Following a tough loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Devils legend Ken Daneyko didn’t mince words when defending New Jersey’s high-profile goaltender acquisition, Jacob Markstrom.

The MSG analyst offered a passionate perspective that cuts against the grain of modern hockey’s analytics-driven evaluation.

“I know everybody looks at numbers. I don’t always look at numbers,” Daneyko explained during his appearance on N.J. Advance Media’s Speaking of the Devils. “He’s won whether it’s goals against or save percentage. It’s the timely saves that you make. He’s done that in some of the wins big time that he’s had, and he’s had wins.”

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Markstrom, who joined the Devils via trade and signed a lucrative extension, has faced mounting criticism for his early-season performance. But Daneyko, who spent 20 years patrolling the blue line for New Jersey, sees beyond the basic statistics that drive much of today’s hockey discourse.

The pressure on high-priced goaltenders in the NHL is immense. Fans expect immediate results when a team invests significant resources in a netminder, particularly one with Markstrom’s pedigree. But the transition to a new team, new defensive system, and new teammates often creates an adjustment period that raw numbers fail to capture.

“Sometimes stats for me … can be jaded at times,” Daneyko told NJ.com Devils reporter Ryan Novozinsky. “We have a tendency to look at offensive stats, whether it’s for a forward, and that doesn’t mean he doesn’t play well, or for a goaltender, goals against and save percentage. It’s about wins. That’s the bottom line.”

This debate between traditional evaluation and analytics represents a fundamental tension in modern sports. While advanced metrics provide valuable insights, they sometimes miss the contextual elements that veterans like Daneyko prioritize – the clutch save in a one-goal game, the momentum-shifting stop during a penalty kill, or the consistency that builds team confidence.

“Right now, I mean, you don’t sugarcoat it,” Daneyko said. “It’s not been as good as anybody would like. Jacob Marstrom himself, he’d probably tell you the same thing, but he still makes that big save.”

For Daneyko, Markstrom’s competitive nature and track record suggest better days ahead

“Now it’s about, you know, he makes big saves when needed, like I said, in some of those wins, but now for him, it’s just a little more consistency throughout the 60 minutes,” Daneyko said. “And I have no doubt in my mind, he will get there.”

As the Devils navigate this season’s challenges, Daneyko’s perspective offers a reminder that patience often proves valuable – especially with players who demonstrate the determination Markstrom has shown throughout his career. Sometimes, the eye test from a Stanley Cup champion provides insights that spreadsheets simply cannot.

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