After years of expectations, the New Jersey Devils finally have a competitive team that can dream big. The three-time Stanley Cup champions have long been waiting for a complete team that can battle and vie for the fourth trophy.
Following their runner-up finish in 2012, the Newark-based team faced multiple eliminations, missing the playoffs in all subsequent seasons except for 2017-18, when they fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, and 2022-23.
The team underwent extensive restructuring and acquired gems in the draft, such as Jack Hughes, but there is still a journey ahead. Ironically, the team’s significant challenge lies precisely in the position where it perhaps had the greatest success in its history: goaltending.
It’s a known fact that goaltenders can alter the course of a playoff series. It’s also natural for fans who witnessed Martin Brodeur‘s incredible career and cinematic saves to desire and demand a high-caliber goalie.
Perhaps even more than for other teams, goalies in New Jersey feel pressure to perform. So why haven’t the Devils secured a standout goalie to close the gap and finally confirm their status as one of the NHL’s best teams? It’s certainly not for lack of attempts.
Cory Schneider & Corey Crawford
Cory Schneider, a first-round pick (26th overall) in the 2004 NHL Draft, arrived in New Jersey with the mission to be Brodeur’s successor. He had an interesting career with the Vancouver Canucks, helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2010-11.
Schneider became the starter in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. The trade garnered significant attention at the time, with Schneider coming to the Devils in exchange for the ninth pick, which became Bo Horvat.
While Brodeur approached retirement, Schneider was finding his prime form (1.97 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage in 45 games during 2013-14). He had good seasons in the following years, but the team as a whole did not fare well. Injuries also hampered him throughout his history with the Devils.
The issue wasn’t goaltending but defensemen who underperformed and linemates who simply didn’t deliver enough to snag the team postseason berths other than in 2017-18.
How many words are needed to describe Corey Crawford? His list of accolades is long: a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a two-time NHL All-Star, a two-time William M. Jennings Trophy winner, 260 regular-season wins, 52 playoff wins, a .918 SV%, and 26 shutouts.
However, his stint with the Devils was very brief. On Oct. 9, 2020, he signed a $3.9 million contract to replace Schneider, but on Jan. 8, 2021, he took an indefinite leave of absence due to personal reasons and announced his retirement the next day. He never suited up for a game with the Devils.
Thus, the goalie dilemma continued, and the Devils had to reassess their options with Scott Wedgewood, Gilles Senn, and Evan Cormier.
Mackenzie Blackwood & Jonathan Bernier
After Crawford’s retirement, the Devils sought other goalies to assume the starting role, such as Aaron Dell and Louis Domingue, but Mackenzie Blackwood gained more prominence.
The 42nd pick of the 2015 NHL Draft didn’t showcase impressive numbers, whether on the main team or in the minors; for example, he went 7-17-1 in 32 games with Binghamton of the American Hockey League (AHL).
In his best season with the Devils (2018-19), Blackwood posted a .918 SV% and a 2.61 GAA. Nevertheless, he managed only 10 wins in 23 games, which is less than a 50 percent success rate. The following seasons were for him to get more opportunities, more games and elevate his play, but his numbers declined.
Despite being part of a more competitive team, Blackwood couldn’t achieve favorable stats. His GAA increased to over three (3.39, 3.20, and 3.63), while his save percentages were .892, .893, and .896. On June 27, 2023, after five seasons with the Devils, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks for a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and signed a two-year, $4.7 million deal on July 1, 2023.
And we can’t forget Jonathan Bernier. The veteran, who has played for the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Detroit Red Wings, signed a two-year deal worth $8.25 million in free agency in 2021.
It was another attempt to secure a good goaltender, either as a starter or backup, and perhaps a veteran who could mentor young goalies, including Blackwood. The story lasted only 10 games: a hip injury ended his season. After that, retirement was announced. On Aug. 23, he decided to hang up the pads.
Nico Daws, Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid, or Someone Else?
The current situation in Newark revolves around this question, which likely involves strategies from head coach Lindy Ruff, general manager Tom Fitzgerald, and other members of the front office.
Vitek Vanecek signed a three-year, $10.2 million contract in 2022, boasting a 20-12-6 record with a 2.67 GAA, .908 SV%, and four shutouts in the previous season with the Washington Capitals. At that time, the Devils had gone four consecutive seasons without making the playoffs, utilizing seven goalies (a team record at that time). Vanecek wasn’t the best option on the market, but he wasn’t the worst, either.
The Czech goalie delivered an impressive performance during the 2022-23 regular season but struggled in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On the other hand, Akira Schmid played a pivotal role in overcoming the New York Rangers in the first round.
In the 2023-24 season, Vanecek has struggled with only 16 wins, a 3.28 GAA, and a .883 SV%. Schmid also fell short, appearing in 15 games this season for the Devils and owning a record of 5-7-1 with a 3.26 GAA. As a result, he was assigned to the AHL’s Utica Comets in December 2023. This created an opportunity for Nico Daws, 23, who was recalled from the Comets and currently assumes the role of the starter.
The young goalie has 32 career games and only 13 wins. In New Jersey, he has accumulated three wins in seven games with a .903 SV% and 3.19 GAA. It’s evident that it’s too early for Daws to shoulder such responsibility, and the team needs to explore the market once again to reach greater heights in the league. They currently sit four points out of the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
It is clear that the Devils have been seeking stability in the net for many seasons, but things simply haven’t unfolded as planned. Memories of better times with Brodeur linger, along with the hope of finding the missing piece of the puzzle.
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