New Jersey Devils camp opens with a real question mark sitting right in the crease.
The Devils traded Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers this offseason, leaving New Jersey without a proven long-term answer in net.
Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich now make up the goaltending group heading into the season.
Allen posted a .903 save percentage across 37 games last season, and at 36 years old, he's expected to open the year as the starter.
That experience matters, but carrying a heavy full-season workload at his age is a real concern for New Jersey's coaching staff.
Rittich posted a .894 save percentage in 30 games last season, giving the Devils a second experienced option, though he projects more as depth than a real 1B.
New Jersey finished 42-37-3 for 87 points this season, 21st overall, a roster that needs stability in net more than almost anything else to take a real step forward.
Why Daws is the real key to this entire setup
Daws has appeared in just 3 games at the NHL level so far, posting a .907 save percentage in that small sample.
The organization has stayed patient with him, believing inconsistent opportunities in previous years slowed his development rather than a lack of talent.
This season is genuinely his chance to show what he can do with real, consistent starts instead of sporadic appearances.
Daws doesn't need to take over the crease outright. He just needs to prove he can deliver steady, reliable starts alongside Allen to lighten the workload.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe now has to manage a tandem built on faith as much as results, hoping at least one of these three goaltenders steps up in a real way.
If Daws can't establish himself this season, New Jersey heads into next summer's free agency with the exact same crease problem it's trying to solve right now.
Can Nico Daws become the Devils' long-term answer in net this season?
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