Devils acquire G Vanecek from Capitals
Published
The New Jersey Devils have acquired goaltender Vitek Vanecek and the No. 46 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Washington Capitals in exchange for picks No. 37 and No. 70, it was announced Friday.
The 26-year-old appeared in 42 games last season, with a 21-10-4 record and a 2.67 goals against average for the Capitals.
Vanecek was drafted 39th overall by the Capitals in the 2014 NHL Entry draft, and has played his entire career with Washington.
He played a more prominent role with the Capitals this season, setting new career highs in games played, shutouts and GAA. He made two appearances in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, allowing seven goals with a .863 save percentage. He is coming off a three-year, $2.150 million contract with the Capitals, that has an average annual value of $716,667. The Czech Republic native has a 41-22-10 record with a GAA of 2.68 in 79 career NHL games played.
The Washington Post's Samantha Pell notes the Caps would like to bring in a veteran goalie via trade or free agency now that Ilya Samsonov stands as the lone goaltender on their roster. He played in 44 games for Washington last season, posting a goals-against average of 3.02 and a .896 save percentage.
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