New Jersey Devils beat reporter Kristy Flannery discusses why Vitek Vanecek was New Jersey's unsung hero on a recent episode of the Locked on Devils Podcast.
An unsung hero is a person who has achieved great things yet is not celebrated or recognized.
After a tremendously successful season, a few New Jersey Devils players could be candidates to be the team's unsung hero for the 2022-23 season. An argument could be made for John Marino, Jesper Bratt, and even Erik Haula.
The Hockey News' New Jersey Devils beat reporter Kristy Flannery was a guest on the Locked on Devils Podcast and talked about Vitek Vanecek being the unsung hero for his team last season.
The 27-year-old goaltender began his Devils career by being everything the fanbase had hoped for. In November, he was named the second star of the month after he backstopped his team to an NHL-best 13-1-0 record, putting them first in the Metropolitan Division. He earned 33 wins in 48 starts and joined Martin Brodeur as the only goaltenders in Devils history to reach 30 or more wins in a single season.
While he received praise during the regular season, that all but evaporated after a less-than-desirable playoff performance versus the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes. Throughout the offseason, fans have been waiting to see the organization acquire Connor Helleybuck, Jeremy Swayman, or Juuse Saros, with most citing Vanecek as part of a potential trade.
As Kristy explains below, the Devils do not have their record-breaking season or playoff appearance if it was not for Vanecek's stability in net.