One of the New Jersey Devils' most notable moves was re-signing goaltender Jake Allen to a five-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.8 million. Allen was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1, but the Devils were able to get him re-signed right before free agency opened with this fascinating deal.
Heading toward July 1, there was a real expectation that Allen would be able to land himself a nice payday if he tested the market. It is understandable, as he was easily the best pending UFA goalie this year. However, the Devils found a way to keep him around at an affordable price by giving him extra term.
When looking at this signing, it undoubtedly has the potential to be a great move for the Devils. Allen was certainly a bright spot for the Devils this past season, as he worked wonderfully as Jacob Markstrom's backup. In 31 games with the Metropolitan Division club on the year, he had a .908 save percentage, a 2.66 goals-against average, and four shutouts. With numbers like these, he certainly did his job as the Devils' backup.
Now, by getting Allen signed to this five-year contract, he will continue to give the Devils a dependable veteran goalie for the backup role. There is no question that playoff teams need to have multiple good goaltenders, so getting Allen re-signed, especially at that low of an AAV, was a smart move for them. It will now be fascinating to see what kind of season he has for New Jersey in 2025-26 from here.
Report: Ex-Devils First-Rounder Lands Coaching Gig
According to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, former <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a> forward Stefan Matteau is being hired as an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.
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