New Jersey Devils Q&A: On the future in net, deadline targets and Luke's next contract

I answered a variety of Devils questions regarding how they may handle life after Markstrom, potential deadline acquisitions, and much more.

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I haven’t done a Q&A post in far too long. With the NHL on pause due to the 4 Nations tournament, now seemed like the perfect time to correct that.

Let’s get right to it.

Q: I don't want to sound like I hate Jacob Markstrom but his age is up there....when should the Devils plan for a new goalie and are there any suggestions?

Jacob Markstrom has the team in good hands for the next 1.5 years and perhaps could be a platoon option afterward.

A free agent addition would likely need to be made at that point to help bridge the gap to the next wave.

I would argue the wheels are already in motion for a long-term solution, though.

Jakub Malek, a 4th rounder in 2021, continues to excel carrying the load as a starter in Finland’s top professional league.

He posted a .914 save percentage over 27 starts last season and is sitting at .912 through 27 games this year.

Those numbers might not pop off the page but they should. Malek ranks 2nd in the SM-liiga in save percentage and is one of just two about .910. He is showing real promise and could be an NHL option in a couple of years.

The Devils also drafted Mikhail Yegorov in the 2nd round in 2024. He performed very well for Omaha and has allowed only seven goals through five games – while posting a .951 save percentage – since joining Boston University.

He still has a lot of development ahead of him but the early returns are encouraging.

Q: Besides injuries, what do you most attribute the post-Christmas skid to?

A lack of 5v5 offense.

Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes are the only forwards on the team who’ve produced more than a 5v5 point every ~three games since the holiday break.

Nico Hischier has missed some time while Timo Meier has shot 2%. With the way the bottom-6 is constructed, those four need to stay healthy and produce consistently for the team to hum along.

That hasn’t happened and the Devils have essentially been a one-line team in terms of 5v5 scoring.

With the exception of Paul Cotter, who has caught fire of late, the Devils have gotten next to nothing from the bottom-6.

Stefan Noesen (I’ll include him because he spent some time on the 3rd line), Tomas Tatar, Nathan Bastian, Curtis Lazar, Erik Haula, Kurtis MacDermid, and Brian Halonen, have combined to score two (2) goals at 5v5 over 20 games since Christmas. Remove Tatar from the mix and that number sits at zero. Insanity.

Statistically speaking, I think it’s more likely one of those guys stumbles into a two-goal performance than the whole batch combining for two.

If the Hughes line doesn’t produce, or the Devils don’t draw many power plays, they simply can’t score.

Getting Hischier healthy soon will help but the Devils need to add another layer to their 5v5 offense.

Q: How would you set up the lines when everyone returns to full health?