NHL contract grades: Jake Allen is a solid ‘1B' for Devils at a reasonable price
It's been said for months that Allen would be the best goaltender to hit the market on July 1. That turned out to not be the case — Allen never made it to unrestricted free agency, agreeing to terms with New Jersey in the last hour of his previous contract.
Allen, 34, deserved to be atop all those free-agent lists. He put up a .906 save percentage for the Devils in 31 appearances last year, which is directly in line with his career numbers. Allen's save percentage has been .905 or better in 10 of his 12 seasons.
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Where he really popped in his first full season with the Devils, though, was in goals saved above expected. Allen's 19.04 were 14th in the league, a tick behind Jake Oettinger and a tick ahead of Mackenzie Blackwood.
Is Allen a true-blue starter? At this point in his career, probably not. He's certainly a high-end backup, though, and miles ahead of the other options on the market. That's why seeing him stick with the Devils, where he'll once again back up Jacob Markstrom, is a bit of a surprise — even without many open starter's nets across the league.
The term, in all likelihood, was the deciding factor here; five years is a long time for a goaltender in his mid-30s. Other teams might've been willing to pay Allen more in terms of AAV, but there's something to be said for certainty. Allen got that — and the Devils locked in a solid 1B at a highly reasonable price.
That carries some extra value for New Jersey, given how much of an issue goaltending had been before they turned things over to Markstrom and Allen. Now, they've got two competent options for the coming season and a nice insurance policy if Markstrom (a UFA after 2025-26) has another up-and-down season.
Contract grade: B+
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