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5 goalies for the New Jersey Devils to consider trading for

By Vincent Parise

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 14: Juuse Saros #74 of the Nashville Predators tends goal against the Boston Bruins during the first period at the TD Garden on October 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins won 3-2. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 14: Juuse Saros #74 of the Nashville Predators tends goal against the Boston Bruins during the first period at the TD Garden on October 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins won 3-2. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils aren’t off to the best start that they’ve ever had but there is still time to get back on track. One of their biggest problems this season has been goaltending and defense. We know that they are going to score a lot but they need to defend better.

One way to do that would be to make an upgrade between the pipes. Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid are both fine but they haven’t been good enough this season. If New Jersey wants to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup over the next few years, they have to address this problem.

Gone are the days of Martin Brodeur but there are some options out there in terms of goalies who can provide a little bit of an upgrade for them. It isn’t going to happen overnight but they should be considering all possibilities.

A few goalies may be available throughout the season and all of them should be considered by the Devils. These are the five that they should be thinking about the most in terms of trade:

The New Jersey Devils would love to have a goalie like Jusse Saros in the mix

For the last handful of years, Juuse Saros has been one of the best goalies in the entire NHL. He has come a long way since taking over a full-time role for the Nashville Predators. Since Pekka Rinne left and allowed Saros to take over the net, it has been nothing but good things for him.

The Nashville Predators have always been built on the back of goaltending and defense and Saros is a big part of it in the modern day. In each of the last three seasons before this one, Saras was a top-six finisher for the Vezina Trophy.

Right now, however, Saros has been pretty bad. He has a 3.23 goals-against average which isn’t the worst number in the world but it is well above his career average of 2.60. Saros has never finished a season above 3 as long as he played in more than one game.

If Nashville decides to move off him this year as things fall off the rails, the New Jersey Devils should come calling. With a team like that in front of him, Saros would thrive. He’d be the new franchise goaltender right away.

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