New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta has made it clear that he believes in Nico Daws. He signed the young netminder to a new two-year contract on July 1st. Not only that, Mehta gave Daws a vote of confidence when he spoke to the media. "And, for me, we're pretty excited about the potential opportunity in front of him Mehta said.
Daws, 25, along with Jake Allen and free-agent signing David Rittich, appears to be the trio the Devils will roll with in 26-27. There's certainly risk involved with this, but given what each goaltender has proven in the past, it's a risk that has the potential to do well. With Daws in particular, he gets the chance to be a full-time NHL backstopper. His experience already in the National Hockey League is a big reason why Mehta wants to give him a fair chance.
NI-CO! NI-CO! 🗣️
— NHL (@NHL) February 24, 2025
Nico Daws made 29 saves for the first @pepsi shutout of his career! pic.twitter.com/vq7RZAr3bk
The German-Canadian netminder has played over 50 games in his career in the NHL. At various times, he's been asked to step up when the team has struggled with injuries as well as depth. His biggest accomplishment came when he started between the pipes for the Devils in the 2024 Stadium Series game. At MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Daws caught the attention of the entire hockey world.
In that battle with the Philadelphia Flyers, Daws stopped 45 of 48 shots he faced. In doing so, not only did Daws backstop the Devils to a win, but in doing so made history. New Jersey's goalie set a new record for the most saves in an outdoor game. That is one of the several times that he has proven that he has the potential to be a mainstay in the NHL.
Only 23 years old, and the owner of the most saves in an outdoor game! 👏
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) February 18, 2024
Nico Daws said NO! 🙅@NJDevils | #NJDevils | #StadiumSeries pic.twitter.com/pgOnY2X2O6
Only two seasons ago, Daws came up when Jacob Markstrom was injured for a month. The Devils' goaltender posted a perfect 3-0-0 record along with a 0.88 GAA and a .966 SV%. He, along with Allen, was a big reason why the Devils remained afloat during that stretch and eventually made the postseason. Simply put, Daws has not only earned this full-time opportunity, but he's ready to step up in net.
Some Devils' fans will continue to question why Mehta hasn't made a major push to trade for USA Olympic gold-medal-winning backstop Connor Hellebuyck. The franchise needs to win now; there's no question about that. Analysts will say that Daws is too unproven to put this much trust in. However, make no mistake about it, Nico Daws is more than capable, and he'll get the chance to prove it in 26-27.
Add us as a preferred source on Google