In general manager Tom Fitzgerald’s war room, there are certainly multiple names on his trade target board. As previously reported, we know John Gibson is one of the names Fitzgerald has re-engaged his interest in. Nikita Zadorov was another name that had a pin in it, however, he’s since been traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Chris Tanev remains with the Calgary Flames. He’s a defenseman the Devils have already expressed interest in. Jake Allen, one of the three goaltenders currently with the Montreal Canadiens, is suspected to be on the list as well. A recent report confirms New Jersey’s interest in Allen.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN Insider Trading revealed on Thursday that the Devils are one of two teams interested in potentially acquiring Allen. The other team in the Metropolitan Division is the Carolina Hurricanes, who are also struggling with goaltending.
“Those teams expect to return to the Canadians about Jake Allen, which does not necessarily mean that a trade is imminent, but that those conversations will become more serious.” Carolina is one of the teams that I believe has recently spoken with Montreal. New Jersey is another squad that is debating the Jake Allen notion internally. We know Marty (Brodeur) spent time with Jake Allen while he was in St. Louis, so he knows him well.”
brief stint tending the St. Louis Blues crease in 2014-15. That relationship continued in his time as Doug Armstrong’s special assistant post-retirement. The 11-year NHL veteran goaltender has a .909 SV% and 2.72 GAA.
The Devils’ AGM Martin Brodeur has known Allen since his childhood
The Canadiens have signed goaltender Samuel Montembault to a three-year contract extension. Cayden Primeau is also on the roster with the Habs, who have a three-goalie rotation.
Allen’s contract expires after the 2023-24 season, with a cap hit of $3.85 million.
Allen has a 4-6-2 record this season with a.904 SV% and a 3.43 GAA. Depending on the price, it’s reasonable to ask if Allen is a significant upgrade over Akira Schmid and Vitek Vanecek.
The NHL is currently in a roster freeze for the holidays. That implies that anything can happen until 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 28, when the roster freeze is lifted.
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