Everyone, even professional athletes like Jake Allen, has to make business decisions. Allen, who used to play for the Montreal Canadiens, had to make such a decision before the trade deadline on March 8. Initially, he didn’t want to move to the New Jersey Devils when they showed interest. However, after some time, he agreed to the trade. This was confirmed by both teams recently.
Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils’ General Manager, mentioned their interest in Allen during a press conference on March 8. He said they had asked about Allen’s availability but were told he wasn’t open to trade. However, things changed, and Allen decided to move to New Jersey. He explained his decision on March 28, saying that sometimes you have to think about what’s best for you and your family.
#NEWS: We have acquired G Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for our conditional 2025 3rd-Round Draft Pick.
📰: https://t.co/E1gsPxCEcw pic.twitter.com/paCTfiQhnh
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 8, 2024
Once the Canadiens agreed to trade Allen to the Devils, he removed the no-trade clause from his contract. This allowed the deal to happen smoothly. The trade was finalized on March 8. The Devils gave the Canadiens a conditional third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in exchange for Allen. The Canadiens also agreed to retain 50 percent of Allen’s $3.85 million salary. Allen will remain with the Devils until the end of next season.
Montreal’s Performance Declines While New Jersey Eyes Playoff Spot.
With the Canadiens beginning a rebuilding process, it seemed like the right move for both the team and Jake Allen to go their separate ways, giving him a chance to pursue the Stanley Cup Playoffs elsewhere. The New Jersey Devils, who are still in contention for a playoff spot, appeared to be in a better position in early March, sitting just six points away from the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Despite their efforts to close the gap, the Devils now face a challenging task with only nine games left in their schedule, making it difficult to climb higher in the standings with so few matches remaining. Currently, they are outside of the wild-card positions, trailing behind teams like the New York Islanders and the Detroit Red Wings.
JAKE ALLEN 🤯 pic.twitter.com/VgxsZNWR2w
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 22, 2024
As of March 28, the Devils hold 76 points, while the Islanders have 77 and the Red Wings have 79, with both also vying for playoff spots. The Washington Capitals currently occupy the second wild-card seed with 81 points in 72 games.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens find themselves in a less favorable position with 68 points in 72 games, ranking as the 15th team in the Eastern Conference, just above the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets, who have 58 points.
However, Allen’s decision to join the Devils wasn’t solely based on their playoff prospects. According to him, he saw a promising opportunity in New Jersey’s goaltending situation that wasn’t present when the team initially approached him. Allen expressed optimism about joining the Devils for the remainder of the season, highlighting the positive start he’s had with his new team.
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