Jacob Markstrom is exactly what the New Jersey Devils needed

After years of inconsistent goaltending, Markstrom has been a rock for the Devils.

Follow along on Twitter @ToddCordell | @InfernalAccess

Be sure to join the Discord channel to talk hockey with our writers and subscribers.

---

Over the last few years, the New Jersey Devils have assembled a lot of high-end talent and built one of the league’s best cores.

It has yet to lead to much success.

The Devils made the playoffs only once during the first five years having all of Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt on the roster.

Immediate results were not expected, of course, but the core of the team – led by Hughes, who has produced at well over a point per game pace since 2021-22 – has been plenty good enough to have more to show for the last few seasons.

From 2021-24, the Devils ranked 12th in total goals scored and 8th in high-danger chance share.

They were largely a good team that could control the run of play and really threaten you with their speed and skill.

That’s not to say the Devils otherwise iced flawless rosters; that was far from the case. But goaltending – or a lack thereof – held them back significantly.

Netminders are supposed to mask blemishes made by the team. Unfortunately, the Devils’ rotating cast of goalies only drew more attention to them.

The Devils ranked 31st in save percentage (.889) and high-danger save percentage (.783) during that three-year window. They were the only team to rank top-16 in xGF% but be outscored. The goaltending was that bad.

Desperate to find a solution, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald pulled the trigger on a sizeable off-season trade, shipping Kevin Bahl and a 2025 1st round pick to Calgary in exchange for Jacob Markstrom.

The hope was that Markstrom could stabilize the position and give the team a fighting chance each night. Suffice to say, he has done that.