New Jersey Devils: 5 Backup Goalie Options In Free Agency

Robin Lehner

Let’s start with the obvious choice first. Robin Lehner should be the player the New Jersey Devils go all in for. If he wants a five-year deal, give him a five-year deal. If he wants $5 million per season, then do it. Does it have a chance of backfiring? As with all free-agent contracts, of course it does. However, he’s been one of the more consistent goalies of the past two seasons and he’s showed on the Chicago Blackhawks that he can excel behind a bad defense.

The problem here for the Devils is there could be a team that’s willing to make Lehner the starter. He’s one of the better, if not the best option on the market this season. Jacob Markström and Braden Holtby are probably the best options on paper, but we still think Lehner is better.

What’s going to hurt Lehner is the fact this is the second-straight offseason he will be available, after he was unable to secure a long-term deal. Now, he has much more competition in the goalie market than he did last season.

It will be interesting to see how things go once the NHL season restarts. Lehner only had three games in Vegas before the pause. In those three games, he had a ridiculous .940 save percentage. It’s possible he could end up taking the starter job in the playoffs from Marc-Andre Fleury, but that’s still very much up in the air.

Still, even without the run in the playoffs, Lehner will have his suitors. The problem is those suitors will have other options. That could lead the Devils to become a front runner for Lehner’s services. It won’t cost the Devils a five-year deal, and a three-year, $15 million would probably do it. It does complicate things that Blackwood’s deal expires this offseason. If they pay Lehner $5 million, pay Blackwood $3 million then pay $2 million for Schneider’s buyout, that’s $10 million to the goaltender position on one team. That may be too rich for the Devils to swallow.