More Bad News For Devils Puts Team In Tough Spot

The New Jersey Devils are off to a 2-1-0 start to the season, but have lost their starting goalie, Jacob Markstrom, for at least a little bit of time. It was announced that he will miss a couple of weeks with an injury he suffered in the third game of the season. With Markstrom on the shelf for the time being and Jake Allen currently listed as day-to-day, Nico Daws has been recalled from the AHL.

Per Sheldon Keefe, Jacob Markstrom will miss a couple of weeks.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) October 15, 2025

With how things have quickly developed in the Devils' season, they are fortunate no team claimed Daws off of waivers. He is one of the most talented young goalies who didn't start the season in the NHL and was available to teams ahead of the season.

In three games played this season, Markstrom didn't put up stellar numbers with a 2-1-0 record, 3.89 GAA, and .845 SV%, but that's a very small sample size. Allen, in the game he started, posted a 1.50 GAA and .958 SV% before Markstrom came in to get the win and eventually got hurt as well.

Daws only played one game in the AHL before being recalled, losing in regulation, but had a great game with a 1.03 GAA and .963 SV%. Daws is NHL-ready, but the Devils have Markstrom signed this season and are looking to get him extended, while also re-signing Allen for five years. He should eventually find himself on a different team to get a chance in the NHL, but for now, the Devils need him to step up and prove that he is ready to be trusted in the NHL.

Daws was below average in 2021-22 and 2023-24, where he played 46 games in the NHL, but he really turned that around and went 3-1-0 with a 1.60 GAA and .939 SV% through six games last season, indicating that he could handle it.

The Devils aren't in trouble yet, but they also aren't in the best place this early in the season. If Allen is healthy, the veteran and Daws should be able to handle things in net for a couple of weeks.