NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 17: Alexander Holtz #10 of the New Jersey Devils skates in the first period of the game against the Florida Panthers on December 17, 2022 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)
At the goalie position, the New Jersey Devils are at a crossroads. On the one hand, in order to truly contend for the postseason, the squad is in dire need of an upgrade, like Jacob Markstrom. Conversely, the Devils can concentrate on growing their future goalies. The Devils don’t have many players other than Nico Daws and Akira Schmid. Tomas Suchanek would present them with an alternative.
In his brief time with the Devils this season, Daws, 23, has performed admirably on the whole, albeit he still has some inconsistencies in his game. The 23-year-old Schmid, who has significantly underperformed this season, is comparable. In 27 games between the AHL and NHL, he has only managed eight victories, and in both levels, his save percentage is below.900.
The Devils now have someone else to maybe hang their hats on in Suchanek. The 20-year-old spent the previous two seasons playing for Tri City Storm of the WHL, but he was left off of three consecutive NHL drafts. Following that, Suchanek signed an AHL contract with the San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate.
Between the ECHL and the AHL, the Czech goalie has appeared in 23 games so far this season. With the Tulsa Oilers, Suchanek went 3-5-0 with a 2.77 GAA and a.906 save percentage in eight ECHL games. However, Suchanek has been unstoppable in the AHL, with an 11-2-2 record, 2.25 GAA, and a.930 save percentage.
