Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! The conference finals are in full swing and there is exhilarating hockey being played. However, it is the offseason for every other club and there are intriguing things going on behind the scenes. Today’s Rumours swirl around the New Jersey Devils and their goal crease.
NHL Rumours
Rumour: David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period speaks about the path to grabbing a goalie
There is no denying that this is priority number one for Tom Fitzgerald. Ever since the days of Cory Schneider, having consistency in the goal crease has not been there. After a disastrous 2021-22 season, which saw the Devils use seven different goalies, they saw things improve during the 2022-23 season. Vitek Vanecek appeared to be the man in net and became the first Devils goalie since Martin Brodeur to secure 30 wins. Fast forward to 2023-24, and things went off the rails.
Vanecek was not near the same level as the year prior. He finished with a subpar 3.18 goals against average and a .890 save percentage. The Devils did trade him to the San Jose Sharks for Kaapo Kahkonen, so things did end up improving. Also, the team acquired Jake Allen and the goaltending improved down the stretch. As great as that was, the Devils are going big game hunting and Pagnotta has a name linked to the Devils.
Time to Circle Around Markstrom
This set of NHL Rumours swirls around a deal that almost got done. Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom currently has a no movement clause in his deal. However, at the trade deadline there was a deal in place to have him shipped to New Jersey. It fell through and he was bitter about it. But with the season over, can a deal get done? Pagnotta thinks so and thinks the Devils circle back.
The Devils and Flames are no strangers to making trades. With a deal almost reaching the finish line, circling back makes a ton of sense. Markstrom would be a perfect goalie for this team that needs stability between the pipes. Markstrom was good for Flames, as he finished the year with a 2.78 goals against average, .905 save percentage, and 13.7 goals saved above expected.
Markstrom has term on his deal, which is perfect for the Devils. A new coach and a new goalie would kick start one heck of an offseason.
Main Photo: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
