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

Saros is in his prime and would factor in as a long-term solution

Juuse Saros is just 28 and he has a lot of good hockey left in him, so if there is a time to make a move for who has been one of the NHL’s best goaltenders since he started appearing in 40-plus games per season, now is the time to make something happen. The Devils have more than enough cap space to easily add Saros to their lineup. They also have plenty from their core locked up in long-term deals so that Saros won’t be a financial burden in the short and long-term. 

Should they trade for Saros, and he plays well for the rest of the 2023-24 season and for a portion of 2024-25, they can realistically lock up their long-term answer at goaltender. This wouldn’t be possible if New Jersey found themselves in cash-strapped situations similar to some contenders or potential contenders, but if they have the means to lock in someone like Saros for an extension down the road, why not trade for him?

Sure, there are restricted free agents coming up this offseason and in 2025 who the Devils would like to extend and keep around as part of the core long-term. But even with those soon-to-be RFAs, it shouldn’t be too much of a deterrent for New Jersey to fix their goaltending woes and keep a player like Saros around long-term while simultaneously extending their younger players. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 26th)