Reviewing The Devil’s Goaltending Depth

Cory Schneider

Cory Schneider is the longest term goalie in the Devils system. Schneider was traded by the Vancouver Canucks to the Devils back in 2013, where the Devils traded the 9th overall pick. That pick would turn into current Canucks captain Bo Horvat. Cory has been inconsistent and dealt with injuries throughout his tenure in NJ. Last season, he played in 26 games, going 6-13-4 with a 3.06 Goals Against Average (GAA) and a .903 Save Percentage (Sv%).

Schneider is currently the 1A starter for the Devils. He’s making an average of $6 million a year for the Devils, and is on the books for the next three years. This makes up for 8.03% of the team’s cap hit. If he wants to stay the 1A goalie, he has to step up his game. The biggest thing he needs to do, is to stay off Injured Reserve (IR). If Cory stays healthy, he should play well. He isn’t terrible, yet, he has trouble rebounding from injuries.

Mackenzie Blackwood

Mackenzie Blackwood had a hot start to his career last season. Despite the hot start, it hasn’t exactly translated into this season. Last year, he went 10-10-0 with a 2.61 GAA and a .918 Sv%. So far this season, he is 0-1-1 with a 4.90 GAA and a .821 Sv%. Blackwood was chosen 42nd overall in 2015. He is in the last year of his contract, making $697,500. He is a pending RFA at the end of the year. The season isn’t over, but it’s gonna be a big year for him. He’s currently the 1B goalie, and is in a contract year. If the Devils want to think about the playoffs, Blackwood needs to teach the NHL that last season wasn’t a fluke, and play to his potential.

Gilles Senn

Gilles Senn is a goalie prospect for the Devils who hasn’t played an NHL game. The Swiss goaltender played in the NLA last season for HC Davos. In 20 games, Senn notched a 2.92 GAA and a .905 Sv%. Davos made the playoffs for the NLA, but lost in six games where he had a 3.19 GAA and a .894 Sv%. This year will be the first season he plays North American hockey. So far, he has played one game, and that did not go well. (The following stats are not from one game, as he played parts of another game). He had a 4.65 GAA and a .853 Sv%. He might not be anywhere close to the NHL any time soon, but it is important to develop him properly.

Evan Cormier

Evan Cormier has had a roller coaster of a career in professional hockey. After being drafted 105th overall in 2016, Cormier played two seasons in the OHL for the Saginaw Spirit. After that, he went to Guelph University in the USports league and had an impressive 2.27 GAA and a .926 Sv% in 13 games. According to Eliteprospects.com, Cormier was in the Pittsburgh organization for an extremely short stint, not even playing a game. I was not able to find any information regarding that. The Devils however, would later sign him to an Amatuer Try-Out (ATO). He would make the team.

In the AHL, Cormier would play 15 games and own a 2.96 GAA and a .902 Sv%. In between his AHL career, he would be sent down to the the ECHL in which his stats worsened. He played six games with a 3.87 GAA and a .875 Sv%. This season, he is back in the AHL looking to improve with a better Binghamton Devils lineup. So far, he’s played in two games and has a 2.55 GAA and a .932 Sv%. Good start for him, lets see if it continues.

Eamon McAdam

Eamon McAdam is certainly the travel-man goaltender in the AHL and ECHL. This past summer, the Devils sign him to an AHL contract for Binghamton’s goalie depth. Yet, he has started in the ECHL this year. He has played two games for the Devil’s ECHL team, the Adirondack Thunder, posting a 2.37 GAA and a .932 Sv%. He should be playing in the AHL, but the Bing Devils have too many goalies. McAdam has spent time in the New York Islander’s organization and the Toronto Maple Leaf’s organization. He also spent three years at Penn State University. Eamon is going to have to prove to everyone that he isn’t just a ECHL goalie, and that he can be more and play better, despite his solid start.

Akira Schmid

Akira Schmid was chosen in the 5th round, 136th overall in 2018. The 6’5 goalie plays in the USHL for the Omaha Lancers. In 37 games, he put up a 2.18 GAA and a .926 Sv%. Schmid is a usual candidate for a goalie for team Switzerland in the WJC-U20, and the International-Jr. This season, he is back in the USHL for Omaha and so far, in four games, he has a 2.70 GAA and a .896 Sv%. This is a big season upcoming for him. He needs to prove that he is the next big goalie brewing in the Devils system.

Cole Brady

Cole Brady is one of the newest goalies to enter the Devils prospect system. The Devils took a chance on him, drafting him with the 127th overall pick in 2019. Brady is currently playing in the USHL. In four games so far, he has a 2.95 GAA and a .903 Sv%. The 6’5, left catching keeper will spend next season in Arizona State University, where he will be working with former Devils goalie, Eddie Lack. The young Brady has a lot of potential, but we will have to wait and see how he performs. Don’t expect Brady to be playing an NHL game for the next three seasons. I predict that after his tenure in ASU, he will be playing with the Binghamton Devils. We will wait and see with him.

The Devils have a solid amount of talent in the goaltending department. The past five drafts, the Devils selected a goalie using one of their picks. The highest being 42nd overall, Mackenzie Blackwood. The lowest being 136th, Akira Schmid. What do you think?