In 2022–23, New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek made franchise history as the first netminder since Martin Brodeur to record 30 wins in a season. That year, he played 52 games, finishing with a 33–11 record and a .911 save percentage. When Vanecek was traded to New Jersey, he signed a three-year, $10.2 million contract on July 19, 2022. His first year looked promising, but his performance and playing time began to decline afterward. The following season, 2023–24, he appeared in just 32 games for the Devils. His save percentage dropped to .890, and his goals-against average climbed to 3.18, a sharp single-season decline. By February 2024, fans were frustrated with his sloppy, unfocused play, as he allowed goals that should have been routine saves. On March 8, 2024, the Devils traded Vanecek to the San Jose Sharks. He was limited to only 18 appearances, where he won just three games. The following year, on March 5, 2025, the Sharks dealt Vanecek to the Florida Panthers. He played 7 regular-season games as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky. Though he didn’t see playoff action, he earned a Stanley Cup ring as part of the Panthers’ championship roster. Now 29 years old, Vanecek has signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Utah Mammoth. Despite bringing the Stanley Cup back to Czechia this summer, his career has shifted away from being a starter. Instead, he has embraced the role of a reliable NHL backup, one that still earned him a championship.
