Power Ranking New Jersey Devils Goalie Targets
The New Jersey Devils are reportedly in on multiple goalie trade targets, including John Gibson and Jacob Markstrom. Who should the Devils put at the top of their list?
The New Jersey Devils need a goalie. This isn't news. Vitek Vanecek has been terrible. Akira Schmid has not come close to living up to his postseason performance. Nico Daws has played well, but he just came off hip surgery, and we can't know how long he might last. If the Devils want to reach their goals, they need the right goalie in net. It's become pretty clear that goalie isn't on the roster.
So, the Devils have to search the very volatile trade market for a goalie. Only one problem: the trade market is insane right now. The prices are out of this world. For everyone. For good goalies and great goalies, the teams who own these assets are asking for the moon.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet spoke to NHL Network about the possible Devils targets. He dictated five that might make sense.
The New Jersey Devils could be one of several teams interested in trading for a goalie. @FriedgeHNIC talks about which goaltenders could be available. @SteveGelbs | #NJDevils | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/Z6zIyjgDbU
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 4, 2024
The Devils aren't going to find Ilya Sorokin or Igor Shesterkin on the trade market. A player of that caliber doesn't become available. However, the Devils are likely going to do something. So, based on the names in the video, let's power rank them.
5. Jake Allen
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are in a very enviable position right now. They have three good-to-great goalies. Cayden Primeau is definitely one the Devils asked about. Not that he's available, but the Canadiens have three goalies, and only one is from New Jersey. While Primeau is from Voorhees (which is Flyers country), it would still be a homecoming of sorts. The other young goalie is Sam Montembeault. However, the Canadiens just signed him to an extension. He's not going anywhere.
The player that keeps getting tied to the Devils is Jake Allen. There are multiple reasons. For one, the Canadiens would love to get ultimate value for Allen. He's 33 years old, and he still has another year after this one on his contract, paying him $3.85 million per season. Also, the Canadiens are able to ask for a mint because the market, as we said, is insane.
And that's why this is at the bottom of the list. Allen might not be that good. Sure, he has ties to Martin Brodeur from their days in St. Louis, but that's not enough to have Allen come in as the "savior." His .903 save percentage is not great. His 5v5 goals saved above average is 17th in the league, so that's great. However, his contract and the price to get Allen is not worth it. It's too big a risk.
4. Elvis Merzlikins
Columbus Blue Jackets
This one is a relatively new name on the list. The Columbus Blue Jackets are once again at the end of the NHL Standings. Like the Devils once had to do, the Jackets are looking to get the most out of their assets right now. Merzlikins is an interesting asset. He's going to turn 30 later this season. He has three seasons left on his contract after this one, paying him $5.4 million per year. The Blue Jackets aren't in the right spot, just like John Gibson was on the wrong team for too long.
It makes sense why the Blue Jackets would want to offload Merlikins now. However, does that mean the Devils should want to target Merlikins?
Again, the Devils need to find the right goalie. Merzlikins has been amazing when it comes to special teams. He's saved 7.57 goals above average on the penalty kill. That leads the league! However, his 5v5 GSAA is worse than Akira Schmid's.
The Devils need consistency. Merzlikins is incredibly inconsistent. He's always been pretty inconsistent. The fact he got this massive contract out of the Blue Jackets is going to be their issue to bear.
3. John Gibson
Anaheim Ducks
John Gibson being this low might be a surprise to some, but the risk, along with the immediate cost, is going to be more than anything else on the market. The Ducks are asking for more than the Devils gave up for Timo Meier. They won't walk away without a star asset. A first-round pick is not that. They want something they can build around, and the Devils have that in spades. Unfortunately, because of the assets the Devils have, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek won't let Gibson go without one of those premium assets (Dawson Mercer, Simon Nemec, Seamus Casey, etc.).
Gibson hasn't been great for five years. In his last outing, he gave up seven goals to the Edmonton Oilers. That knocked his save percentage down to a clean .904. That's not great.
However, most of his performances have been really good this season. He's still a great goalie, but it's hidden behind this terrible defense and zero expectations. Can he unlearn all the issues that came with being on a rebuilding team?
Gibson balled out when he played the Devils for two periods in December (he left in the second intermission when it became clear his wife was about to have a baby. That performance in front of the Devils front office and coaching staff might have convinced them, but there are two better options on the table based on the cost and expected performance.
2. Kaapo Kahkonen
San Jose Sharks
This is another relatively new name on the market, but Kaapo Kahkonen has been good for the San Jose Sharks this season despite being on the worst team in the NHL. He has a .915 save percentage at 5v5 and a .900 save percentage in all situations. His penalty kill save percentage is not great, but that might be a product of the team in front of him.
The Sharks have been on the PK for 214 minutes. Only three teams have been down a more for longer. Their xGA on the PK according to Natural Stat Trick is 33, which is third worst in the league. We can keep going through stats, but just know almost all of them are near or at the bottom of the league.
With the Devils looking at the market as a whole, this is one of the few cheaper acquisitions that has serious upside. Kahkonen might actually be good. He might just be on the wrong team. He showed promise early in his career with the Minnesota Wild, but he couldn't get a starting job.
Kahkonen does have a risky contract for what he is. He's making close to $3 million this season, but that's just for this year. If the Devils want to find a piece for this year, hope Nico Daws or Akira Schmid might be the playoff answer, and then address this in the offseason when the prices might drop, this would be the move to make.
1. Jacob Markstrom
Calgary Flames
Listen, if the Devils are going to go for this with a full-court press, there are two names on this list that matter (along with the short possibility that Juuse Saros is available) are John Gibson and Jacob Markstrom. These are the "win the Stanley Cup" moves the Devils can make. Gibson has many issues that we've addressed. Markstrom has some as well, mainly his contract and injury history. However, of the options available (of which every single one has flaws), Markstrom is the best.
This is a HUGE risk. Markstrom is 33 years old and still has three years left on a $6 million contract, but he has a track record that speaks for itself. He's had one bad season since he became a regular player with the Vancouver Canucks. Sure, that season was last year, but great goalies like this sometimes put together a stinker.
Markstrom has bounced back this season. His .907 save percentage isn't great, but it's much better than anyone on the Devils. His 2.42 GSAA is 26th in the league. His .861 save percentage on high-danger chances is ninth in the league. If the Devils had Markstrom face all the high-danger shots that Vanecek faced this season, Markstrom would have saved 24 more goals. 24 more goals! Imagine if the Devils had 24 fewer goals scored against them.
The contract is scary. We won't deny that, but Markstrom is the name the Devils should target. He won't cost as much as Gibson, and the Flames might be motivated to make the move since Dustin Wolf is already in the building. If it goes terribly, the buyout on his contract isn't even that bad. After this season, it would cost $3.66 million for two seasons and $1.17 million for two years. If they do it after next season, split those in half.
This is the move. If the Devils are going to trade for a risky goalie, which all the available players are, Markstrom is the calculated risk. He's at least a very good goalie, and the risk is muted with a smaller return than Gibson or some others that might be available.
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