2. Jonathan Quick
We will say it over and over and over again, the Devils need more goalie depth. Nico Daws got injured with the Utica Comets last week, and a Jake Allen injury led to Isaac Poulter being the team’s backup for an important homestand. The Devils are a Jacob Markstrom injury away from Defcon 1. Even if Allen comes back healthy, the Devils don’t want to rely on him as the starter at any point.
We all laughed at the Rangers when they signed Quick, but he’s been a star in New York backing up Igor Shesterkin. He was a big reason why the Rangers won the President’s Trophy last season. The Devils bringing in three goalies on the roster is a smart move, and one that makes sense for them going into the playoffs.
Even with this terrible defense in front of him, he has a .915 save percentage and five wins against just two losses. He had two shutouts in November, and even though his situation got worse in December, he absolutely still has it to be a goalie in this league.
The Devils are not using their roster spots like we thought they would. Coming into the season, we assumed Johnathan Kovacevic, Nick DeSimone, and Kurtis MacDermid would be the extras on a nightly basis. Kovacevic stole a starting spot with his stellar play, forcing Simon Nemec to the AHL. DeSimone didn’t earn his spot, so he’s also in Utica. This gives the Devils an opportunity to use one of their “extra” spots for a goalie.