Daniel Vladar
Devils fans want Tom Fitzgerald to make a big splash when it comes to the goaltender position. After Connor Hellebuyck signed a massive deal with the Winnipeg Jets, it was time to look at other options. We’ve heard the same names over and over again. John Gibson comes up biweekly. Juuse Saros hears the trade rumors just as much. However, it’s much more likely the Devils go after a goalie on the outs than a superstar midseason.
Daniel Vladar could allow the Devils to send Akira Schmid to the minors so he can get consistent playing time. That’s what helped him last season be so sharp in the postseason. Do you think he’d be that good if he was getting inconsistent starts like he is right now? Probably not. Goaltending is about rhythm.
We were tempted to try to fix the Devils situation with a trade fro Jakob Markstrom, but the contract just doesn’t make sense at this point. Vladar has one year left after this one with a $2.2 million cap hit. Markstrom has two years left with a $6 million hit.
This is a pure depth move. Vladar wouldn’t really do much better than Schmid, but he would allow Schmid to go to the AHL. Nobody is asking Vladar to be the starter come playoff time, but could he at least be better than he’s been on the Flames?