New Jersey
New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Is it Poulter time?
Goaltending is voodoo, so the saying goes. Longtime fans of hockey might remember such names as Jim Carey, Blaine Lacher and Andrew Hammond as all were touted as the next great thing in net early in their careers until shortly thereafter, they weren’t. Jim Carey even won a Vezina in 1996 and was named to the 1st All-Star team. Then, he was out of the NHL a few years later. I remember watching a game in Boston in 1995, where fans told me that Blaine Lacher was going to be the next Martin Brodeur. Spoiler alert: he wasn’t. Andrew Hammond earned the named the Hamburglar after putting up a sparkling 1.79 GAA and .941 SV% in 24 games during his rookie season in 2014-15. Hammond is now playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, where he has suited up for a total of 2 games. Neither of which have gone well for the once-promising netminder.
This exercise is not to knock these men. They all achieved what most people will only dream. The purpose is to demonstrate that long-term success in net is brutally difficult to predict. This is something Devils fans should be all too familiar with.
Last season, culminating in almost-single-handedly willing the Devils to defeat Our Hated Rivals in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Akira Schmid looked to be that next great thing. While it is certainly too early to write-off the 23-year-old, Schmid has struggled this season in both the NHL and the AHL. Hopefully, he will turn it around or perhaps an injury is nagging him? We likely will not know until the off-season. Regardless of the reason for the drastic down turn, when one falters, it gives opportunity for another to rise. That goalie for the Comets this season, who may just be the next great thing, has been Isaac Poulter.
Who is Isaac Poulter?
Per Elite Prospects, Isaac Poulter is a 6’2 goaltender from Winnipeg, who played for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. His first three seasons were unspectacular and as such Isaac Poulter was never drafted. However, something clicked for Poulter during his final season for Swift Current in 2022 and the netminder’s SV% rose to .911 from a previous career high of .896. As luck would have it, that would be the season, the Devils scouted a teammate of Poulter’s, a lanky forward named Josh Filmon. That summer, Filmon would be drafted by the Devils in the 6th round and management apparently liked enough of what they saw in Isaac Poulter to offer him a two-way AHL contract with the Devils ECHL affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder.
Last season, Poulter would earn most of his starts for the Thunder, finishing with a respectable 10-8-2 record, 2;93 GAA and .910 SV%. His first foray into the AHL last season during Akira Schmid’s call-up to the NHL, did not go as well. Poulter struggled with a 3.62 GAA and a .883 SV%, but managed a respectable 7-3-3 record on a high-scoring Utica team.
This season, Poulter has took a big leap in his development. Much like the Devils, the Comets have struggled in net this season with neither Erik Kallgren (1-5-2, 4.21 GAA, .853 SV%) nor Akira Schmid (3-5-4, 3.58 GAA, .885 SV%) able to put up a consistent effort in net.
The exception has been Isaac Poulter, whose 14-5-1 record, 2.54 GAA, .913 SV% and three shutouts has kept the Comets season alive, albeit by a string. All three of these stats (wins, GAA and SV%) are in the top 15 for all AHL goaltenders, an impressive feat for a goalie playing his first full season at that level.
Why is Isaac Poulter not in the NHL?
For starters, Poulter would need to be offered a NHL contract first. His current contract expires at the end of this season and is a AHL deal with a two-way clause for the ECHL. This contract situation could be easily rectified, of course. Winger Samuel Laberge was on a similar contract at the start of this season and signed a two-way NHL contract in order for the Devils to call him up for a cup of coffee at the height of the team’s injury woes.
Why this has not happened for Poulter yet is anyone’s guess. There have been some posts on Twitter (now X) that claim that Tom Fitzgerald signed Poulter to a NHL on Friday, but as of Monday morning I have not seen any confirmation from a trusted source, nor have I seen confirmation on the Devils website or on Cap Friendly. So for now, I have to dismiss these posts as premature rumblings or wishful thinking. If I learn otherwise, I will update this post.
A Conclusion of Sorts
Isaac Poulter has done enough to earn a two-way NHL contract in this writer’s humble opinion. Goaltending depth is always important, but especially when a team has struggled this season in net. I do not know whether Poulter will be the next big thing or even a thing at all at the NHL level, but the improvement and competence he has shown in the AHL this season is something that should be rewarded. Hopefully, Poulter gets a new contract sooner rather than later.
