Devils goaltending gap demands Hellebuyck trade this summer

New Jersey Devils GM Sunny Mehta traded Jacob Markstrom on June 30, leaving the team with a goaltending trio posting save percentages below .910.

Trade assets position Devils for net upgrade

Mehta sent Simon Nemec to Calgary on June 23 for future considerations. The move freed cap space and signaled willingness to deal young talent. The Devils retain five first-round picks across the next three drafts plus three second-round selections. Those assets can secure a proven starter without mortgaging the entire prospect pool.

Jacob Allen recorded a .904 save percentage across 37 appearances in 2025-26. Nico Daws posted .908 in three games. David Rittich finished at .894 in 30 outings with the Islanders. None of the three has established himself as a workhorse capable of matching Igor Shesterkin or Ilya Sorokin over an 82-game schedule.

The team finished 42-37-3 in 2025-26, three points worse than the prior season’s 42-33-7 mark. That regression occurred despite a balanced forward group bolstered by Anthony Mantha and a defense still deep enough to trade Nemec while retaining Seamus Casey and Anton Silayev.

Metro competition exposes current weakness

Shesterkin and Sorokin combined for back-to-back Vezina contention seasons and anchor their clubs atop the division standings. Allen, Daws and Rittich cannot replicate that reliability. The gap leaves New Jersey vulnerable to early playoff exits even if the skaters perform at projected levels.

Mehta holds $3.8 million in remaining cap space after the Markstrom deal. That room allows absorption of a modest salary in a Hellebuyck or Binnington transaction. Winnipeg and St. Louis have both signaled openness to discussions around their established netminders, creating a narrow window before training camp.

Hellebuyck captured the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2019-20 and posted consistent .920-plus seasons. Binnington delivered the 2019 Stanley Cup and led Canada at the 2026 4 Nations Face-Off. Either acquisition would shift the Devils from B-grade goaltending to a legitimate Eastern Conference threat.

Risk of inaction grows with each week

The current trio forces coach Sheldon Keefe to ride the hot hand, a strategy that historically collapses against elite offenses in the postseason. Toronto’s recent goalie overhaul, trading Joseph Woll and signing Sergei Bobrovsky, illustrates how quickly proven netminders change addresses when teams decide to contend immediately.

New Jersey’s forward depth and defensive pipeline give Mehta leverage. One or two first-round picks plus a mid-level prospect would likely suffice for Hellebuyck. Delaying the move risks another 42-win ceiling and another early summer exit.

Unless Mehta completes a Hellebuyck trade before the 2026 training camp opens, the Devils will finish outside the top three in the Metro for the third straight season.