The New Jersey Devils have multiple pending free agents with the summer. Goaltender Jake Allen is one of their most notable ones, as the veteran will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 if the Devils do not re-sign him by then.
However, when noting how solid Allen performed as the Devils' backup this season, they need to work very hard to not let him leave through free agency.
Allen, 34, provided the Devils with good stability as their backup in 2024-25. In 31 appearances, he posted a .906 save percentage, a 2.66 goals-against average, and four shutouts. He also stepped up well when starter Jacob Markstrom was sidelined due to injury.
If the Devils successfully re-sign Allen, he would continue to form a strong tandem with Markstrom. This would be huge for the Devils, as top teams need to have good goaltending, and Allen provides just that.
Allen is also the NHL's top pending UFA goalie this year, so the Devils would have a tough time finding a proper replacement for him on the market. A few pending UFA goalies this summer include Ilya Samsonov, Alex Lyon, and old friend Vitek Vanecek. While they have a promising young goalie in Nico Daws waiting in the wings, it is hard to predict if he can match Allen's level of play.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what happens with Allen this summer from here. If the Devils end up losing him, he will undoubtedly be missed.
Devils Should Make Big Trade For Penguins Star
It should be a busy off-season for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a>. General manager Tom Fitzgerald was honest following the team's short playoff run that he will be making changes to the Devils' roster this summer because he felt the team was not good enough.
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