As the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin to wind down, free agency draws closer by the day and when the market opens on July 1, there will be no shortage of experienced veteran talent available.
Some of these guys have established a strong legacy in the NHL, while others are perhaps underrated for what they bring to the table. But what they all have in common is they can still be very high-impact players in the right situation.
Jake Allen: best goalie available?
For any team in need of a reliable backup goaltender that can step in at any moment, Jake Allen is far and away the best option on the market this summer, and he will certainly be fielding a handful of offers come July 1.
As the backup to Jacob Markstrom with the New Jersey Devils, Allen confidently took over the net when his tandem partner was injured for nearly six weeks during the regular season. Allen and Markstrom both tallied four shutouts this year -- despite Markstrom playing in 18 more games.
Although he had a losing record overall (13-16-1), Allen posted a respectable .906 SV% which is a personal best since 2020-21.
But his real impressive numbers are the advanced stats. He ranked in the league's top ten with 3.07 wins above replacement, which signifies how much better he was compared to the league average. Allen was also among the ten best goalies in terms of goals saved above expected with 18.1.
With his 35th birthday coming before the start of the 2025-26 season, Allen still has strong movement and quick reflexes. You can never count him out on a play, because he is always looking for that last desperation save. A consistent backup goalie that can steal the starting role when needed is hard to come by, but Allen offers a sound option for many teams needing that position filled.
Allen's next contract will be at least $3 million per year, if not closer to $4 million, and a two-year deal is more than likely as far as length goes. The Devils would surely love to keep him, but face a tricky cap situation with eight other contracts expiring, so Allen will likely be finding a new home this summer.