Goalie Jake Allen admits to Devils he rejected their first trade offer!

Goalie Jake Allen was moved by the Montreal Canadiens to the New Jersey Devils on Trade Deadline Day on Friday. On Wednesday after practice with his new teammates, Allen admitted that earlier in the season, he rejected a trade to New Jersey and refused to waive his no-trade clause to be shipped out of Montreal.

The veteran netminder explained why he first turned down a move to the Devils, saying that with goalies Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid, he didn’t see a future or a lot of playing time as a started in New Jersey.

Vanecek was acquired by the San Jose Sharks on Friday, but could be done for the remainder of the season due to his lower-body injury. Although the Sharks may not get to play him in 2023-24, Vanecek has another season remaining on his three-year, $10.2 million deal.

As for Allen, he agreed to waive his NTC clause when he saw the opportunity he was getting in NJ. However, some fans will say that he should have been aware that Schmid would have most likely been sent down to the minors to allow Allen to slot into a starting role. 

“Being able to go out and get a veteran, with a lot of character, great locker room guy, great athlete in Jake Allen, who’s excited to be a part of our organization – he has a no-trade clause, and he waived it to come to us because he sees the opportunity and the upside,” general Manager Tom Fitzgerald said during his post-trade deadline press conference.

Allen is focused on helping this team down the stretch and continuing into next year as well.

With his fresh start with the Devils, Allen wanted to start things off on the right foot, telling them and their fanbase the truth on why he first refused to come to Jersey. A great mindset for the future with his new team.

Recommended articles:

• Goalie Jake Allen has finally been traded!
• Real story behind Jake Allen botched trade leads to new rumours!
• Reports that Montreal has traded goaltender Jake Allen
• Three goaltenders Red Wings could potentially target
• Trade between Oilers and Habs may have fallen apart.