New Jersey Devils: 5 Backup Goalie Options In Free Agency

2. Marc-Andre Fleury

This one seems unlikely, but let’s play around with the possibility. Marc-Andre Fleury decided to join the Chicago Blackhawks last season despite knowing that team wasn’t a Stanley Cup contender. There was likely a promise in there that if the Blackhawks were out of it, they’d trade him. They did just that, and Fleury ended up playing for the Minnesota Wild. They didn’t make it out of the first round despite the best efforts of Kirill Kaprizov.

Now, Fleury is a free agent for the first time in his career. For the first time, he can choose whatever team he wants in the entire league. There are some interesting options out there, but the Devils have to be intriguing, right?

For one, the Devils could pay Fleury the likes of a Brinks truck while asking him to play 1B or backup minutes. He can get paid well while also putting less of a strain on his body. Would Fleury demand starter minutes? If the money is right, we don’t think so.

He could come in and guide Mackenzie Blackwood or another goalie to positive results. He gets to learn from Martin Brodeur about how to go from an all-time great to a front office dynamo. Heck, the Devils could offer Fleury a spot in the front office after his career ends. That’s what happened with the Blues and Brodeur. This would be smart for the Devils. However, it has to make sense for Fleury to move the needle.

3. Mikko Koskinen

(Editor’s note: Koskinen ended up signing with a team overseas after publishing this piece.)

Mikko Koskinen was once the starter for the Edmonton Oilers, but it was short-lived. The Oilers splurged for Mike Smith of all players in order to make Koskinen the backup. Smith has been there for three seasons, and Koskinen was the backup for all three. Somehow, Koskinen was good the first season when they were splitting time, but he got a lot worse when he was given the full-time backup job.

Koskinen actually had more starts than Smith did this season, but he never started a game in the playoffs. He did get into three games, but it was in clean-up duty after a bad Smith start. Koskinen is a decent backup option who is getting a little up there in age.

At 33 years old, it’s possible that Koskinen’s recent drop in production has come due to his age. He was never one of the best in the league, which seems to be required to keep playing well deep into your 30s. Again, like Korpisalo, Koskinen has a place in the league, but putting him on the Devils is a major risk.

This is something the Devils have to consider when looking at a backup goalie. Free agency is coming with its flaws, but these are players they can get without additional cost. The Devils need to find someone who works. This is why they have to go bigger when it comes to a backup goalie. Don’t go cheap, go hard.

4. Kevin Lankinen

Now this one gets interesting. Kevin Lankinen flew on the scene last season, and he was really good until it kind of fell apart at the end of the year. He had a .936 save percentage in the first month of his career and a .917 save percentage in his second month. It kind of fell off the rails in the last month of that shortened season, and then the Blackhawks traded for Marc-Andre Fleury, making Lankinen an instant backup.

The Blackhawks thought they were building a playoff team last season, but that clearly wasn’t the case. Despite trading for Fleury and Seth Jones, they were still one of the worst teams in their division.

The difference between Lankinen and the others on this list is age. One could think that Lankinen, at 27 years old, still has good years ahead of him. For the rest of this list, we’ve probably seen the best they have to offer. With Lankinen, he went from a Calder Trophy candidate to falling off the map. Can the Devils rebuild that? Is it worth it?

It’s definitely more worth it than Korpisalo and Koskinen. There isn’t a ton in terms of goaltending that makes sense for the Devils in terms of backup only, but there is something here. Lankinen would probably pick the Devils because of the opportunity. If he doesn’t work out, he’s not completely terrible. Then, the Devils would be able to try Bernier when he returns without feeling like they are in a bad position. This one feels like it might be worth the risk.

5. Braden Holtby

This one is coming up a lot, and it makes sense. Braden Holtby is a goaltender who resurrected his career again this past season with the Dallas Stars. He had a rough ending to his tenure in Vancouver, and they ended up buying out his contract for a decent price just to get out of it. Meanwhile, the Stars were able to get him for a cheaper price, and he a .913 save percentage backing up Jake Oettinger.

Holtby is just 32 years old. He had some years where he was considered one of the better goalies in the league. He has his name on the Stanley Cup as a starting goalie. Holtby just needs a chance to keep his NHL career going. Coming to the Devils gives him an interesting opportunity. The Devils actually have a pretty good defense when it comes to keeping high-danger chances off the board. Maybe that’s hard to believe, but that’s what the numbers say.

Holtby was the 24th in the league in goals saved above average. The best Devils goalie was ranked 37th (Bernier). Nico Daws ranked 51st and Mackenzie Blackwood ranked 69th (out of 76). The Devils would be getting a very serviceable goalie in free agency. Sure, he will cost more than a lot of the others on the list, but he’s worth it at this point.

Holtby was a little worst than most in terms of stopping the high-danger chances, and that comes with age. However, the Devils system avoids the biggest issues (well, at least outside the power play). They want to suppress chances. Of course, that was under Alain Nasreddine. Under a new defensive coach, that might change. One would think Lindy Ruff wants to find a coach that brings a similar philosophy since the defense wasn’t the major issue last year. That could help Holtby find his game more often than not.