With Cory Schneider signed until 2022 and Keith Kinkaid locked up for 2 more years at $1.25 million a year, the Devils are seemingly set for the near future in net. That doesn’t change the fact that they have a ton of talent in the pipeline. Schneider is 31 and Kinkaid is 28. While I’m certainly expecting Schneider to regain form, resigning Kinkaid is added insurance because as we all know he performed exceptionally last year. This isn’t really about them though.
Scott Wedgewood
The New Jersey Devils have done a nice job of adding solid goaltending prospects recently. Lets start with Scott Wedgewood. Wedgewood is 24 years old and was a 3rd round pick in 2010. Unfortunately for the Devils he suffered a season ending injury only 10 games into his season last year. Prior to that he posted a respectable .912 sv% and 2.18 GAA and performed even better the year before.
In 2015-16 he played 4 games in the NHL with a GAA of 1.24 and a .957 sv%. Those are some stellar numbers for anyone in the NHL and while he didn’t mimic those exactly in the AHL (of course because those numbers are insane) but he did post a stellar 1.55 GAA and .933 sv%. I honestly expected Shero to let Kinkaid move on and give Wedgewood a chance this year but with his injury and Kinkaid and Schneider’s performances last year he clearly made the right move. However, its nice knowing that if something does happen the Devils certainly have a 3rd goalie who appears to be ready to perform at the NHL level. Even still, if the Devils can keep Wedgewood locked up when Kinkaid’s contract expires he’ll only be 26.
Mackenzie Blackwood
Blackwood was a 2nd round pick in 2015 and is only 20 right now. Goalies generally take longer to develop and need more time at lower levels than skaters. However, Blackwood had the opportunity to jump right into the AHL last year after Wedgewood’s injury. He posted a 2.55 GAA and a .907 sv% (I certainly expect a jump next year), but what really stood out to me are his playoff numbers. While he only played four games, he managed to post a .928 sv%. I’m definitely a fan of Wedgewood but I think Blackwood is the future in net for the Devils at this point.
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For a 20 year old to step right into the AHL and perform the way he did is phenomenal. At 6’4, he has the right size to play at the next level. With Schneider and Kinkaid under contract for the near future, he has plenty of time to refine his game. I would expect Blackwood and Wedgewood to split time in Binghamton next year.
Ken Appleby, Evan Cormier, and Gilles Senn
The final three goalies in the Devils system are Ken Appleby, Evan Cormier, and Gilles Senn. Appleby ended up playing 32 games in the AHL last year and performed well. He’s undrafted and likely would have spent the year in the ECHL with Adirondack if Wedgewood hadn’t gotten hurt. I would imagine he’ll spend this year in Adirondack barring any injuries. While he performed well the Devils have a lot more invested in both Wedgewood and Blackwood.
As for Evan Cormier he was a 4th round pick in 2016 and still has another year with Saginaw in the OHL. He’s only 19 and 6’3 (noticing a trend). He’s certainly posted respectable numbers in the OHL and I would expect him to play as much in the OHL as possible. The Devils have no need to rush any of their goaltending prospects at this point.
And finally we have this years draft pick Gilles Senn. As an overage pick I think we all were kind of surprised but I think he could seamlessly transition over to the ECHL. Senn has been playing for HC Davos in the Swiss league. He’s a 6’5 keeper and there have been a couple Swiss goalies that have come over later rather than sooner and had success (David Aebischer,Jonas Hiller, and Martin Gerber to name a few). I would imagine the Devils will encourage him to play in Switzerland this year where he can start and maximize playing time.
All in all the Devils have done a great job of stockpiling talent in net. With Schneider locked up there really isn’t a need in the near future but as we all know it takes goaltenders a bit longer to develop than skaters. I’d certainly keep my eye on Blackwood as he looks to be the goalie of the future for this organization.