On March 8, the San Jose Sharks dealt goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to the New Jersey Devils in a one-for-one goalie swap to acquire Vitek Vanecek. It’s no secret that New Jersey has been struggling with goaltending all season long, so they went out and got another one on top of Jake Allen. In the final season of a $2.75 million contract, the Devils will have to extend Kahkonen to retain his rights next season. Otherwise, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
As for Vanecek, he won’t expire until after the 2024-25 season and carries a cap hit of $3.4 million. Him having term was likely attractive for a rebuilding Sharks club.
The Devils are looking to make a push for the playoffs, while the Sharks are getting a netminder who can play a lot for them these next two seasons. What does the trade mean for both sides?
Devils Changing the Scenery in Goal
Kahkonen, even on a Sharks team with just 15 wins through 62 games, has played decent this season. His .895 save percentage (SV%), 3.81 goals-against average (GAA), and 6-20-3 record in 31 games might not suggest that, but a dive into some more in-depth stats shows he’s been much better than that.
With a goals saved above expected (GSAx) of minus-1.8, he ranks 61st in the NHL among 93 netminders. From the start of the season until the end of December, Kahkonen had a .902 SV% and a 3.51 GAA with a GSAx of about 2.4. This should be inspiring for the Devils.
Really, Kahkonen has been one of the more underappreciated players on the Sharks this season. He’s shown that he’s good enough to handle a lower-end starter’s workload, making him a potential option in the playoffs if New Jersey can make them. If he plays to his potential, the Devils have a sneaky good addition here. The worst-case scenario is that he’s just a rental, but they were able to offset Vanecek’s salary in the process. It won’t be too bad for them regardless.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Of the three goaltenders that have played this season for the Devils including Vanecek, Nico Daws, and Akira Schmid, none of them had a better GSAx than Kahkonen. Combined, their total was minus-18.7. It has been absolutely disastrous for them in goal, so getting both Allen and Kahkonen makes sense for them. At the very least, their goaltending shouldn’t be any worse. The third-place spot in the Metropolitan Division or a wild card spot is not out of their reach. New Jersey certainly has some ground to make up, but with just decent goaltending, they can get there.
Sharks Add Potential Trade Piece & Potential Starter
As for the Sharks, this trade is interesting for them in that they aren’t getting a draft pick for their expiring netminder but another goaltender at a similar age. Simply put, Vanecek was having an awful season with the Devils. His minus-11.2 GSAx was the third-worst mark in the league, while his .890 SV% and 3.18 GAA aren’t the greatest either. In 32 games, however, he had a 17-9-3 record with New Jersey. He was benefitting from playing with a playoff contender.
But the Sharks can turn it around for him. He was not good in the 2022-23 playoffs, but he had a GSAx of plus-5.1 in the regular season, so he has had good stretches. While Kahkonen is more of a half-and-half netminder who can play 30-40 games, Vanecek has played over 50 in the past. He could be San Jose’s starter next season and be a nice deadline piece for any playoff team in need of a goaltender.
The goaltending market usually isn’t that heavy at the trade deadline, as it’s hard to make the playoffs without good goaltending. But if he plays well enough, there might be some buyers. The Sharks probably won’t be a contender next season, considering they sold arguably their best player, Tomas Hertl, at the deadline. Still, Vanecek’s services could be useful for them.
For both teams, this deal seems to be of low risk but potentially good reward. If Kahkonen is a solution to the Devils’ goaltending woes and plays well, they could make the playoffs when it didn’t look like they would. As for the Sharks and Vanecek, he could grant them a mid-round draft pick or higher if there’s interest for him at the trade deadline next season.
