Part one of the New Jersey Devils’ Trade Target series looked at potential forwards that fit the team’s needs, part two checked in on defenseman the team could and should target. In the third part of this three-part series, The Hockey Writers examines potential goaltenders the Devils should target via trade.
Related: Devils Have Key Decision to Make With the 10th Pick in NHL Draft
Goaltending has been Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald’s white whale since he took over the team’s helm. Two of the last three seasons were wrecked due to poor goaltending and injuries. After the team fired head coach Lindy Ruff and traded away the goalie who went from helping the team set records last season to completely losing his confidence, Vitek Vanecek, Fitzgerald told the media that he would be going “big-game hunting” for a goalie this offseason. Earlier this week, in interviews at the 2024 NHL Draft Combine, he appeared to walk back that statement by indicating that the goalie acquisition needs to be considered in conjunction with the rest of their needs. Reports from the NHL Draft Combine have connected the Devils to several goalies, including Jacob Markstrom, Linus Ullmark, and even Filip Gustavsson. Here is a look at the goalies rumored to be available and examining which options make the most sense.
The Big 3
The Devils have consistently been linked to Markstrom, Ullmark, and Juuse Saros. Varying reports indicated Markstrom and Ullmark may be unwilling to waive their no-move clauses to go to New Jersey. Similarly, Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz has vacillated between placing Saros on the trade market and classifying him as untouchable. Even with the cloud of uncertainty, these three are probably the safest options for Fitzgerald.
Jacob Markstrom – 34 years old – Remaining Contract: 2 years x $6 million
Of all the goalies on the list, Markstrom is most consistently linked with the Devils. Multiple reports around the 2024 Trade Deadline indicated he had agreed to waive his no-move clause, but the deal ultimately fell through due to reticence by Flames ownership and a dispute over salary retention. It is easy to see why Markstrom would be attractive to the Devils. He has prototypical size at 6-foot-6 and has demonstrated success as a starter, starting 43 games or more in seven seasons. He has posted a save percentage (SV%) above .905 in eight of the past nine seasons and proven he can carry a team through the regular season and playoffs. Throughout the past three seasons combined, he has posted the fourth-highest high-danger save percentage (HDSV%) of any goalie with at least 130 starts.
The downsides to Markstrom are similarly evident. Starting with his age and injury history, there are reasonable concerns as he moves into his late 30s. One could point to the play of now-35-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky in the last two playoffs as proof that a goalie can succeed into his late 30s, which is a good comparison for Markstrom. He has also had difficulty putting two consistent seasons together in back-to-back years. For the last four seasons, he has alternated between positive and negative goals saved above expected (GSAx). The other concern is his lack of playoff experience. In fourteen seasons in the NHL, Markstrom has only been a part of two playoff runs, starting 26 career games with a 13-13 record while posting a .911 SV% and 2.90 Goals Against Average (GAA). In the playoffs, he did produce quality starts 65% of the time but had a negative-4 GSAx.
Markstrom would be a safe move for Fitzgerald. He can play Vezina Trophy-caliber goal and carry a team. The ultimate calculus has to be whether, at a cap hit of $6 million over two more seasons, it is worth giving up top assets for a player who will turn 35 before the Devils next potential playoff game.
Linus Ullmark – 30 years old – Remaining Contract: 1 year x $5 million
The Vezina Trophy winner of the previous season is rarely available via trade, but that appears to be the case with Linus Ullmark. The Boston Bruins have used the tandem of Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman to great effect over the past two seasons. With Swayman set to become a restricted free agent (RFA) and looking for a long-term deal, it is time for Boston to choose whose crease it will be for the future. From the outside, it seems clear with the way the Bruins handled the playoffs that they view Swayman as their future in net and would move Ullmark to recoup the assets they have lost over the past few seasons. The only sticking point is that Ullmark has control and is not eager to waive his no-movement clause. He may decline any trade, stay in Boston to play with his good friend Swayman, and then test the market next summer as an unrestricted free agent when teams have more cap space and he can choose his team.
