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.

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.