Jake Allen
Jake Allen is the Devils' lead goalie on current evidence, but he is the larger half of a tandem with Nico Daws, and his early 2026-27 results have been shaky.
Role
Daily Faceoff's player page (fetched 26 October) shows Allen starting the 1 October opener and games on 7, 11, 14, 18 and 21 October, plus a start vs. Los Angeles on 24 October. The same page describes a "makeshift goalie tandem" of Allen and Daws after Jacob Markstrom was traded, and says it is unclear who the team will lean on more. Allen's starts are not consecutive, so Daws is getting the other games, and a 13 October note says Daws was outdueled by Allen. Ice time and linemates do not apply to a goalie. I could not read the Daily Faceoff line page in the fetch I did. ESPN's Devils line-combo page, indexed within the last few days, lists Allen as starter and Remi Poirier as backup, which conflicts with Daily Faceoff naming Daws. I did not verify either list directly. The number of games Allen has started is not stated in anything I read. Daily Faceoff cites 37 appearances for him last season, which differs from our card, so I use no figure from that.
He was the opening-night starter and has gotten the bulk of the early work with no designation attached. Markstrom is gone, and Daily Faceoff and Gino Hard both framed Allen as the No. 1 in the offseason. He finished last season as the Devils' main option, with Daily Faceoff reporting he was relied on more steadily late in 2025-26. Daily Faceoff put his 2025-26 line at a 2.74 GAA and .903 SV%. It also noted a 2.65 GAA and .896 SV% through his first three 2026-27 games.
Daily Faceoff on 20 October said his start has not been reassuring: four or more goals allowed in three of five games (3-2-0), a 3.18 GAA and .876 SV%. It also noted he has started 35 or fewer games in six of his past seven seasons, and he is 36. A Yahoo Sports preview noted he has rarely been a heavy-workload goalie since 2018-19. A weak stretch could push more starts to Daws.
Where analysts split
Whether Allen can carry a true No. 1 workload or the Devils keep a near-even split with Daws. Offseason coverage (Daily Faceoff, Gino Hard) treated Allen as the starter. Daily Faceoff's in-season notes call the tandem makeshift and call the split unclear. I found no reporting that quantifies the split. I also did not check whether the team has said anything about it.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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