Jake Allen admits it: he blocked a deal earlier this season

As of last week, Jake Allen is a member of the Devils organization.

The veteran was fine in Montreal, but wanted to leave the ménage à trois to get more playing time.

It’s kind of ironic, because he finds himself in the same situation in New Jersey right now:

Jake Allen has a no-trade clause in his contract, and we learned after the deal that the Devils were on the list of 10 clubs he didn’t want to be traded to.

That said, the Devils tried to acquire him earlier in the season…

And the goaltender admitted out of his own mouth after his team’s practice today that he decided not to exercise his no-trade clause at the time.

He didn’t feel he’d be able to play much in New Jersey, when the Devils were already counting on the services of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid :

If the Devils were really serious about their approach a few months ago, that means Tom Fitzgerald really missed the boat.

The GM should have made it clear to Allen’s agent that the plan was to play him, and the Devils could have sent Akira Schmid to the AHL to make room for the former Habs goalie.

I get the impression that there was a real lack of communication in the matter.

In the end, the Devils got their hands on a goalie they’d been eyeing for a long time. It’s a bit too late, given the club’s recent move away from the playoffs…

Would the situation be different if Allen had been traded to New Jersey earlier this week? Perhaps, when you consider that the goalkeepers haven’t (really) been getting the job done since the start of the season…

But on the other side of the coin, it’s not as if Allen has been excellent in Montreal in recent months either.

In bursts

– I really like his progression.

– Still.

– The Capitals are banged up.

– Please note:

– So much the better!