Jake Allen (© James Guillory-Imagn Images)The New Jersey Devils are entering this off-season with an array of free agents. When it comes to their pending unrestricted free agents, there is no question that Jake Allen is the most notable.
Allen, 34, was certainly a bright spot for the Devils this season. In 31 games, he posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average. Overall, the veteran netminder proved to be a strong backup for Jacob Markstrom.
While speaking to reporters on May 8, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald shared that he is open to the idea of re-signing Allen and will begin discussions with his agent.
"Sure, we liked our tandem and felt it was one of the better tandems in the league," Fitzgerald said. "Jake's numbers were very, very good. His professionalism, the way he interacted with Marky as the backup, is very important in a tandem. They got along very well. They respect one another, but for sure, his agent and I are going to discuss where his future is."
It is understandable that Fitzgerald plans to chat with Allen's agent about the veteran goaltender's future with the club. He was very good as the Devils' backup this campaign and stepped up well when Markstrom was sidelined due to injury. Due to this, keeping him around would certainly be a plus for the Devils, but it will ultimately come down to cost.
It is going to be very fascinating to see if the Devils and Allen can come to terms on a new deal from here. There are clear reasons why Fitzgerald should work hard to re-sign Allen, but if the netminder hits the free-agent market on July 1, he should generate plenty of interest around the league.
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