The New Jersey Devils historically know what it’s like to have good goaltending. They also learned in recent years how it feels to have subpar goaltending.
Thankfully, they finally have a good tandem this season with Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen. They aren’t the youngest players anymore, but they are a great stop-gap for a team trying to win now.
The future could be on the way for New Jersey in the form of Mikhail Yegorov. The Devils selected him in the second round (49th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. The pick that they acquired from the Utah Hockey Club is the one they used to select Yegorov.
Over the last few weeks, Yegorov made his NCAA debut with the Boston University Terriers. He has since taken over as the starting goaltender. Devils legend and current BU head coach Jay Pandolfo has gained a tremendous amount of trust in his new goalie.
The New Jersey Devils should be excited about Mikhail Yegorov
On Monday, Yegorov made the start for BU in the Beanpot Final against their biggest rival in the Boston College Eagles. This is a huge event for the four schools that participate and it’s a great thing to have on your hockey resume.
Boston University won the game at TD Garden by a final score of 4-1. BC had BU on the ropes early, and they took a 1-0 lead into the intermission. If it weren’t for Yegorov’s brilliance, the Terriers would have been down by multiple goals. In the second and third periods, they started to play better and scored four unanswered. Yegorov made some big saves later in the game as well, especially when the game was still hanging in the balance.
Now that the Beanpot is over, Yegorov and BU can focus on playing well down the stretch ahead of the NCAA Tournament. If he continues to dominate like this, BU can make a run at the Frozen Four.
Trading for Jacob Markstrom was a brilliant idea for Tom Fitzgerald but there is the question of the future beyond him in everybody’s mind. If Mikhail Yegorov becomes a star, the New Jersey Devils add another layer to their long-term core.