James Nichols
Jacob Markstrom wants to stay with the New Jersey Devils. The Devils want Markstrom to stay in New Jersey. Both sides have publicly stated they’d like to get an extension done, and as of Sunday, some details emerged about a potential offer.
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According to NHL insider Kevin Weekes via X, the Devils’ initial offer to Markstrom carried a $5 million average annual value (AAV). It is currently unknown how many years the offer stands for.
It’s also unknown whether Markstrom denied the offer or not.
The 35-year-old veteran goaltender is working the 2025–26 season on an expiring contract at a $6 million AAV. His goalie tandem partner, Jake Allen, signed a five-year extension over the summer that carries a $1.8 million AAV.
Should Markstrom choose to accept the offer that was presented at $5 million, the Devils’ goaltending would be locked up for just $6.8 million, with the salary cap rising over the next several seasons.
“When you have two veterans like that, it might be a luxury, but they give us a chance every night, and that’s all we’re trying to ask out of our goaltenders, is just give us a chance,” Tom Fitzgerald said.
Extending both Markstrom and Allen as successful veteran NHL goaltenders makes perfect sense. Prospect goaltenders in New Jersey’s pipeline, such as Mikhail Yegorov and Jakub Malek, offer significant future NHL potential, however, are still developing in the NCAA and AHL respectively.
The Swedish goaltender’s first season in New Jersey was strong. Markstrom posted a 26 – 16–6 record across 49 games, with a 2.50 GAA and .900 SV%.
The Devils acquired Markstrom from the Calgary Flames two summers ago, in exchange for defenseman Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first round pick.
Fitzgerald revealed at his 2025-26 season opening press conference that he and Markstrom’s camp had already begun negotiations on an extension.
