It’s only eight games into the season, but the questions surrounding the New Jersey Devils and their goaltending are as visible as ever. Despite being 5-2-1 and in second place in the Metropolitan Division, the two men between the pipes have both had their fair share of poor play. There have been moments where both netminders have let in what look to be some “soft” goals. New Jersey’s offense has certainly backed up and at times bailed out the two, but clearly the team will need better performances from both if they want to make a deep push into next June.
Many will question general manager Tom Fitzgerald’s choice to stick with the tandem that ultimately was a big reason why their season ended in the second round of the playoffs last year. Some rumored big names like Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck have been locked up long-term. Can the Devils still find the right solution for the most important position on the team? Let’s evaluate both and see what the Devils could and should do to improve the position.
Vitek Vanecek
Coming off of a phenomenal first campaign in New Jersey, the expectation for Vitek Vanecek was that he would take his game to the next level and establish himself as a true number-one guy. So far in 2023-24, that has not been the case. In six games played, the 27-year-old netminder has given up three or more goals in four of them. He seems somewhat sporadic and gets on himself too much after letting in a goal.
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The problems that Vanecek is having are very similar to his performances in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. By the time he had played his last game of the year, the Czechia native was answering questions with his head down and at a loss for words. He certainly hasn’t been awful, but having a goals-against average below .900 is not even close to what the Devils expect out of him. Whether it’s early season struggles or something bigger, the reality is that he needs to be consistently good to earn more trust from head coach Lindy Ruff and the team.
Akira Schmid
After a very impressive first-round series in last year’s playoffs in which he posted four wins and two shutouts to vanquish the New York Rangers, it looked like Akira Schmid was ready to take the Devils on a long run. However, his inexperience and fatigue got the better of him in the second round vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. He came into this season with questions about whether or not he was truly ready to play a full season in the NHL. So far, it’s looking more and more like he may need more seasoning in the American Hockey League. In just three games, he has posted a 1-0-1 record, but a poor 4.07 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage.
We have to remember that Schmid is still just 23 years of age and this is his first season being a full-time NHL player. However, the Devils are beginning their win-now period and they will need guys like Vanecek and Schmid to be consistent in net. Similar to Vanecek, it could be just early season struggles for the Swiss goalie. However, he still has yet to play 30 games in his NHL career and one wonders if he is truly ready for the big time. All of these worries could very well mean nothing months down the road, but it certainly something to keep an eye on as the Devils move into the second month of the season.
What Should the Devils Do?
Again, the Devils have played just eight games through the first three weeks of the season. They sit one point out of first in the division and their defense has certainly not done the goalies any favors. However, the position needs to improve. So, what should the Devils do to get the goalies to be more consistent? Here’s how I think they should go about it. First, the Devils need to continue to monitor the goalie market as the season rolls on. Things could happen and some teams may look to sell off a goalie that’s been proven to be dependable. Guys like Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson, Nashville Predators’ Juuse Saros and even Philadelphia Flyers’ Carter Hart could potentially be options if the teams decide to move on from them.
Second, I would give Vanecek and Schmid more time to see if they can get out of the struggles and play more consistently. If they can do that, then the Devils should continue to ride with this tandem. The trade deadline is not for several more months and things could take a turn for the better for New Jersey in net. The third and final thing I would do is if you stick with this tandem, you need to establish a true number one guy. The NHL is leaning more towards a 1A and 1B when it comes to goalies, but for the sake of gaining confidence, one of these two guys need to be named the main guy and the team needs to ride them out regardless of what’s going on.
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It is indeed early, but the Devils’ goalie problems are still just that. It’s the one position that continues to create a bunch of questions. The team needs to find the right answers soon or the problems could become more apparent later in the season.
