New Jersey Devils Add Goalie Depth With Vitek Vanecek Acquisition

Prior to Day 2 of the NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils made a move as the team acquired goaltender Vitek Vanecek from the Washington Capitals. In the trade the Capitals also got the 46th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft in exchange for the 37th and 70th picks in this year’s draft.

BREAKING TRADE

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TO: @NJDevils
Vitek Vanecek
46th Overall Pick

TO: @Capitals
37th Overall Pick
70th Overall Pick

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) July 8, 2022

Devils Acquire Vitek Vanecek

General manager Tom Fitzgerald made his goaltending position a priority this offseason. With the Devils going through seven goaltenders last season, Fitzgerald wanted more stability with the position. He also wanted to bring someone in to fight Mackenzie Blackwood for the starter’s role. There are concerns around Blackwood, but as Fitzgerald stated prior to the NHL Draft, he feels Blackwood will be ready to go for the season. In addition, he stated you will see the Blackwood of old.

With the Devils being linked to so many goalies this off-season, Vanecek flew under the radar. But once the goalie carousel started to turn, the Devils did not want to be left out in the cold. As Fitzgerald has stated through the process, he will do what is in the best interest of the Devils to make them better.

Vanecek was selected 39th overall in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He made his debut in the NHL during the 2020-21 season. He was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft before being traded back to Washington. During the 2021-22 season, where he played in 42 games, Vanecek had a record of 20-12-16 with a 2.67 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. Vanecek saw time in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs going 1-1 with a .863 save percentage.

Going Forward

The Devils will have some work to do going forward. Vanecek is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The Devils currently have four goalies under contract for next season. Blackwood, Jonathan Bernier, Nico Daws, and Akira Schmid. Fitzgerald noted that he wants Daws and Schmid to remain in the AHL, so they can continue to develop. He admitted both were not ready for the NHL last season. Daws played well, but the workload was too much and he needs more time to develop.

Bernier is an interesting case. He just had hip surgery, so there is some uncertainty as to when Bernier will be back. While he is progressing nicely, recovering from hip surgery as an older goaltender takes time. And time is something the Devils do not have. The most likely scenario is Bernier starts the year on the long-term injury reserve.

Once Vanecek is signed to a new contract this gives the Devils a decent goalie tandem entering the season. Again this has been an area of need ever since Fitzgerald showed up in New Jersey. He thought he had solved that problem with Corey Crawford before he decided to retire. Bernier was a nice addition, but injuries caught up to him. Let’s see if the third time is a charm for Fitzgerald and the Devils.