New Jersey Devils Goaltending “Depth” Disappeared Immediately

New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald spent much of the offseason looking for depth. He signed and traded for players for the bottom of the roster, to bolster the minor leagues, and to keep tabs on in case of emergency. It makes sense, as the Devils had decent injury luck last year. Nathan Bastian, John Marino, and Ondrej Palat were the only players to deal with serious injuries. 14 players played at least 70 games.

This season has been different in terms of injuries, but that’s not the point we’re getting at. The Devils made multiple moves at the goaltender position because Fitzgerald’s inability to make a move (which is likely more the fault of the market) left him vulnerable. The only truly healthy NHL-caliber goalies on the roster are Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid.

The Devils went out and signed Erik Källgren and agreed to the rights to Keith Kinkaid.  Both players have NHL experience, with Kinkaid being the last goalie prior to last season to carry the Devils to the postseason. Kallgren had 24 games for the Maple Leafs over the past two years, showing he could play in an intense market.

The Devils also have prospects Nico Daws and Tyler Brennan directly in the system. The expectation is that they’d both eventually play for the Utica Comets. Unfortunately, we haven’t heard a peep about Daws since his hip injury in the offseason. Brennan, on the other hand, has only been given four games in the ECHL and is sporting an under .900 save percentage.

Meanwhile, Kallgren has been pretty awful in Utica, posting an 0.860 save percentage (and we are not sure if this counts the six-goal performance he let up on Wednesday night, blowing the game for his team in the third period). Kinkaid is playing for the Chicago Wolves, as he had a previous agreement with the unaffiliated AHL roster prior to signing with the Devils. He has an 0.871 save percentage. To be fair, the Wolves roster is pretty bad.

So now, the Devils went from possibly having four options (although Brennan was a long shot this season) outside Vanecek and Schmid to having absolutely zero. If the Devils wanted to send Vanecek to the AHL, ala Jack Campbell, to regain his confidence, they might as well try Brendan Smith at goalie over Kallgren or Kinkaid. He’s apparently good at playing out of position.

It’s unfortunate, but the Devils have their duo for now. A trade may happen, but for whom? The options there are low to non-existent, too. The only hope for the Devils goalie position is for the current options to figure it out. And heaven forbid an injury. It could sink things in an instant. For now, ride Schmid.