The New Jersey Devils are supposed to be one of the best teams in the league. They have superstars all over the ice and most of them broke out in a big way last year.
So far this year, however, things haven’t been perfect. Injuries have a lot to do with it as guys like Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, and Nico Hischier have all missed significant time but are back.
They are also going to be without Dougie Hamilton for a while which isn’t going to make anything easier. Until they get him back, they need to have a few other guys step up.
If the Devils are going to be a playoff team and save their season, they need to do a few things a certain way. These are the changes that they can make to make sure they are playing in the postseason:
The New Jersey Devils need to address their goaltending situation right now
The New Jersey Devils have had some bad goaltending so far this year. It is a clear problem for the team. The advanced statistics and traditional stats suggest that a change is needed.
Vitek Vanecek has an 8-5-0 record with a 3.49 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage. Akira Schmid has a 3-5-1 record with a 3.27 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage.
Schmid has been a tad bit better overall but Vanecek has won a few more of his starts. They both need to be better as long as they form the tandem on the NHL squad.
There are a few options out there for them to consider. It is a move that must be done if this team wants to start winning with regularity again.