Akira Schmid was the playoff hero for the New Jersey Devils last season but has trouble staying in the NHL this season. Why? A few things that happened behind the scenes might offer an explanation.
According to an article written by Swiss journalist Klaus Zaugg, Schmid's agent, Gaetan Voisard, tried negotiating an extension with the Devils for Schmid in the spring, and that fell through.
"Voisard aimed for an early extension last spring. Two, three or even four years. A salary of between $3-4 million," Zaugg wrote (translated from German to English). "One way, of course. So without salary reduction (if he were to go to) the farm team."
In the words of Voisard, "We were on the right track, but have been put off over and over again. We continue to be comforted. . . That's the business."
If the Devils had signed Schmid to a multi-year extension after that playoff run and his strong play in the regular season before that, very few would have batted an eye. Instead, an extension-less Schmid entered the 2023-24 season in tandem with Vitek Vanecek on the final year of his entry-level deal. Both goalies struggled, and now one goalie is in San Jose and the other is in Utica.
On the heels of Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald publicly proclaiming the team would be going "big-game hunting" for a goalie in the offseason, Zaugg claimed that Voisard ". . . secretly expected that his client could be (traded) to another organization before the (trade deadline) was completed. That was not the case. So, for the time being, only New Jersey remains."
Based on Zaugg's claim, one might wonder if this meant Schmid would have been going to the Calgary Flames in a Jacob Markstrom trade - one that made headlines for being struck down by Flames ownership. In the interim, Schmid's trade value continues to plummet, and his future with the Devils looks bleaker and bleaker by the day. The 23-year-old is firmly behind Nico Daws and newcomers Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen in the pecking order.
Schmid will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and the Devils will need to make a qualifying offer to retain his services beyond this season. In that case, other teams will have the opportunity to offer sheet Schmid, and the Devils will have a chance to match.
For Schmid and the Devils, this is a nightmare ending to a fairytale story.