Tom Fitzgerald Goal: Find A Rhythm In Net
.900 .857 .887 .882 .903 .891
Those are the save percentages of New Jersey Devils goalies not named Mackenzie Blackwood over the past three seasons. That represents Scott Wedgewood, Aaron Dell, Cory Schneider (twice), Louie Domingue, and Keith Kinkaid. That’s a pathetic stretch of goaltending from a team that has a history of dominance at the position.
Obviously, the injuries to Cory Schneider really derailed his career, and it was upsetting to watch it happen. None of it is his fault, it’s really his hip’s fault. However, it was clear it wasn’t going to get better, so one of Fitzgerald’s first moves after getting the full-time GM job was to cut Schneider loose and buy out the remainder of his contract. There were two years left at $6 million. While the Devils could have afforded to just eat the deal, it made more sense for all parties to just move on.
Fitzgerald tried to fix the situation right away by signing Corey Crawford. He never played a game with the Devils despite signing a two-year deal. He retired during training camp. So, let’s try this again. The Devils signed Jonathan Bernier to a two-year deal this offseason.
Right now, the Devils starting goalies are Nico Daws and Scott Wedgewood. That’s not ideal since Blackwood and Bernier are hurt, but hopefully, they both come back soon. Then, the Devils can get into a rhythm in net, and this duo can steal a few games.