Vitek Vanecek: An Opportunity to Play A Lot of Games | FEATURE

As if there isn't enough stress the day before your wedding day, throw in being traded from one NHL team to another and it reaches a whole new level.
That's the story of Vitek Vanecek when he picked up his phone the day before his July 9 wedding to find Washington General Manager Brian MacLellan on the line.
"I was trying to set it up, the wedding, you know, when I was doing the things and then probably like 3 pm they call me," Vanecek shared in his first media availability since the trade. "I was trying to figure out everything for the wedding and then I was just calling, calling and then my wife asked me who is it I said it's the GM, and then we are traded so, she understands that, so I didn't do anything for the wedding. And she has to do everything by (herself)."
Just a crazy 24 hours.
"The wedding was great, and the trade too."

Now that it has all settled, Vanecek, who signed a three-year contract with New Jersey on Tuesday, is looking toward immediately making an impact in the Devils lineup. He's walking into a situation in New Jersey much like the one he was in while with Washington, constantly in a battle for the No. 1, starting job with Ilya Samsonov.
Now the competition resumes with Mackenzie Blackwood.
"I had it same thing in Washington," the 26-year-old said, "Oh, it's (a) battle every single game you know, it's a little bit pressure on us, because you have to play every game, good game (...) every single game you have to give the team the best, you know. And show the coaches, or GM you have to show your best, and then who will be better... that guy will play No. 1."
In the past two seasons, the 6-foot-2 netminder has won 21 and 20 games respectively while sharing the net with Samsonov. He has a career of 41 wins in 75 starts and 79 overall games. His addition brings a new, added depth into the fold, and considering the uncertainty of Jonathan Bernier's availability, the Devils will likely head into camp with Blackwood and Vanecek competing for the opening night spot and let it play out from that point on. The versatility of having two young goalies who push one another is exactly what General Manager Tom Fitzgerald hopes to push the team to that next level of overall compete.
"We feel really good about, again for another summer, adding depth to our goaltending and watching Mackenzie and Vitek challenge each other and push each other," Fitzgerald said at the draft. "You have to have depth. You saw teams in the playoffs lost depth and ended up losing a series."

Now that he's married and he's signed his three-year contract he can take a deep breath.
"It feels really good. You know, they have a future and all young guys. And then there's an opportunity for me, you know, to play lots of games, and I'm really happy for it. And then I will battle with Mackenzie, you know, and that's, that's what I need."
Vanecek provides a little more security in the crease. Last season New Jersey was forced to use a franchise record seven goaltenders, including Nico Daws and Akira Schmid who were called into action from the Utica Comets, a place where ideally they would have spent the full season. The Devils gave up 309 goals, the fourth most during the 2021-22 NHL season, the team's biggest Achilles heel. They could score goals, they just struggled to prevent them from going in at the other end of the ice.
Could Vanecek be the missing piece to settling things down?
"I'm telling you, I will do everything for that."