Remember this pivotal moment in franchise history when New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald acquired “The Hamburglar… Andrew Hammond from the Montreal Canadiens.
Devils traded AHL prospect Nate Scharr, who was acquired from the Taylor Hall deal for Hammond. Hammond, who is coming off an injury, is close to being ready to play.
This move helps the Devils in both the short and long term.
And here’s why:
1. With the injuries to Jonathan Bernier and Mackenzie Blackwood, the Devils did not have consistent goaltending for most of the season. Right now, the Devils want to finish the season strong so the team can gain confidence going into next season. Fitzgerald said, “It's important to the players to finish strong. They want to finish strong.…
2. When goaltender Nico Daws was selected 84th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, no one envisioned him starting nine straight NHL games this season after having a solid start with the Utica Comets. Although Daws was called up ahead of schedule in his development, it did give the Devils a good sample size of what the future may hold for the franchise. However, they asked a lot from Daws. Now that Hammond is with New Jersey, it is most important that Daws finish the season in Utica and get playoff experience. It would be unfair for the team to overwork the young netminder for the remainder of the Devils season when there is not much to gain. Daws proved so far that he may be the goalie of the future for New Jersey in a year or two from now.
3. When Hammond is ready to play, we should expect Daws to return to Utica. Jon Gillies and Hammond will most likely take the bulk of the load for the remainder of the season. Fitzgerald suggested we may even see Mackenzie Blackwood at some point.
Hammond is making $750,000 for this season and is a UFA this offseason according to Cap Friendly. Fitzgerald tried twice to find a veteran goaltender that can fill the role as a mentor and leader in the locker room. With Jonathan Bernier being a big question mark next season along with his $4.125 AAV, Hammond may be someone the Devils go with next season. But, only at the right price.
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