New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has faced heavy criticism for his decision to re-sign Jacob Markstrom. At the time, the Devils were going in on a gamer in the Swedish netminder, but several things are worrisome from a player management perspective: age, health, and inconsistency over the past few seasons.
If there is one thing about goalies you really gotta look out for is their lower body health. The New Jersey Devils' coaches historically played Cory Schneider so much that his lower core muscles began to strain, leading to his demise. For starters, Jacob Markstrom's injury was actually a strong testament to Nico Daws in his one appearance earlier in the season. It also put pressure on Jake Allen. The Devils should not have sent Nico Daws back down to the Utica Comets, where he is getting peppered on a nightly basis. They should let him gain more experience as an NHL player.
The next biggest fear is him becoming the next Scott Wedgewood or Mackenzie Blackwood, who thrives outside of New Jersey.
Markstrom's new contract will hamper this team, and not waiting to truly test a player like Nico Daws or making a trade for a set-name goalie to bridge the gap would have been a much better move. At Boston University, Devils prospect Mikhail "Big Mike" Yegorov is going through his first full season in college and is doing just fine, but he's learning to navigate a sophomore slump after being brought in as a freshman last season from the USHL. Now, teams have a better read on him.
Jakub Malek, the Czechia netminder, is currently in the ECHL and wasn't benefiting from a struggling Utica Comets club, so now we are looking to see how he benefits from being with the Adirondack Thunder. It will be a matter of time before Mikhail Yegorov returns to his original form and becomes a dominant force, as he did when he was enrolled at BU. Trenten Bennett is on his way to playing at the NCAA D1 level in the 2026-2027 season for St. Lawrence University. He is a late bloomer of a goalie, but is 6'8", 207lb already surpassing Jacob Markstrom's height and weight at age 19 for an April-born goalie.
In a more perfect world, you would just let the Swedish netminder, Jacob Markstrom, go with the flow. However, that contract extension and him trying too much at once and not being consistent with his mechanics are making him look bad after the recent loss vs. Philadelphia, and it is unacceptable. Tom Fitzgerald needs to be held accountable, and the division is still tight as a drum, and we can't let the war drums get too loud because everyone wants to make the playoffs.
If Coach Sheldon Keefe can have a word with Tom Fitzgerald and a few moves to improve the goalie situation don't occur, it is not the fault of the general manager; it is the general manager's fault. The players are doing fine without Jack Hughes' presence and still getting their necessary points, but it's a matter of bolstering that NHL-level goalie chart. In contrast, the prospect goalies marinate over the next few seasons, not rushing into something irrational.
There is more to be done, and the Devils are in a playoff spot. It just needs to be improved upon before the trade deadline in 2026. Suppose the Devils are looking to improve their cap situation. In that case, they'll have to potentially look at dealing Dougie Hamilton and Seamus Casey to get Quinn Hughes to New Jersey to work out the cap space and bolster the dynamics of the Devils' blue line.