New Jersey

New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Is it Poulter time?

Published

10 months ago

February 13, 2024

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.

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Related Topics:Featured front page Prospects - Devils u0026 Otherwise utica comets

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New Jersey

12 New Jerseyans won big playing, Powerball NJ Lottery games last week

Published

7 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

12 New Jerseyans won big playing, Powerball NJ Lottery games last week

A dozen lottery players in New Jersey won $10,000 or more last week playing Powerball and New Jersey Lottery games.

The New Jersey Lottery announced its weekly winners on Monday. Here’s a look at where these tickets were sold from Nov. 18 to Nov. 24 as provided by the lottery agency:

Powerball winners

$150,000, Powerball, Nov. 18: sold at HC Good Neighbor Pharmacy on Route 37 in Toms River (Ocean County)
$50,000, Powerball, Nov. 23: sold at Stew Leonard’s in Paramus Park Mall in Paramus (Bergen County)

New Jersey Lottery winners

$500,000, Winter Green, Nov. 19: sold at Red Bank Mart on Newman Spring Road in Red Bank (Monmouth County)
$500,000, 50X Cash Blitz, Nov. 22: sold at Deli Works on Berkshire Valley Road in Oak Ridge (Passaic County)
$200,000, Plu$ The Money, Nov. 19: sold at Road Runner Convenience Store on Ridge Road in Lyndhurst (Bergen County)
$100,000, Candy Cane Cash, Nov. 18: sold at A & M Convenience on South Clinton Avenue in South Plainfield (Middlesex County)
$50,000, Super Crossword, Nov. 23: sold at Akar IV Auto on South Orange Avenue in Newark (Essex County)
$25,000, Crossword Bonanza, Nov. 22: sold at Speedy Mart on Ridgedale Avenue in Florham Park (Morris County)
$20,000, Crossword, Nov. 18: sold at MPM Services Corp. on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City (Hudson County)
$20,000, $250,000 Crossword, Nov. 22: sold at Krauszer’s Food Store on Meadowland Parkway in Secaucus (Hudson County)
$10,000, $10,000 Loaded, Nov. 22: sold at Country Farm on Route 530 in Whiting (Ocean County)
$10,000, $10,000 Loaded, Nov. 22: sold at ShopRide on Shrewsbury Avenue in Shrewsbury (Monmouth County)

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New Jersey

NJ lottery bonanza: There were 12 big winners that hit jackpots last week

Published

15 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Ocean County was lucky last week, but not quite as lucky as Monmouth County. Both had big New Jersey Lottery winners.

A Winter Green ticket, sold at the Red Bank Mart in Red Bank, won $500,000 on Nov. 19. That was one of two winning tickets sold in Monmouth County. The other, a $10,000 Loaded ticket worth $10,000, was sold Nov. 22 at Shoprite in Shrewsbury.

There were also two winners in Ocean. A Powerball ticket hit for $150,000 after it was sold at HC Good Neighbor Pharmacy in Toms River on Nov. 18. The other, a $10,000 Loaded ticket, was sold at Country Farm in Whiting on Nov. 22.

Overall, there were 12 people who won at least $10,000.

On Nov. 18, a Candy Cane Cash player won $100,000 at the A&M Convenience in South Plainfield, Middlesex County. On the same day, a Crossword ticket worth $20,000, was sold at MPM Services Corp. in Jersey City.

On Nov. 19, a Plu$ The Money ticket, worth $200,000, was sold at Road Runner Convenience Store in Lyndhurst, Bergen County.

On Nov. 22, a 50X Cash Blitz ticket worth $500,000, was sold at Deli Works in Oak Ridge, Passaic County. The same day, a Crossword Bonanza worth $25,000 was sold at Speedy Mart in Florham Park, Morris County.

On Nov. 23, a Super Crossword ticket worth $50,000 was sold at Akar IV Auto in Newark. Another ticket worth $50,000, a Powerball slip, was sold at Stew Leonard’s in Paramus, Bergen County.

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New Jersey

Thanksgiving Tail: NJ Mom Says Anxious Dog Saved Her Son's Life

Published

23 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Thanksgiving Tail: NJ Mom Says Anxious Dog Saved Her Son's Life

NORTH JERSEY — Ella the dog, a poodle-St. Bernard mix, is not an emotional support animal, says her owner, Beth Fitzgerald of Hoboken.

“She needs support,” Fitzgerald joked during a recent interview. She said Ella, who’s eight years old, has stomach problems and anxiety.

But this Thanksgiving, Fitzgerald, her husband, and her four adult children are thankful that Ella saved one of their lives.

Fitzgerald said that last May, she and her husband moved into an apartment in Maxwell Place in Hoboken. Three of her adult children also live in that city.

The family grew up in Montgomery, N.J., in Somerset County, but have since moved north.

In May, the family decided to travel to Boston for a ceremony for their oldest child’s graduation from graduate school.

Fitzgerald’s son Liam, 26, decided to stay behind for a day. He slept in his mom and dad’s relatively new rental in Maxwell Place that night and watched Ella, who was going to go to a sitter the next day.

But Ella started acting unusual that day.

At the same time, Liam was having headaches and didn’t feel well.

Since moving into Maxwell Place on May 1, Beth had smelled gas each day, but decided it was a slight smell and thought it disappeared when she got close to the oven. So she had dismissed it.

But when her son called and said he didn’t feel well — and Ella was acting unusual — she put it all together and knew the gas might be causing a problem.

Beth told Liam to immediately call the gas company, PSE&G, and not just the building supervisors. She also told her son to leave the apartment.

Luckily, PSE&G came and found the source of the leak. It was the oven after all. It’s since been replaced.

Fitzgerald said she’s been beating herself up a bit over leaving her son in an apartment with a gas leak. She said part of the reason she never called was that she didn’t want a big deal with fire trucks coming and the like. But she said she wanted people to learn from the incident.

“If you smell gas, don’t do what I did,” she said. “I keep thinking, what if it had been midnight [and Liam was asleep]? What if Ella didn’t act weird? Don’t hesitate. You call PSE&G immediately.”

She noted that chemicals are added to natural gas to give it an odor, so people can detect if there’s too much.

“If anything had happened to my son or my dog, I would have never been able to forgive myself,” she said.

Brian Clark, a vice president for PSE&G Gas Operations, said, “We’re so glad Beth took action and told her son to leave the house immediately and call PSE&G. She did exactly the right thing to ensure their safety, and the neighbors’ safety. If you ever smell gas, leave the area immediately.”

IF you have an emergency, you can call PSE&G at 1-800-880-PSEG (7734) or 911. You can learn more at PSEG.com/gassafety.

Meanwhile, Patch asked Ella herself for a comment on her heroic actions in May.

Ella looked away, licked her lips, then ran and hid behind her mommy.

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