The New Jersey Devils have a new look and a new mindset entering the season. Their goal is to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they are in a division where that’s possible. It will not be easy, as teams have gotten better. Not to mention, the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals are the class of the Metro Division. And while the talent is certainly there to get this team to the playoffs, the question on everyone’s mind is: have the New Jersey Devils solved their goaltending issues with Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich?
See, one of the biggest changes this offseason was the Devils trading Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers for Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves. Markstrom’s struggles last season weren’t entirely his fault. But the Devils had an opportunity to add organizational depth by moving the veteran goalie to Florida.
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In addition, GM Sunny Mehta opened the door for a player like Nico Daws to truly show what he can do at the NHL level, as he stated back in July following free agency.
“Nico Daws has been pretty big prospect for us for years now and kind of really hasn’t had the path to sort of develop. And for me, I think this is like we’re pretty excited about the potential opportunity in front of him, Mehta said. “We know what Jake can bring. We’ve seen that. Outstanding guy, outstanding goaler. I’m pretty excited about the opportunity in front of Nico because he really hasn’t been given that sort of runway and that path. And I think he has that now.”
While Mehta would consider anything and everything as time goes on, he wants to see what a guy like Nico Daws can bring. Many thought Daws would get that look last offseason before Jake Allen signed that five-year extension. Once again, his development path was blocked at the NHL level. However, the difference from previous years is that Daws needs waivers to go back to the AHL, and a team could claim him.
Luckily for the Devils, that did not happen, but it is the same situation this season with Nico Daws. They have to keep him on the roster or fear losing him on waivers. With training camp opening for the Devils and them taking to the ice for the preseason this weekend, GM Sunny Mehta doubled down on his stance when he met the media on Thursday, saying Nico Daws has an opporunity to show what he can do.
“For me, I’m very comfortable with our goaltending, Mehta said. “I think, as I’ve said before, Daws has been a big prospect in this organization, and in some ways, I was talking about this with him actually just two days ago. There’s nothing more frustrating when you have prospects who develop and then they don’t have a path in front of them, and he’s got a path in front of him right now. And as I’ve told him, it’s going to be up to him to decide what to do with that opportunity. But the opportunity is there.”
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Daws appeared in only three games last year, with a 2-1 record, a 2.62 GAA, and a .908 save percentage. For his career, Daws has 24 wins in 55 game appearances with a 2.96 GAA and an .898 save percentage, but has shown his poise in between the pipes when called upon.
| Season | Team | GP | GS | W | L | OT | SA | SV | GAA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | New Jersey Devils | 25 | 23 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 617 | 551 | 3.11 | .893 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1271:32 |
| 2023-24 | New Jersey Devils | 21 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 568 | 508 | 3.15 | .894 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | 1144:03 |
| 2024-25 | New Jersey Devils | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 114 | 107 | 1.60 | .939 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 262:51 |
| 2025-26 | New Jersey Devils | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 87 | 79 | 2.62 | .908 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 183:16 |
(Stats courtesy of NHL.com)
While some of his numbers don’t look great, especially early on in his Devils tenure, don’t forget the issues the Devils had between the pipes with goalies staying healthy and Corey Crawford retiring before the season started. He was thrust into positions he wasn’t ready for. Recently, he has shown he is ready.
That said, the New Jersey Devils are hoping for something similar with their goaltending, as they saw with the Carolina Hurricanes, where Brandon Bussi came in and solidified the position. Bussi was also an outstanding AHL goalie prospect. But he did help lead the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup.
The Devils are hoping for something similar given the way the league is heading, where three-goalie systems are the norm. However, that doesn’t suit veteran Jake Allen. Not to mention Allen being in his mid-30s; can he replicate what he did last season with 2.74 GAA and a .904 save percentage? And what about “Big Save” David Rittich? When does he play?
Again, there is a reason why the New Jersey Devils have been connected to Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. While Sunny Mehta likes his goaltending right now, things could change, as he is always looking to tweak and improve his roster. Hellebuyck makes sense for a team that is a goalie away.
