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Devils Finally Acquire Long-Term Goalie in Trade

The New Jersey Devils have finally fixed their goaltending issue by trading for All-Star Jacob Markstrom.

By Nicholas Rome

Mar 14, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Coyotes right wing Brett Ritchie (24) shoots the puck as Calgary Flames left wing Jakob Pelletier (49), defenseman Nikita Zadorov (16) and goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) defend in the first period at Mullett Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Coyotes right wing Brett Ritchie (24) shoots the puck as Calgary Flames left wing Jakob Pelletier (49), defenseman Nikita Zadorov (16) and goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) defend in the first period at Mullett Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
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This past season, the New Jersey Devils' offense could not pick up the slack for an inexperienced defense core and less-than-ideal goaltending. The Devils' struggles saw the team go through Vitek Vanacek, Nico Daws, Akira Schmid, Jake Allen, and Kaapo Kahkonen at goalie with none seizing full control of the net.

The Devils' struggles dragged on as the team seemingly had a deal in place to land Calgary Flames star Jacob Markstrom. However, the veteran goaltender didn't want to be moved in season. After missing the playoffs, it was clear the Devils needed to make a massive swing to land a top goaltender.

Fast forward a few months later, and the Devils have finally acquired the star goaltender they've needed, trading for Markstrom. In the trade, the Devils gave the Flames their 2025 first-round pick, which is top-ten protected and defenseman Kevin Bahl in exchange for Markstrom with the Flames retaining 30% of his salary.

Losing Kevin Bahl hurts as the young defenseman had moments that made fans optimistic about his future paired with his size but, you make this deal every day. Markstrom allowed just 2.78 goals per game this season with a .905 save percentage.

Massive Move Makes Devils a Cup Contender

In the 2023 Playoffs, we saw the Devils' young core prove that they had what it takes to make a deep postseason run but, they were undermanned. The younger pieces are now more experienced and the Devils should have much better luck with injuries than they did this season.

Now the team adds an All-Star Goalie with an additional $16 million in projected salary cap space, which they can use to build its roster.

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