Written By Neil Villapiano
It's fair to say that the New Jersey Devils have one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the NHL. General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has done a fantastic job of building this team to where it is. With the likes of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Tyler Toffoli, Dawson Mercer, Dougie Hamilton, and more, the possibilities are endless with what this team can do. The question is, how do you put it all together and create the perfect Stanley Cup championship recipe? Let's take a swing at what the lines should look like to generate the most success.
Lastly, let's look at what is considered to be the biggest question mark of this team, the goaltending.
Goalie #1: Vitek Vanecek
It's easy to focus just on the lack of playoff success with Vitek Vanecek. This is especially true with how last April/May went for him. However, I believe that Vitek is going to be able to bounce back. Last year was by far the best season a Devils' goalie has had in well over a decade. Vitek became only the second goalie in franchise history to win 30 or more games in a season. I'm confident it wasn't a fluke.
A big reason why Vitek struggled in the playoffs in my opinion is that this was the biggest workload he's had in his still young career. He has to learn to adapt to that moving forward if he wants to truly be the #1 guy in the net and I think he will. He has experience from last year like everyone else and will be ready to carry a just as big bulk in the crease this season.
Goalie #2: Akira Schmid
I've been a huge fan of Akira Schmid since he broke out in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers and then the Sioux City Musketeers from 2019-2021. He also became one of the best goalies in the AHL in 2021-2022. He then progressed to a major role in New Jersey this past year. It was capped off by a heroic performance in the 1st Round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year vs. the New York Rangers. He finished with four wins and two shutouts including a shutout in Game 7 to vanquish the hated Hudson River rivals. For a short time, he was the talk of the NHL world.
Unfortunately, he showed his inexperience in Round 2 vs. the Carolina Hurricanes in which he was bombarded with goals in the first two games. He lost his starting job until a do-or-die game 5 back in Carolina. While he looked better in that game than his previous two starts, it wasn't enough to keep the season alive. It was a learning year for the Swiss netminder, but he has certainly developed into one of the goalies of the future for New Jersey.
He has the perfect frame for what you'd want in a franchise goaltender. He's 6'5" and over 200 lbs. He is very sturdy in netthe and not sporadic. He makes simple plays and can give the big-time saves that win you games. Even though it is reported that the Devils would prefer Schmid to play down in Utica next season, I firmly believe the time is now for him to play full-time in the NHL. He is ready to take his game to the next level.
Let me know what your thoughts are on all the pairings in the comments section below.
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When you go thru the list of players, the team is getting more and more