3 reasons why the Devils should make a strong push for Juuse Saros at the trade deadline

New Jersey’s goaltending has been a nightmare this season

While Saros’ play has been nowhere near his standard in 2023-24, it’s also nothing compared to what the Devils have gone through over the past four-and-a-half months. We can start with Vitek Vanecek, who delivered fans fools gold last season when he recorded a 0.911 save percentage, a 2.45 GAA, and three shutouts. As for taking the next step in 2023-24, it didn’t happen, and Vanecek currently has an 0.890 save percentage, a 3.18 GAA, and zero shutouts. 

New Jersey has a pair of youngsters in the lineup at the moment, with Vanecek on injured reserve. Nico Daws has 15 starts, but his 0.895 save percentage and 3.30 GAA have been uninspiring to date, while Akira Schmid isn’t faring much better at 0.892 and 3.24. 

Sure, the Devils goaltenders are collectively facing nearly 30 shots on goal per game, so they aren’t getting a ton of help from their skaters. But a player like Saros has shown us he can handle an onslaught of shots and still come up strong, even if this season doesn’t show it. Just last year, he faced 32.75 shots on goal per contest, and his efforts landed him in fourth place for the Vezina.