Cory Schneider Trade To New Jersey Devils Was Still Worth It

Former New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider announced his retirement on Tuesday, September 26th in his local paper. Towards the end of his career, Schneider was hampered by injuries, especially at the tail end of his tenure with the Devils and New York Islanders. Schneider did not want to play another season in the AHL. While he had offers in Europe, the decision to retire in June was the right one.

When you look back on his career, you think of the what-ifs with Schneider especially with his time with the Vancouver Canucks and Devils. The trade for Cory Schneider at the 2013 NHL Draft is one of the more memorable trades in recent times at the NHL Draft. That draft was the famous one-day draft in New Jersey where Schneider was traded from the Canucks to the Devils on the draft floor. And if you look back on the trade, and you are the Devils you are probably still making that trade, regardless of how things turned out, New Jersey wasted his prime years.

Think about it too. The player who was selected 9th overall at the 2013 NHL Draft by the Canucks, Bo Horvat is no longer with the Canucks. He is with the Islanders organization now. Funny general manager Lou Lamoriello, who was the general manager of the Devils at the time of the Schneider, acquired Horvat from the Canucks and gave him a new eight-year contract extension.

But looking back on the trade, it made sense for the Devils to acquire him. Despite what some may think. The Devils were getting a young goalie entering his prime. He had been to a Stanley Cup Final and lost to the Boston Bruins in 2011. Though there is a belief that if Schneider started Game 6 against Boston, the Canucks and Canada end their Stanley Cup drought. Not to mention Vancouver was in their own goalie controversy between Roberto Luongo and Schneider. The coaching staff and management continued to mismanage that situation.

Getting back to the trade. Entering the 2013-14 season, the Devils were in a transition. Martin Brodeur was still there. So was Johan Hedberg. The Devils missed the playoffs in 2013 after making an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012. They needed a successor as Brodeur was at the end of his career. Though he still wanted to play.

Lamoriello at the time was trying to save his job after years of poor drafting and free-agent signings, the Devils general manager swung for the fences and landed Schneider from the Canucks. While Lamoriello is considered one of the best general managers of all time, his poor decision-making in the salary cap world put the Devils at a disadvantage. The Devils have finally gotten out of it. Based on where the Devils finished in the standings, they held the ninth overall pick. In addition, the 2013 NHL Draft was being held at the Prudential Center, so the Devils were looking to make a splash.

Draft Day came, good movie by the way, and the teams were at a crossroads. One team had a goalie controversy, while the other needed a successor. Not to mention a general manager was looking to save his job. With the Devils on the clock, who can forget Commissioner Gary Bettman stepping to the podium and saying, “We have a trade to announce. I think you are gonna want to hear this. New Jersey trades the ninth overall to Vancouver for goaltender Cory Schneider.”

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At the time, the fans inside the building cheered the move. With Brodeur and Johan Hedberg getting older, Lamoriello saved his job with just one move getting in a younger goaltender. It was a move that good for both teams. Vancouver could not buy out Luongo and keep Schneider and the Devils needed to get younger at that position.

When Vancouver came to the podium, the Canucks selected Bo Horvat from the London Knights of the OHL. Since the Canucks needed depth in their prospect pool, this was a great selection.

Looking back on things, Schneider and Horvat were on different paths. Cory Schneider was getting close to entering the prime of his career. While Horvat would take a year to come into the league. Schneider came to New Jersey with the expectation of being the starter. There were some tense moments between him and Brodeur. And again the numbers favoured the younger goaltender. Eventually, the Devils would move on from Brodeur and give Schneider the reigns. His first three seasons in New Jersey were good. However, the Devils failed to make the playoffs.

Again wasted years of trying to do the same things over and over again in the salary cap world catching up with Lamoriello. The belief of the team was just good enough to get in. Keep adding veterans to see what happens. It was not going to fly. The Devils had to embrace a rebuild.

The big thing with Cory Schneider was injuries. He missed significant time with multiple lower-body injuries. And while the Devils made the playoffs in 2018, he was not the guy guiding the ship. While he did get the only Devils playoff win in 2018, confidence became an issue. Just like with other goalies of the past time was catching up with Schneider. A stint in the minors this past season helped him regain his confidence prior to the pause in the season. However, he just could not regain the form he had after his groin injury and hip surgery. That is why we saw Jonathan Bernier recently retire.

As for Horvat, he came into his own in Vancouver. With no expectations of making the team, Horvat did so his rookie season. However, an injury would delay his debut. Once Horvat debuted for the Canucks he did not leave the lineup. The only time he was out of the lineup was because of injuries, which is something he continues to deal with.

During his first six seasons in the league, Horvat has gotten better over each year. He has played a full season three times and was selected to the All-Star Game in 2017. Prior to the start of the 2017-18 season, Horvat signed a new five-year deal worth $33 million. It carried a cap hit of $5.5 million. And despite not having consistent linemates during the 2018-19 campaign, Horvat set career highs in points (61), goals (27), and assists (34).

Horvat was on pace to have a career year before the NHL paused its season in 2019-20. What had both fan bases talking was Horvat’s play coming out of the restart. Horvat had 12 points (10 goals and two assists) in 17 games for the Canucks. Vancouver went to the second round of the playoffs losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in seven games hence, why people wanted the Devils to keep the pick.

Horvat continued to score goals for the Canucks, he was on pace for another career season with Vancouver before the trade to the Islanders where his goal-scoring production stopped. Prior to the trade, he had 31 goals last season, after just seven. Hopefully, that changes moving forward.

As for the trade itself, while many thought and hoped it was going to be Horvat given his production, the Devils have always gone defense first. That is the basis for Lamoriello’s system. He was still the general manager at the time. So he most likely would have selected Josh Morrissey, Samuel Morin or Max Domi at that spot in the draft anyway. The Devils’ defence was in shambles, too, so building from the backend out made more sense. Now, it is hard to pass up an offensive talent like Horvat, but at the time the selection probably does not happen. However, it is fun to think about what might have been.

When you look back on things playing 16 years in the NHL is nothing to turn your nose up at for Cory Schneider. The Marblehead, MA product, part of the 2004 NHL Draft class was a solid goalie for so many years. You always want the offensive product, but the Devils wasted the prime years of Schneider with poor teams.

But at the time of the trade, it made sense for both teams. And it still does.