Rémi Poirier embraces waiver move as fresh start with Devils

Rémi Poirier is treating his waiver move as a welcome break. The Quebec goaltender was claimed by the New Jersey Devils on Sunday after being placed on waivers by the Dallas Stars, then flew out the next day to join his new team near Newark. Since Tuesday, he has been practising as the Devils’ third netminder, slotting in behind Jake Allen and Nico Daws.

From crowded crease in Dallas to opportunity in New Jersey

A sixth‑round pick of the Stars in 2020, Poirier was preparing for his fifth pro season when his plans abruptly changed. He dressed for Dallas’ final pre‑season game in Minnesota, expecting to travel with the team to a closed‑door camp in Michigan afterward. Instead, he was told to head back to Texas, which he took as a clear sign he was being sent down to the American Hockey League.

For the first time in his career, Poirier had to pass through waivers because of the experience he had built up. The Stars were required to expose him before they could assign him to their AHL affiliate, making him available to the rest of the league on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, shortly after 1 p.m., general manager Jim Nill called to let him know the Devils had put in a claim and secured his rights.

In Dallas, NHL starts were hard to come by. Last season, Jake Oettinger and backup Casey DeSmith combined to handle all 82 games without major injuries or slumps. The year before followed a similar pattern, leaving Poirier limited to a few short emergency recalls. Even with that logjam, he insists he stayed patient and didn’t feel the organization owed him games, focusing instead on his work with the Texas Stars.

AHL workload and steady development

Poirier arrives in New Jersey with a sizeable AHL résumé. After splitting his first pro year between the AHL and ECHL, his workload grew over time. He appeared in 52 games in 2025‑26 and led AHL goaltenders with 1362 saves. His save percentage has risen season by season, from .904 to .908 and then to .912 last year. At the just‑completed training camp, he allowed only one goal on 36 shots over 99 minutes of action.

The goaltender says he never let frustration build up despite the lengthy bus trips and isolation that come with playing for the Texas Stars in a distant AHL market. He focused on the day‑to‑day, content with his teammates and his situation, even as opportunities in Dallas remained limited.

Three‑goalie puzzle and NHL dream

In New Jersey, Poirier steps into a three‑goalie arrangement with Allen and Daws. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has publicly framed the move as adding depth in net, suggesting the 23‑year‑old will have to remain patient. If the Devils ultimately cannot keep him on the roster, they would need to place him on waivers again to send him elsewhere, exposing him to another potential claim.

Poirier still sees a path to his long‑awaited first NHL appearance. He has already dressed as a backup in three games during emergency recalls, including one last season when the Montreal Canadiens visited Dallas. He says he is eager for that debut but does not want to force anything, noting he has felt ready for two years now. With Samuel Montembeault the only Quebec‑born goalie to see NHL action last season, Poirier hopes his move to the Devils will allow him to join that group and finally get into a game.