New Jersey Devils: What To Make Of Nico Daws Current Stretch
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils have seen their season go into the toilet specifically because of goaltending. Mackenzie Blackwood was hurt in the preseason and he was never the same. His heel clearly bothered him on a nightly basis, and it caused him to not only play below his ability but also clearly lost some confidence. The same thing happened with Jonathan Bernier who tried to play through a hip injury that eventually needed surgery. He’s now out for the season. Tom Fitzgerald made a small move to bring in Jon Gillies, but that came after he lost Scott Wedgewood on waivers.
Eventually, the Devils were forced to play AHL goalies Akira Schmid and Nico Daws. Daws missed some time this season, and Schmid is statistically the worst goalie to take NHL ice this season. Once Schmid went back down to the AHL, it was time for Daws to get a shot.
When Daws was back in New Jersey, Gillies was the top player for the Devils. He had some good games, a lot of bad games, and some games fell in the middle. It was a roller coaster ride with Gillies in net. Still, the Devils got him basically for free from the St. Louis Blues. It was well worth the price just to get someone to get us here.
Now, Nico Daws is the top player at the position for the Devils until Blackwood returns. He’s just 21 years old, so we’re not expecting any miracle work at this point, but Daws has given the Devils a chance to win. That’s all Devils fans have asked for at this point. The offense is rolling, as we saw with their 5-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. So having even averaging goaltending is huge for the Devils.
And that’s what Daws is bringing to the table. He is exactly average. The Devils have played him for five games in a row including a back-to-back. When he’s put in a situation that actually works for him, he plays well. He has a .906 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average. Those are decent enough numbers, and the save percentage is actually the best on the team right now. Since taking over the net full time on February 24th, he’s saved more than 90% of his shots four out of six times.
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What does this all mean? Daws is a 21 year old who once led the OHL in save percentage. The Devils knew what they were getting when they drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2020 NHL Draft. However, nobody thinks he would be an NHL average goalie at this point. It doesn’t sound that good to be NHL average, but as a 21-year-old goalie, that’s great. Spencer Knight has had trouble being an NHL average goalie, and he was supposed to be one of the best goalie prospects in the league for the Florida Panthers.
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Daws looks like he might actually be a long-term answer for the Devils. Obviously, it would be better if he went back to the AHL, the Devils find someone who can hold down the fort next season, and then he can grow into a starter-caliber goalie by the 2023-24 NHL season. The Devils might not have that luxury, but it’s at least good that the Devils have a backup plan in case they want to go into next season with Blackwood and Bernier as the duo again despite their injuries.