If there was any lingering sentiment the Devils were not fully Cory Schneider’s team, that was put to rest on Wednesday when general manager Lou Lamoriello announced the goalie had been signed to a contract extension one year before his current deal was set to expire.
Although Lamoriello did not divulge the terms, the deal is for seven years and $42 million, carrying an annual $6 million salary-cap hit. Following his $4.5 million salary this season (with a $4 million cap hit), the new deal will take the 28-year-old Schneider through the 2021-22 season.
“You don’t make this kind of deal or do this kind of extension if they didn’t believe I was the guy, or I didn’t believe I was going to be the guy,” Schneider said on a conference call. “There was a mutual understanding without it being said that this was how things were progressing, this was the next step in my evolution.”
What this means is the Martin Brodeur era in New Jersey has officially ended. The 42-year-old Hall-of-Famer to be is an unrestricted free agent, and if he signs somewhere else or retires, the feeling coming out of the team that drafted him back in 1990 and with whom he played his whole career and won three Stanley Cups will remain the same.
“Marty has had a tremendous career here, and Marty will always be a Devil,” Lamoriello said. “Marty’s legacy is what it is. Cory is not here to replace Marty. Cory is here to establish his own identity, which he has done, and go forward with that. As Cory said, we’re just delighted because we go from one great goaltender to another and the philosophy of this organization has been to build from the goaltender out, and that will continue to be the philosophy.”
Schneider split time with Brodeur last season after being obtained in a draft-day trade with the Canucks in exchange for the No. 9-overall pick. In 45 games, he had a 1.97 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage while the Devils missed the playoffs by five points.
“Timing is everything in life, and the perfect situation created itself,” Lamoriello said. “The sooner you can do things when you know that’s what you want, it’s better for everyone.”
Lamoriello had no update on the contract status of unrestricted free agent forward Ryan Carter, saying the two sides continue to have mutual interest.