The New Jersey Devils have been reliant on Jake Allen this season, and he’s responded in a big way. Jacob Markstrom struggled to start the season, and then he got injured. That’s led to Allen starting six of their first 10 games.
So far, he’s 5-0-0 with a combined sixth win with Jacob Markstrom against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s stopped 92.3 percent of the shots against him, allowing fewer than two goals per game. The Devils know when Allen is in net, they have a real chance to win.
Allen was a huge part of the Devils’ eight-game winning streak, which ended on Tuesday with Markstrom in net. The 35-year-old has been a standout since signing a five-year deal with the Devils in the offseason.
Allen is at the top of the NHL stat sheets, but is that catching the eyes of Team Canada? The Olympic rosters are expected to be announced around New Year’s Day. So, Allen still has to perform at this level for two more months, but with a lack of star power in net for the Canadians, would bringing in a high-performing veteran make sense?
It’s been a while since Allen has worn Team Canada’s red sweater. The last time he represented his country was when he was a teenager. He was the starter as the Canadians won the silver medal at the 2009-10 World Junior Championship.
Jake Allen should be considered for Team Canada Olympics roster
Since then, there have been no Olympics for Allen to play at, and he’s never played for Canada at the IIHF World Championships.
However, Allen truly has a chance to be one of the three goalies in Milan.
At the 4 Nations Face-Off, Canada started Allen’s former teammate Jordan Binnington. Another former teammate, the Montreal Canadiens’ Sam Montembeault, was a backup. Allen never played with Vegas’s Adin Hill, but he still made the team as another backup.
With three goalies likely going to the Olympics, Allen would have to beat out some competition. Binnington, Montembeault, and Hill have all struggled this season. Other options still remain on the table, like Logan Thompson, Darcy Kuemper, and Mackenzie Blackwood.
Allen has a real shot to make the Olympic roster, but a lot has to go right. He has to continue playing at this level, allowing fewer than two goals per game, all season. Even then, it has to make sense to the Olympic officials in Hockey Canada. Will Allen make the roster? We’ll know for sure in 100 days.