Jake Allen continues to not be it for the New Jersey Devils. Should he be the odd goalie out when Markstrom returns from injury?
Let’s start today by giving credit where credit is due. When goaltending was the absolute worst thing about the New Jersey Devils last season, they went out and got Jake Allen. He was the only goalie last year who looked even somewhat good in net. While the season was already a lost cause by the time he arrived, he kept the Devils competitive. Allen gave fans a reason to believe he could be a strong backup to whoever the Devils went out and got to be the starter.
Alas time marches on, and 2024-25 Jake Allen isn’t 2023-24 Allen.
Well, maybe in some ways they’re close. While he played well in many appearances last season, Allen’s stats weren’t starter level and that’s still the case. In 2023-24, some of that could be chalked up to the personnel and system in front of him. While his goals against is down and save percentage up this season, his overall results have been worse. After going 6-6-1 last season as the primary option after coming over, he’s 9-13-1 mostly as a secondary option this season. With the Devils wanting to compete, being in net for only 19 of a possible 46 points isn’t contributing enough.
Thankfully, help is on the way, as Markstrom has been practicing for the Devils. Upon his return, the corresponding roster move should be to send Daws back to Utica, since he’s still waiver exempt, right?
If the intent is to have the best 23 available players on the roster, why send Daws down? Yes, his sample size this season is very small, but in two starts, he has two wins and has looked very strong in net, both when starting and in relief. The Devils also would be counting on Daws in a relief role, while Markstrom would continue to do the heavy lifting as he did prior to his injury. I’m still not 100% sure on Daws being the long-term net solution for the Devils, but right now I think he’s bringing a better chance to win than Allen is.
If the Devils organization came to this same decision, then they would need to do one of two things. The first would be to carry three goalies, which at this moment wouldn’t be hard to do. Simon Nemec could be returned to Utica, as the team seems more inclined to deploy Seamus Casey right now, and again Nemec is also waiver exempt. Or the Devils could send Justin Dowling back on waivers or (finally) waive Kurtis MacDermid. No matter which option you like and/or choose here, an open spot to keep a third goalie on the roster is achievable.
The other alternative, if the Devils want to keep extra forwards and defenders around, would be to waive Allen himself. While his play leaves plenty to be desired, statically he hasn’t been all that bad (especially in terms of goals saved above expected), but for some reason the Devils aren’t winning with him in net. I don’t think Allen has been bad enough for this to be a realistic option, but he’s just too inconsistent right now for the Devils to continue relying on him even semi-regularly to help pick up points. Additionally, depth is key this late in a campaign, so the Devils should do whatever it takes to not sacrifice that depth.
I think with the final full month of the season approaching, and the Devils still needing to secure their position in the standings, they should keep three goalies on the roster, at least for now. If a trade deadline move necessitates an extra healthy scratch, fine, make use of Daws’ waiver exempt status. Right now, Dowling and especially MacDermid aren’t moving the needle. Send one down, and keep Allen as a scratch so you don’t lose him if anything goes wrong with Markstrom or Daws. The Devils should absolutely be running that pair though, as those are the goalies right now that seem confident in net, and the players in front play accordingly as well. The Devils need as many points as possible, and again, 19 of 46 just isn’t enough to keep deploying Jake Allen.
What are your thoughts on the Devils goaltending situation? Should the team go Markstrom/ Daws upon the return of the former? Is Allen still the backup in your eyes due to his statistical performance? Would you prefer three goalies be kept in Jersey, especially as the playoff push amps up? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!