There’s no dispute Ullmark has been a dominant regular-season goalie since joining Boston via the Buffalo Sabres. In 131 games over the past three seasons, he has a .924 SV% and a 2.28 GAA, ranking first and second among all starting goaltenders and saving 72 GSAx. He won the 2023 Vezina Trophy after a season in which he posted a .938 SV% and a 1.39 GAA. He has never started more than 48 games in nine NHL seasons and only once started more than 39. Like Markstrom, he has a limited playoff record. Unlike Markstrom, his playoff performance has never been stellar. He has started only nine playoff games in his career and posted a .887 SV% and 3.59 GAA, and 3-6 record.
Ullmark holds the cards. To get him to waive his no-movement clause he will likely be looking to have assurances of a long-term extension in place at, or shortly after, a trade. Fitzgerald should have reticence at acquiring a goaltender who has never proven that he can carry the load of a starter, has not had success in the postseason, and will likely command a five to eight-year deal for starters money. Given the uncertainties of goaltending of which the Devils are acutely familiar, trading for Ullmark is fraught with significant risk.
Juuse Saros – 29 years old – Remaining Contract: 1 year x $ 5 million
If contract status wasn’t an issue, Juuse Saros would be the no-brainer favorite in the Devils’ goalie sweepstakes. Saros is a dynamic goaltender in the mold of players like Jonathan Quick. He utilizes his explosive athleticism to counteract any perceived deficiencies due to his size. At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, there isn’t a true modern comparable to Saros. Despite his stature, he is a horse, having led the NHL in games played each of the last three seasons and saves each of the last two seasons. With that workload, he still produced phenomenal stats with a .915 SV%, and 2.73 GAA. He has received votes for the Vezina Trophy each of the last three seasons, finishing in the top six.
With the emergence of rookie Yaroslav Askarov, Nashville is at an inflection point. With Saros eligible for an extension on July 1, the team will have to let either him play out his contract and risk losing him, extend him long-term or move him, maximize the return, and hand over the net to Askarov. Unlike Markstrom and Ullmark, Saros has no restriction on movement and is at the mercy of Trotz. Nashville has sent mixed signals throughout the season as to Saros’ availability, but it seems clear that if their price is met, he would be on the move. That price, though, would be exceedingly high for the Devils and would reportedly include Dawson Mercer.
The downside to Saros is not anything related to his current play. His size and durability over a long-term contract should give the Devils pause. They have shown a preference for goalies of a different stature than Saros, and it is fair to wonder whether they would be willing to go outside their prototype and make an eight-year commitment. The Devils cannot acquire Saros as a rental; the acquisition cost would be too high. Devils fans would celebrate a trade for Saros in the moment. The important question, though, is whether it would last as long as the extension they would have to sign him to.
Medium Game Hunting?
Fitzgerald began to walk back his claim for big-game hunting for a goalie this summer. It may make more sense to try instead to identify a goalie who will cost less in assets and contracts and who is poised to emerge as the next Markstrom, Ullmark, or Saros. Fortunately, there are goalies who both fit that criteria and are available.
Adin Hill – 28 years old – Remaining Contract: 1 year x $4.9 million
One goalie on this list has led a team to a Stanley Cup, and he is 28 years old and potentially available. That goalie is Vegas Golden Knight Adin Hill. Over the last three seasons, Hill has appeared in 87 total games for the San Jose Sharks and Vegas, posting a .910 SV% and a 2.63 GAA, both nearly identical to Markstrom during the same period. Hill has separated himself from the pack with his play throughout two postseasons. He has started 17 games in the playoffs, almost double that of Ullmark in his playoff career. In those 17 games, his stats have improved over his regular season play; he has a 12-6 record with a .932 SV% and 2.09 GAA. The New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin — considered among the best playoff goalies currently in the NHL — has a career .928 SV% and a 2.41 GAA in the postseason. More tahan 76% of Hill’s playoff performances qualify as quality starts, and in this season’s playoffs, he gave up five goals total in three games.
