Ranking New Jersey Devils And Tom Fitzgerald’s Moves Over A Crazy Week

7. Buying Out Cory Schneider

Alright, this one is completely emotional and not the ACTUAL place it should be on the list, but saying goodbye to Cory Schneider after the effort he gave this franchise in good times and bad was heartbreaking. It’s absolutely the right move. He’s been a shell of himself since his hip injury. He got the surgery done too late because he wanted to save seasons. Instead, it seems to have derailed his career.

This was the right move. Only Jimmy Howard had a worse save percentage of all qualified skaters. His save percentage progressively got worse every season. Four years ago, he was at a Vezina level on a team that was nowhere near as good to get him in the conversation. It’s not all bad for him. He was rewarded with a $6 million contract, and he got to come in and help the Devils get their first playoff win since 2012.

It’s hard to tell whether someone is going to give Schneider a shot this season. He obviously wants another shot, but there’s a very fluid goalie market. It would be a huge shame if his career was over at the age of 34, but it’s a possibility at this point. Schneider would be a great coach. He’s mentored every young Devils goalie through thick and thin, even when his play was far below what was expected.

It’s a sad day, and that’s what puts it at the end of this list, but it was absolutely time to say goodbye. Schneider was one of the reasons the Devils were in such a bad way last season, and it was starting to be a situation where he had more bad seasons with the Devils than good ones. Before this somehow gets worse, cut the cord.