Crawford agrees to two-year, $7.8 million contract with Devils

Corey Crawford
agreed to a two-year, $7.8 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on Friday. It has an average annual value of $3.9 million.

The 35-year-old goalie was 16-20-3 with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and one shutout in 40 games (39 starts) with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, and 4-5 with a 3.31 GAA and .907 save percentage in nine postseason games.
Crawford said a conversation he had with Martin Brodeur, who won the Stanley Cup three times as the Devils goalie and is an executive vice president with New Jersey, helped in his decision.
"Marty was one of my idols growing up definitely," Crawford said Saturday. "I had a couple of his posters on my wall when I was a kid. To be able to talk to him was pretty cool, just chat about the city and team and the direction they're headed. I thought that was awesome that I was able to do that. That definitely played a part. A kid from Montreal watching him, he was unbelievable, one of the best. It was cool to get a chance to chat with him for a bit."
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Selected by Chicago in the second round (No. 52) of the 2003 NHL Draft, Crawford is 260-162-53 with a 2.45 GAA, .918 save percentage and 26 shutouts in 488 games (474 starts) in 13 NHL seasons and 52-42 with a 2.38 GAA, .918 save percentage and five shutouts in 96 postseason games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015.
Crawford, who has played all 13 of his NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, said it was difficult to leave Chicago but he is looking forward to playing in New Jersey.
"Emotions were all over the place," he said. "It was kind of a quick turnaround. Obviously, I was pretty devastated to get the news about not returning to Chicago. That's all I've known for my whole career after being drafted in 2003. They just wanted to go a different way. This turned into excitement, and New
,
who was placed on waivers
by the Devils on Thursday for the purpose of a buyout. Blackwood was 22-14-9 with a 2.77 GAA and .915 save percentage.
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said Crawford's history of success was what attracted him most.
"He's a champion. He's a winner. He's got the pedigree," Fitzgerald said Sunday. "He adds experience, can be a great mentor to Mackenzie. They're going to be push each other to be the best goalie they can be. We believe we've got a great tandem in the League. Corey, the way he's played in the playoffs particularly and prior to that, we feel really lucky that we have this tandem going into the season for a couple years. But most importantly, it's the championship swagger that he has, something that I felt we needed. Bring people in who have won and understand it. Just through being around players like Corey, it can rub off on our younger players."
He said he expects Crawford and Blackwood to make an effective tandem.
"We believe Mackenzie is going to pick up where he left off, and we all know Corey Crawford's career and track record. He's a winner. My main goal was to make us better in the goal with MacKenzie continuing to grow and someone who can support him and give us a chance to be in every game. That's all you ask for is to be in every game. … With that tandem, we believe we have a chance."
Crawford said he was impressed with Blackwood during the few times he's seen him.
"From what I remember, obviously we haven't played them that much being in the other conference, but I was really surprised at Blackwood, how great a young goaltender he is," he said. "And they've got a ton of skill up front. [Defenseman P.K.] Subban is still a great player. It's a group that I feel really confident with going to and trying to help win more games. I think they're very underrated and things change pretty quick in the NHL. The [Blackhawks] did it, they had a young group too and they got young pretty fast. [The Colorado Avalanche] did the same thing. It's a group that can definitely do the same thing."
Crawford missed 80 games during the previous two seasons because of concussions. He also missed all but the final day of Chicago's Return to Play training camp this season after testing positive for COVID-19.
He had split time with goalie Robin Lehner, who was signed by Chicago as a free agent July 1, 2019, until Feb. 24, when the Blackhawks traded Lehner to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who then traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights. Crawford started the final 10 regular-season games for the Blackhawks and was 6-4-0.
"I never really had to be that vocal in Chicago with the leaders we had," Crawford said. "So I'm going to have to maybe try to get used to that, but I'm sure there are some guys in [New] Jersey that have that role already. I'm more of a quiet guy, just do my thing, go out there, work hard and compete as hard as I can. I just want to help [New] Jersey win hockey games. The main goal is a championship wherever it is, and now that I'm there, that's the main focus."
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen and staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report