The Devils will not play starting goaltender Jacob Markström in their final three games of the season, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday.
Markström “gets the chance to go into the offseason without doing any further damage,” Keefe said, implying he’d been dealing with some lingering injuries. He’ll get a head start now to get back to 100% for training camp, presumably without needing surgery.
That certainly gives some context for the Devils’ decision to recall third-stringer Nico Daws from AHL Utica earlier today. He will split the remaining starts with backup Jake Allen, with the latter ticketed to play Saturday against the Red Wings and Daws slated to get New Jersey’s home finale on Sunday against the Senators.
Today closes the book on a forgettable season for Markström. After signing a two-year, $12MM extension early in the season, he proceeded to put his worst numbers since first emerging as a starting option with the Canucks back in 2017-18. He managed a 23-19-1 record in 43 starts but backed that up with a subpar .883 SV%, 3.07 GAA, and a quality start percentage of just .395. His -11.9 goals saved above expected are the ninth-worst in the league, per MoneyPuck.
Of course, those aforementioned injuries certainly played a part. Markström dealt with a lower-body injury in early October, and while he hasn’t missed a game since, it’s clear now that he was never back to 100%.
Markström was a top-10 goalie in the league for a decent chunk of his prime. On the heels of back-to-back average-at-best seasons in Newark, though, there’s a chance their successor to Tom Fitzgerald in the general manager’s chair might want to move on from his pending extension, particularly with Allen still putting up serviceable numbers and Daws looking excellent in his limited NHL action over the past two years.
If so, their options will be limited. Markström has a no-movement clause until July 1. When his extension kicks in, then he’ll be immediately owed a $1.5MM signing bonus while his movement production drops to a 20-team no-trade list. That could allow for a deal; if they don’t think they’ll find one, they could buy him out during the first window in June. That would leave him on their books for the next four years, but at a reduced cap hit of $3.25MM for 2026-27 and $1.75MM for the subsequent three seasons.
He could also very well be back in the starter’s crease in the fall. If the Devils don’t feel Daws is ready for a full-time role, there aren’t any undeniable upgrades on Markström available on this summer’s free agent market.
New leadership seems smarter than the old leadership. You generally can’t buy out injured players, and let’s get a look at Daws.