3 Possible Goaltenders For the New Jersey Devils to Acquire
Taylor Hall made it fairly clear earlier this week that he wants to be on a cup contending team. The Devils are doing their best to keep Hall in New Jersey, but after acquiring excellent pieces at centre and on defence, their goaltending situation leaves plenty of question marks. Here are a few net-minders the Devils could target to help shore up their roster.
1. Corey Crawford
When healthy, Crawford can be a difference maker in net for the Blackhawks, and even has a couple Stanley Cup rings to prove it. His health has been a real question of late, and he's getting older, but I believe he still has another year or two of starting left. The Blackhawks seem to have found their new goaltender of the future, and probably wouldn't mind moving on from the 34-year old Quebec native.
2. Jimmy Howard
One of the big names on the trade deadline list this past season was Jimmy Howard. At 35 years old, his best years are behind him, but he still managed to put up respectable numbers on a Red Wings team that was nothing short of a mess. His 4 million dollar cap hit is fairly easy to stomach, especially since it has only one year left on it, and the Wings likely won't be asking for a huge return for the veteran net-minder.
3. Jaroslav Halak
After his incredible playoff run this year, Tuukka Rask has cemented himself as "the guy" in Boston. However, Jaroslav Halak played in quite a few games and performed extremely well during the regular season. In 40 games, he posted a 2.34 GAA and 0.922 SV%. Those are really strong numbers, and I believe he could take over a starting role if needed. The Devils could use a player like Halak, though his age is also a bit of an issue.
You'll notice a common problem with each of these goaltenders. They're all 34 years old or over. While this isn't "ancient" it does mean they likely won't be in the league for much longer. Some might think there are younger options out there. While yes, this is true, the Devils need someone who has shown they can succeed at the NHL level if they want any hopes of keeping Taylor Hall. Taking a gamble on Charlie Lindgren, Garrett Sparks, or Tristan Jarry is too big a gamble on whether or not they can handle a starting role.
Who do you think the devils could pick up to solve their issues in goal? Comment below.
1. Corey Crawford
When healthy, Crawford can be a difference maker in net for the Blackhawks, and even has a couple Stanley Cup rings to prove it. His health has been a real question of late, and he's getting older, but I believe he still has another year or two of starting left. The Blackhawks seem to have found their new goaltender of the future, and probably wouldn't mind moving on from the 34-year old Quebec native.
2. Jimmy Howard
One of the big names on the trade deadline list this past season was Jimmy Howard. At 35 years old, his best years are behind him, but he still managed to put up respectable numbers on a Red Wings team that was nothing short of a mess. His 4 million dollar cap hit is fairly easy to stomach, especially since it has only one year left on it, and the Wings likely won't be asking for a huge return for the veteran net-minder.
3. Jaroslav Halak
After his incredible playoff run this year, Tuukka Rask has cemented himself as "the guy" in Boston. However, Jaroslav Halak played in quite a few games and performed extremely well during the regular season. In 40 games, he posted a 2.34 GAA and 0.922 SV%. Those are really strong numbers, and I believe he could take over a starting role if needed. The Devils could use a player like Halak, though his age is also a bit of an issue.
You'll notice a common problem with each of these goaltenders. They're all 34 years old or over. While this isn't "ancient" it does mean they likely won't be in the league for much longer. Some might think there are younger options out there. While yes, this is true, the Devils need someone who has shown they can succeed at the NHL level if they want any hopes of keeping Taylor Hall. Taking a gamble on Charlie Lindgren, Garrett Sparks, or Tristan Jarry is too big a gamble on whether or not they can handle a starting role.
Who do you think the devils could pick up to solve their issues in goal? Comment below.
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