Devils Have Options But It Will Cost Them A Price To Get Them
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet joined NHL Tonight to discuss what the New Jersey Devils will do between the pipes along with who the options are and what it will cost them.
** NHLRumors.com Transcription
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Host: “Elliotte, big theme this year for the Devils has been their goaltending and how much that position has struggled How can and how will they look to upgrade this?”
Elliotte Friedman: “Well, I think Steve if they have been looking and you know one of the real challenges right now and I kind of really saw this the most recent team to really come through the league was Toronto.
And one of the things I’ve kind of heard from them and they’re trying to be careful about it is just say look like, if you want to get somebody right now it’s really gonna cost you. These teams with extra goaltenders or goaltenders to trade, they know that they are in the position of leverage. Sometimes you have the hammer, and sometimes you don’t. Like I think one of the things that Toronto tried to do is they tried to offer a late-round pick for a goalie and they just didn’t get much out there.
The New Jersey Devils could be one of several teams interested in trading for a goalie. @FriedgeHNIC talks about which goaltenders could be available. @SteveGelbs | #NJDevils | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/Z6zIyjgDbU
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 4, 2024
Now I’m looking at this board and please keep this board up for a second. Let’s go left or right, Gibson. Most teams are going to have to retain so you have to pay the price to get the player and then you have to pay the price to retain. Pat Verbeek is a really tough negotiator, a really tough negotiator. And I’ve been told that it’s going to be a really hard deal to do.
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Markstrom has a no-move clause. So number one, he has to agree to anything. So that’s the biggest challenge there. Merzlikins I definitely think he’s available. I think again, the question is $5.4 million cap hit. He’s struggled at times. What is Columbus willing to do to make this work? But he’s definitely available.
Allen is definitely available, one more year, Montreal is asked a bigger price. They’re one of the teams that they’re knowing that they’re in the position of strength. Right now no one’s willing to pay. What Montreal is willing to do?
Kahkonen. on the right. He’s an interesting one. He’s available. He’s up after this year. He’s an unrestricted free agent. His underlying numbers have been really good on a San Jose team that has struggled. I definitely think there’s interest in him.
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Number one, I think the price like the other goaltenders is high. Number two, I think the only question on Kahkonen’s never really been in a position before where he’s had to lead a team that’s had expectations.
And I think that’s one of the things that some teams is weighing here is if we do go out and get Kahkonen, who is having a great year, how do they think he’s going to handle being a face of a team that wants to contend or wants to win playoff rounds?”