This is one of the biggest moments in recent New Jersey Devils history, and we would be remiss if we didn't mention it in a list of huge goalie trades. Cory Schneider came to the Devils for a deal that included the ninth-overall pick in the NHL Draft in 2013. This obviously should be addressed, because the Devils currently hold the 10th-overal pick (basically the same value) in this year's draft. So, who could they get for that?
We know how the trade turned out. Schneider looked like he was at a Vezina level for about three seasons. Martin Brodeur played for another franchise. Schneider’s peak did not coincide with a good Devils team, and he fell off a cliff due to hip injuries. At the end, most would consider the trade a bust, but it was at no fault of Schneider who gave the Devils his all.
To find the right pick for this, we have to get creative. This would be Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. This really does feel like the same trade. Both the Canucks of that time and this Sabres team were trying to make another goalie their number one (Roberto Luongo and Devon Levi). UPL could be a legitimate number one, as he showed all last season.
Now, as you noticed, nothing could compare to a Jacob Markstrom trade. That’s because the situation is unique. Markstrom has a no-move clause, and moving that comes at a price. That means Markstrom won’t get the Flames the same return as someone like Saros or Ullmark.