Jake Allen is hoping to get into a rhythm with the New Jersey Devils after playing in a three-goalie rotation for most of the season with the Montreal Canadiens.
The 33-year-old practiced with the Devils on Sunday for the first time since he was acquired in a trade with the Canadiens before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on Friday for a conditional third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
"It feels like a new challenge for me, a new opportunity," Allen said. "Almost eight years in St. Louis and four years in Montreal and I get a fresh start here with the Devils, and I'm excited."
Allen was 6-12-3 with a 3.65 goals-against average and .892 save percentage in 21 games while rotating with Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau. The Devils are also carrying three goalies: Allen, Nico Daws and Kaapo Kahkonen, acquired from the San Jose Sharks on Friday for goalie Vitek Vanecek and a seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft.
Akira Schmid was assigned to Utica of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
"For me, it gives me a chance to get a few more games under my belt this year and into a rhythm," Allen said. "I don't think I've played two games in a row in a long time, so it's going to be good for me to get back to that at some point, whenever I get back in the lineup."
Allen has played twice since Feb. 24 and five games since Jan. 27, and has one season remaining on a two-year, $7.7 million contract ($3.85 million average annual value) signed with Montreal on Oct. 1, 2022. He hopes to get into game this weekend, so either Daws or Kahkonen will start for the Devils against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NHLN, MSG).
"Jake can't play right now and Kaapo is good go," Devils coach Travis Green said, "so we'll talk to 'Rogi' (goalie coach Dave Rogalski) and see where we go with that tomorrow."
New Jersey will continue to carry three goalies for the time being. It opens a four-game road trip in New York and visits the Dallas Stars on Thursday, Arizona Coyotes on Saturday and Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
"We'll take it day by day," Green said. "We'll get Jake up and running and then assess things then."
New Jersey (31-29-4) trails the Detroit Red Wings by six points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
"I think we have three guys here; Nico has played very well this year and Kaapo has had a good year in San Jose," Allen said. "I think we all have to contribute; it's not going to be one guy that changes things here.
"From the outside always coming to play against the Devils, you knew what you were up for, speed, fast, quickness, ability to score. If we can bring that every night, we'll give ourselves a good chance to get back in the race. We're not still too far out of it, but I'm looking forward to helping the guys.
"One guy can't turn this whole thing around. We need all of us and see where it goes."
