New Jersey Devils: 5 Free Agent Goalie Options
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils probably have the goalie situation in a good place, but there are some really intriguing options in free agency. The Devils basically had three goalies this season; Akira Schmid, Vitek Vanecek, and Mackenzie Blackwood. Blackwood is absolutely gone once we learn about qualifying offers. The Nico Daws injury really threw a wrench into things, since he’s going to miss the beginning of next season with a hip injury, as was first reported by Ben Birnell of the Rome Sentinel.
That could complicate the situation. It seemed pretty clear that the Devils would go with Vanecek and Schmid in the NHL and Daws with Tyler Brennan in the AHL. With Daws out for possibly half the season, the Devils could decide to go for a veteran.
Or, the Devils might be looking to sign a star to get them over the top. Vanecek was pretty good in the regular season, but he was atrocious in the playoffs. Schmid was much better, but the jury is still out if he can be a full-time starter. Let’s take a look at who might be a good stopgap option. First, we’ll look at the unrestricted free agents.
Laurent Brossoit
Most probably hope if the Devils target any Vegas Golden Knights goalie, it’s Adin Hill. He is a restricted free agent at the perfect time, coming off a Stanley Cup championship. However, this is a player that’s going to get the bag based on profile alone. Hill had career highs in games played and had good numbers, but he struggled to stay healthy.
The Devils should look at Laurent Brossoit, the player who was the Knights starter at the beginning of the playoffs. He got hurt in the second round, and Hill took over. He was having a rough series, which hurt his overall playoff numbers. He had a good season with a .927 save percentage. He might agree to be the other option and fight Akira Schmid for the backup job. The Devils would be willing to have him in a Scott Wedgewood-type role for the right price.