a group that looks a little deeper and a little more flexible heading into the season.
Now another wrinkle has surfaced, and it has to do with a player who would change the conversation in a hurry. Dylan Larkin reportedly broadened the list of teams he would consider if Detroit continues to explore options, and the Devils are among the clubs now mentioned. Nothing about that makes a deal imminent, but it does give New Jersey a fresh potential avenue to chase a star-caliber upgrade if the opportunity ever turns real. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Suddenly Have Two Trade Storylines Fans Cant Ignore
Brenden Dillons absence from the Devils lineup in recent games has only added to the sense that New Jersey may be heading toward a real roster decision on the blue line. League chatter has centered on whether a defense-needy team could come calling, and Dillons contract situation matters here too, especially after his no-trade clause limited movement last season.
The other storyline is even more intriguing from a Devils perspective: Dylan Larkins 10-team trade list reportedly includes New Jersey, putting the club in the mix as talks continue around possible multi-team trade scenarios. Even if nothing is close, the fact that the Devils keep surfacing in both conversations says plenty about how active this market could become and how much the front office may still be weighing before the deadline picture sharpens. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Got An Early Look At A Devils Problem Already Brewing
The Devils have been trying to find some stability in the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, and the results have reflected the unevenness Sheldon Keefe has talked around rather than through. New Jersey is 5-4-0, and the early stretch has already prompted lineup shuffling, including the decision to scratch veteran defenseman Brenden Dillon for four games as the staff tries to increase Johnathan Kovacevics workload and keep developing Declan Chisholm.
Recent returns have helped on the margins, with Luke Evangelista and Connor Brown both back in the lineup, and Evangelista made an immediate impact against the Colorado Avalanche with a goal and an assist. Even so, the larger concern for New Jersey is still hanging there: the Devils have enough talent to win games, but not yet the kind of nightly consistency that lets them settle into a rhythm, and the tweaks around the blue line suggest Keefe is still searching for the right balance. [Read more 🡒]