The New Jersey Devils come into the 2024-25 season with much hope. This is particularly true of the goaltending duo that General Manager Tom Fitzgerald put together. By acquiring Jacob Markström and Jake Allen, the team has upgraded their talent between the pipes. If all goes well, the team can very much make a long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, there is also high hope for the long term regarding the men in charge of keeping the puck out of the net.
Nico Daws has had his fair share of opportunities in the NHL and continues to show great promise. Akira Schmid certainly looked like the answer until his disastrous campaign last year, which ultimately led to a trade to the Vegas Golden Knights. One other name has caught the attention of many Devils officials and fans. This goalie is coming off a promising year, mainly with the Adirondack Thunder. That man is Isaac Poulter.
Poulter has had quite the journey to this point. He went undrafted almost three years ago and it was unsure if he would get the opportunity to play professional hockey. That changed when he signed a two-way AHL deal with the Utica Comets on June 22nd, 2022. He bounced around between the Comets and the team's ECHL affiliate, the Thunder. He finished the year posting a 17-11-5 record, a 3.28 GAA, and a .897 SV%. His play earned him a one-year AHL deal before the start of last season.
Poulter started to take off last season. When it came to playing for the Comets, he stepped up when called upon. He finished the year posting a 14-5-1-3 record with a 2.54 GAA and a .913 SV%. He also was one of just nine goaltenders in the AHL who posted three or more shutouts during the regular season. However, it was what he did with the Thunder that stood out.
In six regular-season games, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native posted a perfect 5-0-0 record. This helped the Thunder finish one of their best seasons in franchise history. The team went all the way to the Eastern Conference Final before being eliminated by the eventually Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades. During that run, Poulter was a huge catalyst to the Thunder's success.
In 15 games played in the postseason, the 22-year-old netminder had a 7-8-0 record with an impressive 1.86 GAA and an astounding .939 SV%. He also made some history with the most shutouts in a postseason year in Thunder's franchise history. That record also put him into a tie for the second most in a single playoff in AHL history.
No games on today's schedule. So, here's a Kelly Cup Playoffs record update. Isaac Poulter of the @ECHLThunder moved into a tie for second place in this category on Saturday. Coincidentally, one of the players he's tied with is his opponent in the Eastern Conference title series. pic.twitter.com/CjYbhBjoWu
— ECHL Week (@ECHLWeek) May 19, 2024
These performances earned him an opportunity to sign a two-year entry-level contract as well as being called up to the Devils in late February. While he never got any game action, it showed everyone the belief that Fitzgerald and the team have in Poulter long-term. This also gives Devils' fans a little more look into what the future of this team in the net will look like.
Poulter has always been someone who has been doubted, but that only fuels him to want to get better each day and prove everyone wrong. By doing so, he has become a diamond in the rough goalie prospect who can very well help the Devils compete and ultimately achieve their goals of bringing more Stanley Cups to the Garden State.