5 Goals New Jersey Devils Must Have In 2022

Goal #3: Just Figure Out The Goalies Already

Mackenzie Blackwood looks bad again this season. It’s probably the fact that he’s still dealing with a heel injury. It’s unfortunate, but it’s yet another excuse for a player who is starting to get more bad games than good in his career. Even in this three-game run, where the Devils have no choice but to play him on a nightly basis, he has allowed 13 goals over the past three games.

Then there’s Jonathan Bernier. The rumors are swirling that he is out for the season. He has a hip injury, and we learned with Cory Schneider what it’s like to have a goalie with a hip injury long term. This comes after the Devils gave Corey Crawford a two-year deal only for him to play exactly zero games with the team before he retired. It’s been a slog when it comes to the backup goalie position, and it looks like it’s nowhere near fixed.

To be honest, Nico Daws might eventually be the key to the Devils goaltending woes, but there is a lot of evidence we need to find before that can happen. One, he needs to be healthy. He hasn’t been in his first professional season. He’s been amazing for Utica, and he had one good game in New Jersey, but a player’s best ability is availability.

For now, it all comes down to Blackwood. If he’s truly hurt, he needs to just get whatever he needs to get fixed done now. It will probably throw this season away, but what is he providing to this team right now? It also depends on how long it would take to fix his heel. Does it take a month or two, or would he be out until the summer? There are a lot of decisions to make, and if they can’t figure it out during the season, the need to figure it out in the offseason.