New Jersey Devils: Ranking 10 Best Free Agent Fits

3. Anton Khudobin

With Robin Lehner signing with the Vegas Golden Knights on a five-year deal, there aren’t a lot of backup goalies on the market worth forcing the Devils to buy out Cory Schneider. The player that carried the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup Final would certainly be one of them. Anton Khudobin has always been a really good goalie, but he was never able to find a starting job.

He would likely want to be a starter wherever he goes, which would not be what he would be with the Devils, but there isn’t a lot of starting roles out there. The Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres might bite, but there are rumors they might be destinations for a player like Matt Murray or Darcy Kuemper. That leaves Khudobin going to the place that gives him the most starts.

Mackenzie Blackwood played well last season, and he will be the “starter”, but with next season being so unpredictable, and likely a marathon of games in a short amount of time, it makes sense to pay a backup well who can play half the season. Schneider cannot be relied upon for 40 games anymore. Even though he’s the same age as Khudobin, he has a much longer injury history on his resumé.

If the Stars don’t re-sign Khudobin, then he will be joining his seventh franchise. He’s never played more than 41 games, but he’s also never put up a save percentage under .900. Khudobin’s run to the Final made him a lot of money, and the Devils should pay for that experience. The backup goalie position has killed them for years now. Schneider, Keith Kinkaid, Eddie Lack, and Louis Domingue are not good enough to win them anything at this point in their respective careers. Khudobin still has some greatness left to show.