The New Jersey Devils are certainly ready to compete for that elusive Stanley Cup. The top six is one of the best in the NHL. Their defensive core is still incredibly strong, and they still have one of the deepest prospect pools in all of the NHL. However, there is still one question that, to some, has yet to be fully answered. That is the goaltending and whether or not Vitek Vanecek is the guy the Devils can rely on.
Vanecek is coming off one of the best regular seasons by a New Jersey goaltender in franchise history. Not only did he become just the second ever to win 30 or more games in a season in team history, but he helped the red and black make it back to the postseason for the first time in five years. He was praised for his ability to make the saves that the team needed and came through in the clutch. Unfortunately, this did not transition into the playoffs. To say that the netminder struggled would be an understatement.
Related: Devils’ Goaltending Still a Major Question for Next Season
He finished with a dismal 1-3 record in four starts. He also posted a poor .825 SV% and a 4.64 GAA. There’s no sugar-coating that Vanecek was far from where he was earlier in the season or where he should have been once the postseason got underway. His performances, along with the rise of Akira Schmid, have left many question marks about Vanecek’s future in New Jersey. There will be a ton of pressure on the Czech goaltender in 2023-24. Not only do I think he will bounce back this season, but I believe he will be the main piece to a New Jersey Cup run.
He’s Learned How to Handle a Big Workload
Last year was by far the most games that Vanecek has played in an NHL season in his short three-year career. He has played more and more each season he’s played. There’s a likely scenario that he’ll get a bulk of the starts this upcoming campaign, and now that he’s had a year to experience this, he should be more prepared for another long season ahead. Experience is such an important aspect for a goaltender, and Vanecek certainly gained that and should be much more ready to be the No. 1 guy moving forward.
Another thing when it comes to the workload for Vanecek and any goaltender really is how they handle it from a pregame and postgame perspective. This upcoming year, the Devils will play a total of nine back-to-backs. That’s one of the most amount of any team in the league. There will come times when he may possibly play both games, which would obviously increase his workload. The mindset is going to change for No. 41 in that he can’t be overdoing things like stretching or even pregame skating so that he can be physically ready to go for game time.
He’s Already Proven He Can Be a No. 1 Option
None of us knew what Vanecek was going to be last season. At first, it looked like it was going to be a 1A/1B in net for New Jersey. But as the season rolled on, he really took over the reins and, in many ways, dominated for a stretch of time. When looking at what he did from Oct. 25 to Nov. 21, it’s clear that he’s on his game, he’s tremendous. In that stretch, “the netminder had a string of 10 straight wins over the run, to set a new career-high.”
The Devils, as a team, had a historic season in 2022-23. They finished with an astounding 52-22-8 record for 112 points, setting franchise records for most wins in a season and most points in a season. They also set an NHL for the largest point improvement from the year before with 49. A large part of that was indeed Vanecek, who himself set career bests in wins, GAA and SV%. He also won 18 different one-goal games. The goalie proved he could be relied upon, and his teammates fed off his play to elevate themselves. Despite his struggles in the playoffs, he has been able to help his team make the postseason in each of his first three seasons.
Vanecek’s Lack of Playoff Success Is Not That Concerning
While this may be controversial, it should be mentioned that Vanecek has only started in a total of seven games in the playoffs. Though he hasn’t won many and hasn’t looked good, I don’t believe this trend will continue. Why, you may ask? For one, just like the rest of the team, it was a learning year for one of the youngest teams in the NHL. You have to go through growing pains before you achieve Stanley Cup success.
The second reason is looking at the team in front of Vanecek. The Devils have one of the best top-sixes in the entire league. Despite losing some key guys on defense this offseason, their defensive core is still very strong. The team can give the goaltender the support to make the saves when he needs to win games. It should also be mentioned that with the emergence of Schmid, Vanecek could get more of a breather this year, which would keep him fresher in the later parts of the season.
The last reason is that you don’t need the best goalie out there to win you a Stanley Cup. Last year is a prime example of this. Adin Hill was the fifth-string netminder on the Vegas Golden Knights to start the season. Fast forward to the playoffs, and he stepped up his game so much that he became a significant reason why the Golden Knights were able to deliver the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup. Vanecek could be that guy for New Jersey, and with all that’s around him, I would not be surprised if that’s exactly what happens.
Only time will tell if Vanecek is ready to take that next step in the net. Expectations will be high for himself and New Jersey. It’s sure to be one interesting season ahead.
