Wedgewood didn't have to go far when he joined the Arizona Coyotes in a trade from the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 28, 2017; he merely had to walk from the home locker room to the visitors room at Prudential Center, where the Coyotes were playing the Devils that night.
Before the trade, which cost the Coyotes a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Wedgewood had spent his entire pro career with the Devils, who had taken him in the fourth round (No. 84) in the 2010 NHL Draft. He spent two more years in junior hockey with Plymouth of the Ontario Hockey League before turning pro, signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Devils on March 20, 2012.
Wedgewood didn't have to go far when he joined the Arizona Coyotes in a trade from the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 28, 2017; he merely had to walk from the home locker room to the visitors room at Prudential Center, where the Coyotes were playing the Devils that night.
Before the trade, which cost the Coyotes a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Wedgewood had spent his entire pro career with the Devils, who had taken him in the fourth round (No. 84) in the 2010 NHL Draft. He spent two more years in junior hockey with Plymouth of the Ontario Hockey League before turning pro, signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Devils on March 20, 2012.
With Martin Brodeur still No. 1 and Cory Schneider acquired in 2013 to succeed him in New Jersey, Wedgewood found himself stuck in the minors for the better part of the next four seasons. He finally made it to the NHL in 2015-16, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets in his NHL debut on March 20, 2016, and shutting out the Pittsburgh Penguins four nights later.
But any hopes Wedgewood had of building on that disappeared when he lost most of the 2016-17 season to a torn labrum in his shoulder that required season-ending surgery. He was healthy again entering training camp in 2017 and finally got a chance to play regularly in the NHL at age 25 after being acquired by the Coyotes.
Wedgewood signed with the Buffalo Sabres on July 1, 2018, but spent the season with Rochester of the American Hockey League. He joined the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1, 2019, but again spent the season in the AHL, this time with Syracuse.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Traded to Arizona by New Jersey for Calgary's 5th round pick (previously acquired) in 2018 NHL Draft, October 28, 2017.
- Traded to Los Angeles by Arizona with Tobias Rieder for Darcy Kuemper, February 22, 2018.
- Signed as a free agent by Buffalo, July 1, 2018.
- Signed as a free agent by Tampa Bay, July 1, 2019.
- Signed as a free agent by New Jersey, October 11, 2020
- Claimed off waivers by Arizona from New Jersey, November 4, 2021.
- Traded to Dallas by Arizona for a conditional pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, March 20, 2022.
