{"id":393265,"date":"2026-01-07T14:51:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T14:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/393265\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T14:51:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T14:51:11","slug":"devils-havent-had-a-top-level-goalie-since-martin-brodeur-is-mikhail-yegerov-the-answer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/393265\/","title":{"rendered":"Devils haven’t had a top-level goalie since Martin Brodeur. Is Mikhail Yegerov the answer?"},"content":{"rendered":"

BOSTON \u2014 Mikhail Yegorov<\/a> stretched his arms toward the rafters and waited for his Boston University teammates to mob him in celebration. <\/p>\n

The Russian goaltender has had plenty of brag-worthy performances in his young career, but this sat near the top. <\/p>\n

Forget the fact that he stopped 28 of Cornell\u2019s 29 shots en route to a 2-1 victory his team desperately needed. The Devils<\/a>\u2019 2024 second-round pick did so on the biggest stage in the sport \u2014 Madison Square Garden, which happens to be the home venue of his NHL team\u2019s biggest rival<\/p>\n

HAVE YOU JOINED OUR YOUTUBE PAGE? DEVILS REPORTER RYAN NOVOZINSKY BREAKS DOWN EVERY GAME \u2014 WITH YOUR HELP<\/a> <\/p>\n

The Devils hope this is a preview of what is to come. At 22-18-2 and as one of the league\u2019s lowest-scoring teams, their team-wide save percentage (.899) highlights the need for a standout goalie. But it also has continued a troubling trend: The Devils have endured a decade of ineptitude behind the pipes and their lack of a game-changing goalie has contributed to only three playoff appearances in the last 13 years. <\/p>\n

Is Yegorov the cure? <\/p>\n

NJ Advance Media spoke with people close to Yegorov \u2014 who ranks fourth among Daily Faceoff\u2019s NHL goalie prospect rankings<\/a> \u2014 to answer that question and more. <\/p>\n

\u201c(Yegorov will) be great,\u201d Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo, who played 13 seasons for the Devils, told NJ Advance Media. \u201cHe has the skillset, he has the mindset to, at some point, lead the Devils that way. With the rich history of goaltending there, hopefully Big Mike will find his way and lead the Devils.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018HAPPIEST GUY ON EARTH\u2019<\/p>\n

New Jersey has started 19 different goalies since the legendary Martin Brodeur<\/a> left the team in 2014. That number doesn\u2019t even include Corey Crawford, who signed a two-year $7.8 million contract with the team in 2020, but never played a game. In 2021-22, they spun a carousel of seven different starting goaltenders.<\/p>\n

Even in 2023, when the Devils reached the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, they were forced to shuffle between Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid.<\/p>\n

Management thought it found stability when it traded for Jacob Markstrom<\/a>, 35, in 2024, but he\u2019s posted an .895 save percentage in his first two seasons in New Jersey. He\u2019s signed through 2028 after agreeing to a two-year, $12 million extension this season.<\/p>\n

All the while, New Jersey has watched many of its former goalies \u2014 Logan Thompson, Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood \u2014 thrive after leaving the organization. Suffice to say, the Devils\u2019 goalie room has been cursed. <\/p>\n

The Devils hope that Yegorov \u2014 who has been described as the \u201chappiest guy on planet Earth\u201d by his teammates \u2014 is eventually the answer. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a kid that we have a lot of aspirations for, but he\u2019s still a young guy,\u201d Brodeur, the Devils\u2019 executive vice president of hockey operations, told NJ Advance Media<\/a>. \u201cThe \u2018bounce back game,\u2019 you see that a lot in goalies \u2014 how they respond to a tough game. Every time he lays an egg somewhere, he comes back with a really good performance\u2026 (He\u2019s) an awesome thing to have for our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devils -1.5 puck line is listed at +220 on Fanatics<\/a> for Tuesday\u2019s meeting with the Islanders. Our complete list of the best NJ sportsbook promos<\/a> makes it easy to find a sportsbook to use.<\/p>\n

Yegorov is only 19 and in his second season at Boston University. Even if he turned pro next season, he would likely need to spend a year or two in the American Hockey League before reaching the NHL. Goalies take time to develop and the jump from college to the AHL is a big one \u2014 which is to say nothing of how difficult it is to play in the NHL. <\/p>\n

Scouts and executives rave about Yegorov\u2019s maturity, mental toughness and loyalty<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The Devils approached him halfway through year one of his stint in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers \u2014 who won 16 of 62 games in two seasons and iced 15 skaters at one point \u2014 about playing on a better team. <\/p>\n