The only red flags are the small sample size and the claim that he is a product of a stellar Vegas defense. Having experienced defenders like Shea Theodore, Alex Pietrangelo, and Brayden McNabb in front of you certainly helps. Still, this argument is belied by the fact that for three seasons before coming to Vegas, while playing on teams that combined for 205 points during that time, he still played above average in goal, never dipping below a .906 SV% in a season and finishing with a .911 SV% and 2.71 GAA across all three seasons as he aged from 23 to 25.
As for his relative inexperience, the best predictor of future performance is his past play, which has been excellent and gives no reason to believe he cannot continue to improve. If the Devils have to trade for a goalie on an expiring deal and then extend them for the future, it would be difficult to find a goalie whose acquisition and extension costs would be more favorable than Hill’s in relation to his projected performance. The Devils would likely not have to give Hill the seven or eight-year deal Ullmark or Saros would require. The main question is whether Vegas is willing to part ways with Hill despite him leading them to a Cup. The answer is likely yes, as their salary cap shenanigans are coming home to roost and with less than $1 million in cap space before the offseason officially begins, they need to shed salary even to just re-sign their own free agents. The Devils have a substantial mix of low-cost roster players and futures that would be attractive to Vegas and make the trade worthwhile for both teams.
Filip Gustavsson – 25 years old – Remaining Contract: 2 years x $3.75 million
Recent reports have linked the Devls to the Minnesota Wild’s Filip Gustavsson. After last season’s breakout performance, Gustavsson fell back to Earth a bit this season and now may be the victim of the emergence of the highly-touted Jesper Wallstedt. Most believe Minnesota wants to give Wallstedt a taste of the NHL this season and allow him to be mentored by future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury. The Wild also desperately need cap relief as they still carry $14.7 million in dead cap space. Moving on from Gustavsson would save the team nearly $3 million immediately and clear the path for their top prospects. While it makes tons of sense for Minnesota, absent a discounted acquisition cost, he makes much less sense for New Jersey.
At this time last season, teams would have lined up to try to pry Gustavsson out of Minnesota after a breakout season where he posted a .931 SV% and a 2.21 GAA. It does seem, though, that last season may be the outlier as this season — for the second time in three — he played to a sub .900 SV% with a .899 SV% and a 3.06 GAA. Over the past three seasons, he has a .910 SV% and 2.77 GAA. There are harbingers of good things to come for Gustavsson, but the Devils would be taking a risk signing a 25-year-old goalie coming off an underwhelming season. Perhaps Fitzgerald believes his goalie coaching staff can get more consistency from the Swede and turn him into the elite starter he has shown flashes of becoming. If he can accomplish that, Fitzgerald will have himself a starter at quite a bargain for two years.
Change of Scenery
John Gibson – 30 years old – Remaining Contract: 3 years x $6.4 million
There was a time when the Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson was considered among the elite goaltenders in the NHL and destined for superstardom. Now he needs a change of scenery to spur a career reclamation. Despite losing time to injuries over the last several years, the talent is there. Being marooned in a crease guarded by one of the worst defenses in the NHL for years has taken its toll on Gibson, who has posted a sub-.900 SV% in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career. Though durability may be a concern, he has started at least 44 games in the last seven full NHL seasons, with five being more than 50 starts. Despite his struggles, he has maintained a .910 SV% and 2.90 GAA throughout his nearly 500-game regular season career.
The Devils were linked to Gibson last off-season and earlier this season, especially around Anaheim’s visit to New Jersey, where he put on a show for two periods, making 18 saves on 19 shots before leaving with an injury. As his overall numbers dipped over the last three seasons, he still maintained a .826 HDSV%. Gibson has played in the playoffs four times posting respectable career numbers of .912 SV% and 2.80 GAA, with two seasons at .918 SV% or above. The largest impediment to a deal with Anaheim is likely the three years at $6.4 million annually remaining on Gibson’s deal.
