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The New Jersey Devils hosted the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and there was speculation from many that the Devils were going to make a splash for the hometown fans.
Boy did they ever.
When the Devils were officially put on the clock, many people, myself included, thought they were going to select Russian winger Valeri Nichushkin with the 9th pick. Some scouts had him as a top-3 player and many more had him in their top-5. Given he had slipped and the Devils glaring need for a goal scoring winger, he seemed like the pick.
Obviously the Devils had other ideas.
Devils GM Lou Lamoriello moved the 9th overall selection to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for highly regarded goaltender, Cory Schneider.
Schneider, 27, has a very good track record and could be a star.
He took the starting reigns in Vancouver this year playing in 30 games, though he played less games this past season than the year before due to the lockout. In those 30 games, Schneider posted a 17-9-4 record with a 2.11 goals against average and .927 save percentage.
Those are stellar numbers, and that .927 save percentage is the worst of his career in the NHL where he played in at least 10 games. Obviously he was playing on a very good team, but those are extremely impressive numbers.
Schneider will have to wait one more year before being given the starting job and able to run with it, but in the meantime he'll split time with Martin Brodeur.
Brodeur is still the number one goaltender this year and will be given a few more starts than Schneider, in my opinion. Barring an injury or significant struggles, Brodeur will be the starting goaltender in the playoffs, as well. That is assuming the Devils make it, of course.
That said, I really like this trade. Brodeur and Schneider instantly become one of the best, if not the best, goaltender duo in the NHL.
Schneider will have a year to split starts, learn from Brodeur and get adjusted to his new team before taking over in goal next year.
This trade obviously means Johan Hedberg is on the way out. Whether it's via trade or buyout, his days as a Devil are numbered.
I like Hedberg and I think he can still be a solid backup somewhere, but there's no doubt a Brodeur-Schneider duo is significantly better than a Brodeur-Hedberg duo.
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Quick hits:
- Dainius Zubrus' three-year extension with the Devils appears to be official. He'll earn $3.1 million per season.
Click for my thoughts on the extension.
- Patrik Elias is reportedly close to a contract extension.
- The Devils are still talking with Peter Harrold and his representatives. Nothing is done, but it seems as though good progress is being made.
- Acquiring Schneider doesn't spell disaster for Keith Kinkaid or Scott Wedgewood. Kinkaid likely only had backup potential and could be that in a year or two. Devils are still high on Wedgewood but he needs a couple years.
- The Devils trading into the 7th round and selecting Anthony Brodeur was awesome.
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