Yegorov, then 17, rejected them. <\/p>\n

Sign up for our Speaking of the Devils newsletter here<\/a>! Get 10 inside-Devils notes in your inbox each Monday at 10 a.m. ET! <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not used to jumping teams and finding a better situation as soon as something is bad,\u201d Yegorov told NJ Advance Media on our \u201cSpeaking of the Devils\u201d<\/a> YouTube show from Boston University. \u201cEven in that situation, I can still learn, I can still build confidence. \u2026 I didn\u2019t feel like switching as soon as things weren\u2019t going the right way.\u201d <\/p>\n

When Yegorov finally joined BU, he immediately showed why the Devils made him the No. 49 pick in 2024. Yegorov won five of his first nine NCAA games, including two wins that helped the Terriers win their 32nd Beanpot, a four-team tournament between Boston\u2019s top college hockey teams (BU, Boston College, Northeastern, Harvard). He posted a.972 save percentage in the tournament (stopping 69 of 71 shots). <\/p>\n

The future was looking exceedingly bright for Yegorov. He was a top goalie prospect for a team that badly needed a long-term answer. He was delivering in big games. He even generated some trade buzz. <\/p>\n

\u201cHis name came up at the trade deadline and we know we have a good one there,\u201d general manager Tom Fitzgerald said via NHL.com<\/a>. \u201cThe thing about goaltending is you just don\u2019t know when they\u2019re going to arrive, but he\u2019s got a great personality. He loves the game and he\u2019s good … that\u2019s exciting.\u201d <\/p>\n

Then came this season. Yegorov has cooled down since his meteoric rise in 2024-25. He is 9-7-1 with an .892 save percentage and a 3.23 goals-against average.<\/p>\n

Was last season just a mirage? Should the Devils be concerned about his performance? Apparently, it\u2019s not that simple. <\/p>\n

Three people close to Yegorov and BU\u2019s hockey program insisted to NJ Advance Media that the 19-year-old\u2019s struggles can be attributed to the team\u2019s inexperienced defense. The team is icing 12 freshmen this season, four of whom are on the blueline. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a few different factors (that explain Yegorov\u2019s stats),\u201d Pandolfo said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t played great in front of him. We\u2019re giving up way too many quality chances. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe other thing is, Big Mike came in last year and didn\u2019t really know what to expect. He was just excited to be here and just focusing on stopping whatever shot he was gonna face. I think this year, he comes in after he accomplished what he did last year and the expectations are higher. He\u2019s putting more pressure on himself. He\u2019s putting too much pressure on himself early on.\u201d <\/p>\n

Bottom line: Neither BU nor the Devils are worried about his play \u2014 which has been much better of late<\/a>. They still expect him to become a factor in the NHL for years to come. <\/p>\n

But when? <\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan was, in two years from now, for him to get out of there,\u201d Brodeur said. \u201cBut who knows? He loves school, he loves all that stuff. We\u2019re not in a rush. We don\u2019t want to rush him. \u2026 He\u2019s committed to take his time.\u201d<\/p>\n

GOALIE OF THE FUTURE<\/p>\n

Goalies are a unique breed. That much is clear across locker rooms in the NHL.<\/p>\n

Some goalies are more reserved \u2014 like Connor Hellebuyck, who has called his style of play and personality \u201cboring.<\/a>” Others, like Marc-Andre Fleury, had a larger-than-life personality in the locker room.<\/p>\n

Yegorov, a Russia native who speaks fluent English, certainly fits the Fleury mold. <\/p>\n

Need proof? Just ask him what the \u201ckey to happiness\u201d is.<\/p>\n

\u201cOooooh,\u201d Yegorov said with a huge grin, before nearly falling back in his chair. \u201cThat will not be a short answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then took a pause. \u201cOh my god,\u201d he said, his smile stretching even wider.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove,\u201d Yegorov added. \u201cLove, I would say, is happiness. If you are loved and if you love the thing that you and people around you, you will be happy for sure. So, yeah, I think love is the key to everything. It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s to a human or not: It\u2019s just love.\u201d<\/p>\n

The outgoing personality shone through when he talked about a Homeland Security class in 2024-25, when classmates questioned if he was a Russian spy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot disclose that information,\u201d Yegorov said with a laugh and a nod.<\/p>\n

Yegorov\u2019s fun-loving outlook has been a sparkplug for BU\u2019s program, which is 9-8-1. He often mimes team photographers trying to take pictures of him at practice, and he\u2019s never shy about running his mouth.<\/p>\n

When it\u2019s time for business, though, Yegorov is as serious as it comes.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Yegs\u2019 is the happiest guy on planet Earth,\u201d BU defenseman Cole Hutson said via NHL.com. \u201cHe loves to have fun, chirps the guys and, in practice, is extremely hard on himself. That\u2019s a big quality of his … how upset he gets with himself after letting in a goal. He sets himself to such a high standard.\u201d<\/p>\n

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