Jake Allen, one of the top goaltenders available entering free agency, is not heading to the market after agreeing to a five-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, the club announced Tuesday.
Allen's average annual value on the deal is $1.8 million. That AAV allows the Devils to run back the same goaltending tandem for next season.
Jacob Markstrom has one year remaining on his contract for $4.125 million. Nico Daws is also under contract for next season before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.
Several teams were interested in the 34-year-old Allen, whom sources said could have made more money on the open market. However, the deal with the Devils gives Allen long-term security. He has played for the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens and Devils over his 12-year-career. He has started in 436 career games.
Last season, Allen started 29 games for the Devils, going 13-16-1 with a .906 save percentage, 2.66 GAA and four shutouts.
Later Tuesday, the Devils agreed to a four-year contract with veteran forward Connor Brown, a deal that covers an average annual value of $3 million, and added right wing Evgenii Dadonov for one year and $1 million.
At 31 years old, this figured to be one of the last summers for Brown to cash in with a long-term deal in free agency. And he clearly helped himself playing for the high-octane Edmonton Oilers last season. Toggling between a few different lines for coach Kris Knoblauch, Brown finished with 13 goals and 17 assists in 82 games, skating to a plus-9 with a 14:01 of average ice time per game.
At 36 years old, Dadonov proved he still has the scoring touch, especially when placed on an offensively gifted team such as the Dallas Stars. Bouncing around several lines for former Dallas coach Peter DeBoer, Dadonov finished with 20 goals and 40 points for the Stars last season, as he played out the final days of a two-year deal that carried a modest $2.25 million salary cap hit.