Per the team's official Twitter account, New Jersey Devils goaltender Corey Crawford has taken an indefinite leave of absence.
There had been much speculation on the 36-year-old goaltender as he had been absent for the majority of the Devils camp to this point. The team did not say much other than the fact that it is due to 'personal reasons'.
Crawford signed a two-year, $7.8 million deal with the Devils this offseason after having spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks. While he has had his fair share of injuries over the last few seasons, he has still been rock solid when able to play. The 2019-20 season saw him play in 40 games where he posted a 2.77 goals against average (GAA) along with a .917 save percentage (SV%) and a 16-20-3 record.
Despite Crawford's great success with the Blackhawks over the years, the team elected not to re-sign him as they are looking to rebuild. It was a fantastic run for him in Chicago, as he was able to lead the team to two Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015. He has played in a total of 488 NHL games, all with the Blackhawks, compiling a 2.45 GAA along with a .918 SV%. We wish him well with whatever it is he is going through at this time.
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