If recent trends have taught us anything, it's that the New Jersey Devils might need a savior, or even just a fresh face, in goal sooner than we would have liked.
In a twist of irony, there were fears that the Devils would lose goalie Nico Daws on waivers ahead of the start of the 2025-26 regular season as part of roster cutdowns. That day never came, though, and the Devils were able to keep the 24-year-old in their system.
Of course, that meant that the Devils would again start the season with veterans Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen, though the fears of losing Daws started with the German-born goalie filling in admirably when Markstrom was injured last season.
Daws has found himself in a similar position this season, as he's already filled in for an injured Markstrom while posting another strong performance in his lone start.
Markstrom, on the other hand, isn't necessarily proving that his health will hold up as he approaches his 36th birthday. He's due for a new contract at the end of the year, but the two seasons he's spent in New Jersey have been marred by injury and inconsistent performances. The Devils paid a first-round pick and a solid defenseman in Kevin Bahl for him, but can they really make any kind of commitment to Markstrom at this point?
Nico Daws might be the solution the New Jersey Devils need
There's a lot of hockey left to be played, but it's greatly concerning that the Swede has a 5.13 GAA and an .830 save percentage through four games this season. Four games are four games, but we also know that Markstrom has had just one season with a save percentage over .905 since 2019-20.
He's aging, sure, but he's also never been that consistent as a starter at the NHL level. When you put those two things together, the Devils could be headed for a disaster.
Fortunately, the Devils have won two of the games Markstrom has played in so far this season, and maybe could have scraped away with a third had the 35-year-old not played one of the very worst games of his career against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
If this trend continues into the winter, the Devils may be forced to ride Allen and/or turn to Daws. Allen, too, is getting up there in the age, so the future could be now in New Jersey as far as Daws and his next steps are concerned.