The New Jersey Devils have a major issue in net. Cory Schneider is not getting better, and the team can’t afford to throw away all his starts. It may be time for a drastic move.
Cory Schneider is, and seems like he always will be the most controversial topic among New Jersey Devils fans. Sure, bringing up Ilya Kovalchuk will bring more anger, but nothing causes Devils fans to in-fight more than number 35.
Schneider does not help his cause with performances like Sunday night. Obviously, it wasn’t all Schneider’s fault the Devils gave up five goals to one of the best offensive teams in the league, but he sure didn’t help things.
Things started about as bad as a game could. Cory went out to play the puck, something he should never do under pressure. He gave the puck away, and Alex Killorn threw the puck in off Schneider’s leg.
That was a bad start to a bad night. Like with any Schneider start, the Devils didn’t help things. Despite facing Louis Domingue, the Devils only mustered two goals. They did take 35 shots, but they didn’t take very many quality shots.
The issue is, what should the Devils do with their $6 million goalie? There are a lot of fans who have completely given up on any chance for Cory to be the old Cory. We forget that one year from today, Cory was a monster, and the main reason why the Devils held on to a playoff spot through 2017.
Then, after losing the starting spot to Keith Kinkaid, he waited for his chance to shine. That came in the playoffs against these same Tampa Bay Lightning that took him out tonight.
He had major hip surgery in the offseason. He came back a few weeks ago, but hasn’t looked good at all since returning. He’s played in six games. He’s allowed 20 goals in 280 minutes. So basically four and two-thirds games. That’s honestly one of the worst lines in the entire NHL.
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The Devils have to seriously consider sending Schneider to the minors. There is no chance that any team in the league would take a chance on claiming Schneider off waivers. He’s owed $6 million over the next three seasons after this one. A $20 million committment from a team just taking a chance is just a silly move.
Sending Schneider down to Binghamton, and bring Eddie Lack up to be Kinkaid’s backup, might be the best move right now. The Devils are possibly taking a chance on losing Schneider, but the way he’s been playing, and the way the team has been playing in front of him it can’t get much worse right now.
In games past, most of the goals just weren’t on him. Tonight was different. He may have faced a bunch of high-danger chances, but he was not stopping them at all. He didn’t move on at least three goals. Like, no reaction at all. He just doesn’t have the mindset he had when he was an elite goaltender.
You might be thinking “what about his no-trade clause?” Well, a no-move clause would keep him safe from being put on waivers, but a no-trade clause does not. It’s the big difference between the two contracts.
One can’t blame him. It’s been a long year since he got a win last December, but he needs to bounce back somehow. The Devils just can’t afford to lose games while Schneider figures it out. They need him for now and the future, but this season they need someone more reliable in net.
Plus, there is the added bonus that he can fix his issues, and come back from the dead. Imagine the storyline if Cory spends the next month in Binghamton, or more, then he comes back fully healthy and ready to go. This can be great. All we know is doing the same thing is not going to work. It’s bad for Cory and it’s bad for the Devils. They need to at least consider it. What’s happening right now won’t work.