New Jersey Devils: How Will Cory Schneider Be Remembered?
By Mike Luci
On Monday, the New Jersey Devils made a statement move when they announced goaltender Cory Schneider would be placed on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton. Yesterday, Schneider (unsurprisingly) went unclaimed and cleared. As of this moment, it appears Schneider’s tenure with the Devils has concluded—at least for the foreseeable future.
Granted, factors like injuries to New Jersey’s present goaltending tandem, the chance that Schneider plays superbly enough in the minors to warrant a call-up, the remote possibility he gets traded, or recovers from any undisclosed injuries he’s been dealing with, could always open the door for an NHL return. For the purpose of this piece, let’s act as if Schneider has indeed played his last game in a New Jersey Devils uniform.
How will Cory Schneider be remembered by New Jersey Devils fans?
To answer that question, you have to go back to the beginning of his tenure with the organization.
When the Devils acquired Schneider at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, the vast majority of fans, writers and analysts deduced the organization secured their long-term successor to Martin Brodeur. During the 2014 offseason, then-General Manager Lou Lamoriello affirmed his long-term commitment to Schneider when he signed Scott Clemmensen to back Schneider up in lieu of re-signing Brodeur, in addition to later inking Schneider to a seven-year extension.
As many Devils writers have already highlighted, Schneider was arguably the team’s best player in his first three years with the organization. He finished his inaugural season in New Jersey with a 1.97 GAA and .921 SV%, while sharing the net with Brodeur.
During his first two seasons as the team’s undisputed goaltender, Schneider maintained his excellence in net with respective GAAs of 2.26, 2.15, along with save percentages of .925 and .924—let’s keep in mind these numbers were maintained while playing in front of some very below-subpar teams and while the team transitioned from the illustrious Lou Lamoriello era into the present-day reign of Ray Shero presiding as general manager.
It appeared that transitioning from the Martin Brodeur era would be seamless and the Devils had the guy they needed to continue maintaining their reputable excellence in net.
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Despite making the playoffs for the first time since 2012, things took a sharp downturn for Schneider in the midst of the 2016-2017 season. Over his last 15 starts, Schneider only managed to win just one contest. Despite providing stability for the team in net during the postseason (despite their five-game dismissal in the first round), Schneider never regained his elite level of play he exhibited during his first three seasons in New Jersey.
As we all painfully remember, he went just 6-13-4 last season, posting a dismal 3.06 GAA and .903 SV%. Schneider’s 2019-2020 numbers are currently 0-4-1, a 4.59 GAA and .852 SV%.
Yes, injuries largely derailed Schneider’s play over the last three seasons and as mentioned in a previous piece, it’s very possible Schneider re-injured himself in the Devil’s home opener last month. It’s especially unfortunate how Schneider’s ongoing health issues coincided with the team appearing ready to officially ascend from the league’s basement and become a genuine playoff contender.
While injuries killed the Devil’s 2018-2019 season, their abysmal goaltending arguably played a larger role in making last season the organization’s worst campaign under Ray Shero’s regime—an issue that spilled over into this year.
It was unfortunate Schneider assumed such a pivotal role with the New Jersey Devils while the organization was in the midst of a rebuild that essentially started from scratch and is currently ongoing.
Schneider, as many Devils writers have pointed out, will probably be remembered for the awful timing he experienced over his seven seasons with the organization.
He played his best years as a Devil on some of their worst teams. When the organization appeared poised to transition into a recognized playoff contender, devastating injuries prevented Schneider from playing his role in helping the Devils cross that coveted threshold.
Ultimately, many Devils fans will be left to speculate on what could have been with Schneider—what if the Devils iced more competitive rosters during his first three years with the organization? What if Schneider never suffered his injuries that led him to his current state?
Cory Schneider’s time with the New Jersey Devils shouldn’t be remembered as an utter failure. He was a remarkable goaltender, who played on some terrible teams and succumbed to unfortunate circumstances when his time to truly shine finally arrived.