Until the move is made, acquiring a number one goalie will be all -or at least most- that New Jersey Devils fans talk about. We've seen it sink seasons for the better part of a decade and this year was no different.
Tom Fitzgerald insists that he will go "big game hunting" in the offseason. If there's any silver lining, however, it's that he looks to have found his 1B next season in Jake Allen. Allen has delivered some fantastic performances in a small sample size and should settle in nicely as the backup next season.
This offseason is put up or shut up for Fitzgerald in regards to the goaltending. We've heard the rumors surrounding Jacob Markstrom, Juuse Saros, and even Linus Ullmark, but one of the reasons for waiting until the offseason to make a big goalie move is that a new name may become available.
Dissecting other teams' rosters, cap situations, and potential moves in the offseason, we've identified three names we've identified that could be in play for the number one goalie job that not many are talking about.
Logan Thompson - Vegas Golden Knights
How about bringing back a former Devil? Yes, you read that right. Thompson was signed to an AHL contract back in 2018 by the then-Binghamton Devils. He spent the 2018-19 season between the AHL and ECHL before moving on.
Fast forward five years later and Thompson is an NHL regular and a Stanley Cup champion. Thompson - for a brief period- looked like the long-term answer in net for Vegas. That is until Adin Hill came out of nowhere. Still, over the past two seasons, Thompson has had a pretty regular workload and has put together solid seasons. In 2022-23, he recorded a 2.65 GAA and a 0.915 SV%, in 37 games. Through 39 starts in 2023-24, Thompson has slightly regressed, putting up a 2.72 GAA and a 0.907 SV%. However, his Goals Saved Above Expected has gone up this year from 0.1 to 4.0.
Thompson and Vegas are in a unique situation. Vegas is about as pressed up against the salary cap as possible, and Thompson will be due for a big extension after the 2024-25 season. He is on a very team-friendly $766,667 contract which would make it difficult for Vegas to part with. However, they run the risk of losing him for nothing at the end of next season.
The Devils meanwhile, could offer a young and inexpensive goalie (likely Akira Schmid) as well as another asset or two and have the money for an extension. Vegas's GM Kelly McCrimmon is no stranger to making big moves, and if Thompson is made available then Fitzgerald should get on the phone with him and make a deal.