By Nathan Moser
New Jersey Devils President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has brought in another goalie to try and improve results between the pipes. It has been almost like a game of musical chairs for the team, as they acquired multiple netminders in the middle of the 2023-24 season and have had a few names in the top two goalie spots. It has been a weakness that has had a significant impact on the whole team. No question, stronger goaltending would have improved how the 2023-24 Devils did. How much improvement there would have been is something up for debate. New Jersey had five goalies in the crease for them in 2023-24. It was led by Vitek Vanecek, who played in 32 games for the club. He finished with a record of 17-9-3, had a save-percentage (SV%) of .890, and posted a goals-against-average (GAA) of 3.18. Following him was a mixed bag. Nico Daws suited up for 21 games and Akira Schmid played in 19. Jake Allen was also acquired from the Montreal Canadiens, and Kaapo Kahkonen was acquired from the San Jose Sharks.
Looking at this trade, Markstrom goes to the Devils, while the Calgary Flames get a 2025 first-round pick that is Top-10 protected, and defenseman Kevin Bahl. The Flames are also retaining 30% of Markstrom’s salary and he waived his no-trade clause to go to New Jersey. I like the Devils in this trade. Fitzgerald knows that he needs solid results in net for 2024-25. If things go south next season, he either gets fired as Devils general manager or his seat is scorching hot. The rest of the team New Jersey has is stacked. The offense contains some of the best to currently play the sport in Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Jesper Bratt among others. The defense is strong with talents like Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes, and John Marino. This is a roster that should be capable of making the playoffs and going on a deep run. Their goaltending strength did not match the rest of the team positions. Now, in Markstrom, they have a netminder who should be able to take the reins and be the next guy running the show in the crease.
Looking at how Markstrom did during his time as a Flame, his stats are below:
- 2020-21: 22 wins, 19 losses, two OT, 2.68 GAA, .904 SV%, and three shutouts in 43 games played
- 2021-22: 37 wins, 15 losses, nine OT, 2.22 GAA, .922 SV%, and nine shutouts in 63 games played
- 2022-23: 23 wins, 21 losses, 12 OT, 2.92 GAA, .892 SV%, and one shutout in 59 games played
- 2023-24: 23 wins, 23 losses, two OT, 2.78 GAA, .905 SV%, and two shutouts in 48 games played
So far, in Markstrom’s entire career, he has posted a record of 215 wins, 196 losses, 57 OT, 2.73 GAA, .909 SV%, and 20 shutouts in 485 games played. He started his career with the Florida Panthers, before also suiting up for the Vancouver Canucks and then the Flames.
It is early in the offseason, but the Devils already have made some nice moves. Markstrom-Allen has the potential to be a stellar duo and the new head coach in Sheldon Keefe will orchestrate how he wants the club to play when they take the ice in 2024-25. I would imagine Fitzgerald has more planned out, but New Jersey probably could not have started their offseason on a better note. The hockey world will have to see what else Fitzgerald and his staff have in store.
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