With the emergence of young goaltender Lukas Dostal, who had a phenomenal showing at the IIHF World Championship, the Ducks may be motivated to move on from Gibson and willing to retain some of his salary for the right package. Anaheim also has other pieces that would fit well in New Jersey in Radko Gudas, Frank Vatrano, and maybe Trevor Zegras. Perhaps the teams put together a package that is more than just a goalie trade. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has said his team is looking for top-four caliber right-shot defensemen and top-six right-shot wingers; the Devils have both and may be able to obtain Gibson without shedding their top-tier assets.
Elvis Merzlikins – 30 years old – Remaining Contract: 3 years x $5.4 million
There are few bigger conundrums in the crease than Elvis Merzlikins. The mercurial goaltender is not shy and often shares what is on his mind, a rare trait for most NHL goaltenders. Upset with his playing time earlier in the season, he demanded a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, which seemed to get him more regular playing time and ameliorated the situation for much of the season. Even still, Columbus appears ready to move on from Merzlikins, as it has Danil Tarasov and Jet Greaves ready to be their NHL tandem. Combine that with a new general manager and head coach and it might be time for a clean break.
Merzlikins has only started more than 40 games once in his career, and his GAA numbers are disturbing despite the abysmal defense played by the Blue Jackets. Cumulatively, he has a 3.51 GAA average over the last three seasons and posted a rough 4.23 GAA last season. Merzlikins has shown he can carry a team when he is on, but he has failed to put together that consistency for an entire season in his five-season career. The unknown factor is how much the death of close friend and teammate Matīss Kivlenieks impacted his play over the last two seasons. He has been very honest in discussing his grief and admitting that playing in Columbus with the goal cannon has not been easy; maybe he can bounce back with a move to a new locale.
His playoff record is essentially incomplete. He has played in only two postseason games and gave up a total of four goals on 74 shots. At this stage of his career and his current cap hit, it is difficult to see how he would be the best option for New Jersey, absent significant contract retention, and likely not even then.
Outside the Box Thinking
The goalies mentioned above are the main players under consideration by the Devils and all the other goaltender-deficient teams. Two other starting goaltenders whose teams could possibly be enticed to move them are Alexander Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche and Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues. Each has had moments of brilliance for their teams and epic failures. Neither has been made publicly available but the Devils have previously shown interest in Georgiev and their goalie coach and backup are both very familiar with Binnington and were a part of his best years in the NHL.
There is yet another option. The Devils could rely upon their scouting and goaltender departments to hone in on a young goalie who has good underlying numbers yet has not been a full-time starter. One such player is New Jersey native Florida Panthers backup Anthony Stolarz. Stolarz’ numbers have been nothing short of impressive but in a relatively short sample size. In 27 games with Florida, Stolarz posted counting stats and analytics that put him among the best goalies in the NHL. He posted a .925 SV%, 2.03 GAA, and saved .801 goals above expected per 60 min; all three led the NHL for goalies with a minimum of 25 games played. He saved 20.1 goals above expected, which was good enough for third in the league behind 2024 Vezina Trophy finalists Connor Hellebuyck and Thatcher Demko. Over the last three seasons, he has posted the second-best high-danger save percentage (HDSV%) in the NHL at .848.
The Devils do not possess the requisite draft capital to offer sheet one of the top RFA goalies like a Swayman or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The expected emergence of Devon Levi in Buffalo made some believe that Luukkonen would eventually be available but thus far he has outplayed the highly-touted Levi and the Sabres are unlikely to move on from him. The other possibility is convincing Trotz that he should keep and extend Saros and make phenom Askarov available for trade as he was reportedly at the 2023 NHL Draft. Askarov is a first-round pick who dominated the American Hockey League this season and played well in spot starts in the NHL.
The decision on which goalie to pursue has many variables, including contract cost, contract length, health, proven track record in the regular season, and playoffs to name a few. Regardless of all the moving parts, Fitzgerald needs to choose wisely as the organization cannot afford to waste another season of its young core’s prime missing the playoffs largely due to inconsistent goaltending.
