Mackenzie Blackwood has performed so well and Schneider so poorly in the first month and a half of the season that not only is this decision the correct one, the argument can be made that it was a bit over overdue.
Schneider's five starts this season ended without a victory (0-4-1 with a 4.59 GAA and .852 as his save percentage in those starts) and although Blackwood's numbers are a little higher than in his rookie season, Blackwood has rounded into form over his last four starts and the Devils were finally comfortable enough to make this move.
The thirty-three-year-old Schneider is unlikely to be claimed by any team at his salary (six million dollars each for this year and the next two), so he'll be assigned to the Devils AHL affiliate in Binghamton, where the Devils will hope to see his play improve.
In the perfect scenario, Schneider would play well for the B-Devils and some team would be interested in acquiring him and although under those circumstances, New Jersey would still be picking up the lion's share of Schneider's remaining contract, whatever could be saved under the salary cap could be better allocated.
Cory Schneider was often a polarizing figure to many Devils fans.
Schneider was acquired from Vancouver as the future successor to Martin Brodeur for the Devils first-round pick in the 2013 draft, which Vancouver used on their current captain Bo Horvat.
Schneider wasn't interested in being groomed behind the aging Brodeur as he was leaving a situation with the Canucks that had seen him sit behind another veteran in Roberto Luongo.
Because of the cost paid for Schneider and the respective ages of both goalies, Schneider was going to be the player that was staying in the organization and after a tension-filled first season, Brodeur was forced out with Schneider signing the seven-year contract that the Devils are paying for to this day.
In many ways, it was that first year with Brodeur that set the stage for Cory Schneider to never truly be accepted by Devils fans and Schneider played very well in the first two seasons of his extension.
In those first two seasons, Schneider's play ranked with the best in the game and even those frustrated with how Martin Brodeur was treated had to concede that Schneider's play was top-notch.
In 2016-17, Schneider's numbers worsened a bit, but he appeared to be bouncing back early in the Devils playoff season of 2017-18 before a groin injury sidelined for much of the remainder of the season.
A hip surgery before the start of last season appears to be the dividing line for Schneider as his performance after that surgery has never approached his previous level,
I don't see where the Devils had a choice in this situation.
Cory Schneider has never been a player that was able to handle not being the top goaltender whether to an all-time great in Martin Brodeur or to a younger player such as Mackenzie Blackwood and as time moved on, I could foresee a difficult situation for the two netminders and the organization.
If Blackwood is the eventual number one goalie and with Schneider playing so poorly in his starts, the team simply didn't need the tension.
It appears that Cory Schneider might be remembered by Devils fans with mixed memories, but he did perform well for the first two seasons and it may turn out that the hip injury that Schneider has never seemed to have recovered from cost the Devils value on their seven-year contract and Schneider arguably what could have been the best days of his career.
I'm planning on covering tonight's game with Boston as long as I am available to watch.
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