The New Jersey Devils made a move in goal on Sunday, claiming Rémi Poirier off waivers from the Dallas Stars and placing David Rittich on waivers in a corresponding transaction.
Poirier, 24, has spent the last several years building a strong case as one of the AHL’s better young goaltenders. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, he was picked in the same class as Nico Daws, whom the Devils selected three rounds earlier. With the Texas Stars, Poirier put together steady numbers and gradually earned the No. 1 job there.
This past season, Poirier played 52 games for Texas, tying for the league lead in appearances and finishing with a .912 save percentage. Among goalies who appeared in at least 40 games, that mark ranked second.
At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he has done enough at the AHL level to get New Jersey’s attention, though he still has yet to appear in an NHL game. He had been behind Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith on Dallas’ depth chart.
Rittich’s placement on waivers opens the door for a potential reshuffle in the Devils’ crease. The veteran was signed on July 3 to a one-year, $1 million deal and was expected to serve as the third goalie behind Jake Allen and Daws.
The thinking around New Jersey had been that the club would enter 2026-27 with three goalies in the mix, especially with Allen and Daws both carrying questions if asked to handle a starter’s workload. That picture now looks like it could include Allen, Daws, and Poirier, since Poirier must stay on the NHL roster or be returned to Dallas.
If Rittich clears waivers, he would likely head to Utica, where he could split starts with Jakub Malek or serve as the backup. If another team claims him, he’d still be a usable NHL backup. Either way, the Devils’ uncertainty in net has grown, with two untested options now sitting behind Allen.
In Other News...
Alexander Holtz Just Revived An Old Devils Development Debate
The Devils roster trim ahead of the official deadline brought the focus back to the margins of the organization, with goaltender David Rittich on waivers and Remi Poirier claimed from Dallas. It also put an old familiar name back in the conversation, as several former Devils players, including Alexander Holtz, landed on waivers elsewhere.
Holtz is the one that resonates most in Newark because he was once the kind of first-round talent the franchise hoped would grow into a long-term scoring piece. Instead, after being moved to the Vegas Golden Knights, his limited scoring success has reopened a familiar debate about how the Devils handle top prospects, how quickly they expect offense to arrive, and whether the player or the development path was the bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Made Nico Daws' Situation A Lot More Complicated
The Devils added another layer to their goaltending picture by claiming Dallas prospect Remi Poirier off waivers, a move that comes on the heels of David Rittich landing on waivers. It is the kind of transaction that can look minor on paper but carries real weight in a position group where opportunity is often as important as talent, and New Jersey now has another young goalie in the mix as it sorts out its depth chart.
For Nico Daws, the timing makes an already crowded situation more complicated. The Devils appear to be considering a three-goalie rotation, which could reshape how the team manages starts and development at the position, while also forcing a closer look at who fits where over the coming stretch. For now, the move adds competition and uncertainty, and it leaves Daws' immediate path a little less straightforward than it was a day ago. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Final Roster Fight Just Got A Lot More Intense
The Devils have already started trimming the roster for the 2026-27 season, sending several players down to their AHL affiliate in Utica after a preseason that gave the coaching staff plenty to weigh. New Jersey closed exhibition play at 3-0-1, and the results were encouraging enough to leave the final decisions a little more complicated than a typical early cutdown.
Wins over the Islanders and Rangers helped set the tone, but the bigger story was how some of the younger pieces handled the moment. Amadeus Lombardi was among the players who made a strong case with his preseason work, and now the Devils have to sort out which performances translate into openings in Newark and which ones mean a longer stay in Utica. [Read more 🡒]