2. Trade for Tristan Jarry
If the Pittsburgh Penguins are able to find a partner that’s willing to take on an extensive salary for a small price (say, a fifth or sixth-round pick), the Devils would be willing to take on Tristan Jarry at 75% retained. Jarry is definitely not an answer after the dreadful season he’s put together, but in reality, he’s just 29 years old, and theoretically, he should have a lot of hockey left in front of him. With a change of scenery, he could turn things around and be a quality backup.
This season, the Devils would just need him to be decent. He would only need to play for around 10 games, and that’s if Markstrom is out for the rest of the regular season. If it’s less serious than that (which is likely), then Jarry just needs to play for now, and maybe the Devils make him the backup next season or trade him again in the offseason.
Honestly, if the Devils can bring in Jarry for less than $2 million per season, it might be worth the risk. The real problem here is the term. Jarry is paid out until 2028. Would the Penguins be willing to just eat that much of a contract for that long, and would a second team take up one of their retention spots for three more years just for the small price of a mid-to-late-round pick?
The more likely option here is if the Penguins decide to walk away from Jarry entirely, which could happen if they agree to pay him to go away. That seems unlikely, but he might be the best option for a turnaround.