Around the Pool
- Comets defenseman Topias Vilen has moved up to the top pair alongside veteran Robbie Russo, an impressive feat for the 20-year-old, who spent time playing for the Adirondack Thunder earlier this year.
- Look who is on top.
- Stick tap to Cam Squires for the charity work.
This afternoon, Eagles players Cam Squires, Tomas Lavoie, Emile Ricard and Tomas Cibulka helped team special education instructor Elie Blondin and wife Diane clean out their driveway before being welcomed in for a warm home cooked meal!
Thanks Elie and Diane! #EaglesFamily pic.twitter.com/X0YwNrQfxM
— Cape Breton Eagles (@CBEHockey) February 5, 2024
Final Thoughts
I decided to write a full article on Poulter rather than the usual update as I believe it is an important topic that has not received a lot of discussion, especially with reports of Tom Fitzgerald shopping around for a new goalie.
New Jersey
NJ judge rules smoking can continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to gaming workers
New Jersey gaming workers were dealt a serious legal blow Friday when a state judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to ban smoking on casino floors.
The ruling in favor of Atlantic City’s nine struggling casinos was delivered by Superior Court Judge Patrick Bartels.
The tobacco-wary casino workers filed a lawsuit in May, seeking a permanent ban on smoking over the health concerns posed by second-hand smoke.
When the state abolished smoking indoors nearly 20 years ago, they did so with an exception — permitting smoking on 25% of the casino floor.
The casino workers first called on state lawmakers to prohibit smoking four years ago, but when a bill to that effect stalled, they filed their lawsuit.
Opponents of the ban say it will lead to casino closures and thousands of layoffs.
They also believe putting an end to smoking in Atlantic City casinos will drive gamblers to casinos in neighboring Pennsylvania.
Casino owners also contend the state would lose millions in tax revenue under such a ban.
Atlantic City‘s nine casinos have been hurting financially since the start of the COVID pandemic, a recovery made even harder with the advent of online and app-based gambling.
The casino industry has long opposed a smoking ban, and said it has been working to develop better ventilation systems as well as enclosed smoking rooms, staffed by employees who volunteer to work there.
New Jersey
Two injured in shooting after New Jersey high school football game: report
A shooting broke out after a high school football game in New Jersey Friday evening, leaving two minors injured.
The gunfire erupted around 7:45 p.m. in the parking lot at Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI), sources told CBS.
Two juveniles sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to a local hospital, the sources said.
A suspect was taken into custody.
The trio’s ages and the extent of the victims’ injuries were not immediately available.
The shooting broke out following a football game between PCTI and Lenape High School, a representative for the latter school told CBS.
“All Lenape High School (LHS) students and staff are safe and unharmed. We were informed there was gunfire, and two individuals needed medical attention at the conclusion of a football game tonight in Wayne, NJ.,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“The suspect is in custody. No LHS students or staff were involved in the disturbance. Our thoughts are with the individuals harmed and the Passaic Technical Institute Community.”
PCTI officials did not respond to messages left by The Post.
Witnesses reported hearing up to half a dozen shots ring out during the frenzy.
Police have since blocked off the entrance to PCTI, photographs of the scene show.
The investigation is ongoing.
New Jersey
NJ Health Department reports 2 West Nile Virus deaths among new cases
TRENTON, New Jersey (WPVI) — Two deaths have been linked to the West Nile Virus in New Jersey, state health officials announced Friday.
The deaths were among six new reported cases. The people who died lived in Cumberland and Mercer counties.
All of the cases involved people over 50 years old.
Previously, two human cases of West Nile were reported this year in Middlesex and Union counties.
In a typical year, there are 13 human West Nile infections reported in New Jersey. Last year, the state had 14 human cases of WNV and one death.
This comes after the state’s first human case of Eastern Equine encephalitis (EEE).
The New Jersey Department of Health and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are urging residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases and to reduce mosquito populations on their properties.
Follow these simple steps recommended to keep mosquitoes at bay
Most people infected with West Nile or EEE will have no symptoms. For those who do, symptoms include fever, chills, body aches, and joint pains. Rarely, people may develop severe neurological illness, which often presents as meningitis or encephalitis.
Symptoms of severe illness include fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes/confusion, limb weakness, and fatigue.
Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of developing severe illness. Specific laboratory tests are needed to confirm West Nile and EEE, so anyone with symptoms after a mosquito bite should contact their health care provider.
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