 |
| Photo Credit: Albany Times-Union |
The 25 year old Wedgewood was the Devils third-round selection in 2010 and spent most of the last four seasons as the Devils main goaltender at the Devils then-AHL franchise in Albany.
Wedgewood did play twenty games in 2015-16 when Cory Schneider missed time due to injury and Wedgewood backed up Keith Kinkaid, playing four games, winning two and notching a shutout.
Wedgewood had made a recent stop with the parent Devils when Schneider had a minor injury and then left the team with his child on the way, to back up Kinkaid, but did not play.
Arizona had been dealing with some goaltending issues, so Wedgewood might at least get a chance to be the regular goalie for the Coyotes AHL team in nearby Tucson, if not have a chance to backup in Phoenix, so getting Wedgewood for a fifth rounder helps Arizona in a time of need, gets the Devils a moderate return and helps the player receive a fresh start in his career, so this works for me for all parties involved.
What this truly does is cement Mackenzie Blackwood as the Devils "goalie of the future" (these things are often fluid though) in their new AHL home in Binghamton.
Rather than splitting time with Wedgewood, who I would think has a ceiling of NHL backup at highest, Blackwood will now get to play every night and mature as a prospect in the top developmental league.
The 20 year old Blackwood played 36 games last season in Albany with a goals allowed average of 2.55.
At 6'4 and a "butterfly" style goalie, Blackwood has the physical tools to be the Devils future goalie and with Wedgewood being moved on to the desert, the Devils feel so as well.
I'll try to do a Devils report, if I have time, but I will be back later for sure with Ohio State hosting Penn State in the game of the year to date and Anthony Joshua's heavyweight title defense vs Carlos Takam.
2 comments:
You thought Wedgewood was a backup at best? LOL! What numbers that he has put up makes you think that? Also why would anyone want Kinkaid over Wedgewood? That is the real issue here. Also you thought what the Devils got was good in the trade? They could have gotten the 5th pick even if they played Wedgewood a bit and he was average. I am glad he is getting the chance in Arizona as New Jersey seemed to be out to ruin his career for no damn good reason.
Wow, You must really like Wedgewood.
I would say this-I'm sure Ray Shero would have loved to have gotten more for him, but other teams didn't value him as highly as you did.
If he was a sure fire number one goalie, why did he spend so many years in Albany/Binghamton?
Some team would have traded for a guy that is a top notch netminder.
If the Devils would have traded Kinkaid and kept Wedgewood, I would have been fine with that as well.
I've seen zero indications that either can be future number one goalies in the league, but if Wedgewood is then he's been given an opportunity that he wasn't going to get in the Devils organization.
The Devils clearly want Mackenzie Blackwood to be the full-time goalie in the AHL, they preferred Kinkaid as the backup that rarely plays behind Schneider-they did Wedgewood a favor,he'll get a chance to show your faith in him to be correct.
I hope he does well there.
Post a Comment