When the New Jersey Devils were in the middle of the 2023-24 season, one thing became very clear: the team needed a complete overhaul of the goalies. Then-general manager Tom Fitzgerald traded for current backup goalie Jake Allen at the trade deadline, and rumors were running rampant that the Devils were close to acquiring Jacob Markstrom.
The Markstrom deal did not happen until the offseason, with the Devils giving up Kevin Bahl and a first-round pick for a then 34-year-old goalie with two years left on his contract. It was a gamble for Fitzgerald, who rostered the oldest goalie duo in the entire league.
It was one of those gambles that did not pay off and led to the eventual departure of Fitzgerald. Inexplicably, Fitzgerald also extended Markstrom this past season, even though in the beginning part of the season, Markstrom looked like a borderline AHL goalie and not the player the Devils paid a high price for.
Markstrom did not rebound at all as the season went along and put up the worst numbers of his career in a full season with an .883 save percentage and a 3.07 goals against average. When asked about extending Markstrom too early, Fitzgerald defended the decision. Extending a 36 year old goalie for two more seasons at $6 million per season was the culmination of a failing general managers tenure.
Enter Sunny Mehta.
The New Jersey Devils are reportedly looking at the market for Jacob Markstrom
Mehta has yet to make any moves to the roster this offseason, and there are many moves that should be and need to be made. Moving on from Markstrom would be another win. Former Devils goalie and current NHL Insider Kevin Weekes reported that the Devils were gauging interest from other clubs on Markstrom.
Per sources, although a deal isn’t imminent , I’m told the @NJDevils are
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) June 13, 2026
gauging market interest from clubs on
G Markstrom . #HockeyX pic.twitter.com/spVTY3AWN9
If the Devils can move on from Markstrom, free up cap space, and try to get a better goalie than Markstrom, Mehta would quickly become a fan favorite. He is already doing great things with the dismissals of Dan MacKinnon and Chuck Fletcher.
Coincidentally, Dave Rogalski, the former Devils goaltending coach, was also let go. Devils fans clamored for the removal of all three when Mehta took over, and he did not waste any time sending those three packing. The departure of Meghan Duggan was also seen as a positive due to no players ever really developing with Duggan being the head of player development.
Moving on from Markstrom would be Mehta's first big win when it comes to the roster. Will the Devils potentially have to give up an asset to move on the full contract of Markstrom like they did with Ondrej Palat and the New York Islanders? Most likely. In the same breath, a full $6 million of cap relief, the same as Palat's, would be a step in the right direction for Mehta and the Devils.
With the Draft only a few weeks away, the rumors are going to start to swirl the closer we get. It simply did not work out here with Markstrom in New Jersey. With the new regime, limited trade protection, Markstrom could be on his way out. Just do not hold your breath on getting the same return the Devils gave up for him. Although it would still be a massive win for Sunny Mehta.
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