The New Jersey Devils goaltending situation is an absolute mess. Is there a way to fix it this offseason, or are they stuck with Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier in 2022-23?
The New Jersey Devils need a better goaltending situation if they are going to realistically compete for a playoff spot next season. It’s just the reality of the situation. This was Mackenzie Blackwood’s chance to really prove he could be a number-one goalie. He had star potential, and he’s shown it in the past. He had stretches where he was one of the best goalies in the league. Those stretches are fleeting, and over the past two years, he has had more bad games than he has good games.
This season, Blackwood has nine games with a save percentage over .900. He has just as many games this season where he’s saved less than 87% of the shots against him. That includes three games where his save percentage was under .800. It hasn’t been a good season for him, and he’s been dealing with a heel and a neck injury all season. Blackwood is now out for the foreseeable future.
Speaking of out for the foreseeable future, who knows what the future holds for Jonathan Bernier. The Devils spent big to bring him in free agency. He’s currently out for the season with a hip injury that required surgery. We’ve been here before. They dealt with years of a Cory Schneider injury. They should not do this again with Bernier.
The real issue here is who the Devils even have a chance to go after this offseason. Who is going to give away a superstar goaltender at this point? We saw the reigning Vezina Trophy winner traded last season, and he almost retired. Is there going to be a player like that available again? Who might the Devils target in the offseason to save this situation?