Struggling Devils goalie Cory Schneider is expected to be back in action this week after a long layoff with an injury.
NEWARK -- Cory Schneider, a diehard Boston sports fan, would rather talk about the Super Bowl than having reporters ask him for maybe the millionth time in the last year how his body feels.
For the record, Schneider said he feels great physically after returning from an abdominal strain.
Schneider returned to Newark after at the conclusion of an American Hockey League conditioning assignment with a guarantee that he will make a start in at least one of the Devils’ four home games this week.
It’s been a long road back for Schneider, who is having the worst season of his career and trying to reestablish himself after offseason hip surgery and now the ab injury. It’s unclear whether or not the ab injury stemmed from the hip injury, but what is clear is that Schneider, who is 0-7-1 in nine games this season with a .852 save percentage and a 4.66 GAA, is ready to prove he’s still capable of winning hockey games.
The results in Binghamton weren’t great on paper, but Devils’ goalie coach Roland Melanson was very encouraged by what he saw on film from his five starts. Schneider himself thought his fundamentals were strong, his footwork was good and he was making the saves he needed to make.
Schneider is unsure why he struggled with letting in early goals in Binghamton, although a source said the team didn’t exactly defend well in front of him in a few of those games. But he acknowledges that’s been a problem since late in 2017 and it’s a problem he’s still trying to find an answer to.
That could almost be the mantra for Schneider right now as he attempts to battle back and recover from all that has plagued his body and his game this season and last. Schneider isn’t going to deny that this season hasn’t been tough for him mentally and physically, but he’s also not about to ask for sympathy.
He wants to get back to his old self and everyone around him sees him trying to do so.
General manager Ray Shero has taken a personal interest in the status of Schneider, having several one-on-one conversations with the goalie throughout the season and during this latest rehab period. The organization made sure he and his family had all they needed while he was in Binghamton and they remain committed to a tandem of Schneider and Kinkaid right now.
Schneider is in a good spot with a long-term contract and a no-trade clause. He’s owed $6 million in each of the next three seasons. With Mackenzie Blackwood knocking at the door, it’s Kinkaid who may be feeling the heat as the Feb. 25 trade deadline approaches.
But Schneider is still putting pressure on himself to return to his old form. The Devils want him to know that they believe in him and they hope he believes in himself as well.