Scott Wedgewood Re-signed: A Small but Smart Move For New Jersey Devils

Scott Wedgewood is here to stay with the New Jersey Devils after signing a one-year, two-way $825,000 extension. This signing came three weeks after they signed restricted free agent Nathan Bastian to a two-year deal worth the same amount as Wedgewood’s. Last season, the backup goaltender struggled on paper by only having three wins, a 0.900 save percentage, and 3.11 goals against average in the 16 games he played (15 of which he started).  Despite his struggles though, he looked sharp and stood his ground against formidable division foes like the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. In addition, the entire team struggled, especially the defense. Even Mackenzie Blackwood had his moments of struggle as well. It is tough to fully blame the goaltender if the players in front of him were struggling as well.

This is a small but very smart move by the Devils. Having a short-term deal like this can let them see if Wedgewood can bounce back during this upcoming season where a young team is more experienced and adapted to Lindy Ruff‘s system. Also, Wedgewood is close to 30. At 28 years old, he is almost at the end of his prime. It was a smart move for the Devils to give him a short-term deal to see what he can prove at this point of his career. If Wedgewood does shine, he can be extended to a couple of years. If he struggles, he can be sent down to Utica and give their goaltending prospects some NHL experience. This is a make-or-break season for Wedgewood. I really hope he can contribute to the winning culture that the young roster is starting to build.

Overall, re-signing Wedgewood to a one-year $825,000 is a smart and modest move by the New Jersey Devils. It gives Wedgewood a shot to prove himself as a legitimate backup goaltender, gives leeway for the Devils’ goaltending prospects time to develop properly, and it barely takes up cap space. I hope Fitzgerald continues to make smart and bold deals so they have a very successful offseason which can lead to on-the-ice success.

What do you think about the re-signing of Wedgewood? Do you think he should have gotten more term or more money? Should he have been re-signed at all? Will Wedgewood step up next season? Feel free to leave a comment down below and let’s get a discussion going.