When addressing how his club will use its ample (approximately $23 million, per spotrac.com) salary cap space this offseason, Devils general manager Ray Shero reminded the media that such an asset is easily squandered.
“Once you lose it, you better be a good team that’s pushing to win a Cup or something,” Shero said at Devils’ Break-Up Day two weeks ago. “It has to be done the right time and in the right way so, two years from now, we're not having a conversation where we're asking, 'What are you going to do with those two guys who are 34 years old now that you signed as free agents two years ago?'"
Exhibit A could be Cory Schneider, the Devils starting goalie who underwent successful surgery on May 1 to repair torn cartilage in his left hip, the club announced Tuesday. Schneider is expected to need five months to recover, which would mean he would miss all of training camp.
This injury was reportedly unrelated to the groin woes that sidelined Schneider for five weeks last season. However, though Schneider is not one known to use it as an excuse, the sore hip likely did contribute to his poor record in the regular season’s second half, when he lost his last 12 starts, 10 in regulation. Schneider did rebound a bit by playing well in the Devils’ last three playoff games, but he lost two of them as New Jersey fell to Tampa Bay in five games.
It’s the second time in three seasons where injuries derailed Schneider’s promising start. In 2016-17, he simply underperformed, along with the rest of his team.
And therein laid the risk when then-GM Lou Lamoriello extended Schneider’s contract in 2014. Schneider, 32, still has four more seasons left at a $6 million AAV, currently tied for the seventh-highest among NHL goalies, per spotrac.com. He also has a no-trade clause.
New Jersey was fortunate that backup Keith Kinkaid rose to the occasion to lead the team into the postseason for the first time in six years by going 16-4-1 down the stretch (including a 7-0-1 streak to close the season). The Devils can also exhale that Kinkaid is signed for the 2018-19 season at a very affordable $1.25 million AAV.
After that? Kinkaid will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Let’s assume Kinkaid, 28, continues his ascension—he is currently excelling at the World Championships, winning three consecutive games, two by shutout, to start the tournament. He has stopped 95 of 99 shots to date, plus five of six shootout attempts in a 5-4 victory over favored Canada. It’s not the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where Kinkaid was let down by his teammates in the first two games of the Lightning series, but it’s certainly no walk in the park facing the likes of Connor McDavid, Mathew Barzal, Brayden Schenn, et al.
Kinkaid could absolutely be ready to again seize the opportunity at the start of next season, especially if Schneider needs time to get sharp. If Kinkaid produces like he did this past season, it’s going to be hard to pull him out. A split-duty arrangement for next season seems like a pretty good bet.
Kinkaid could then be on target to command a pretty hefty raise in a year, maybe somewhere in the Cam Talbot/Antti Raanta neighborhood of $4 million. I can envision Kinkaid drawing some interest from his hometown Islanders.
Shero has noted that teams today need two goalies to succeed, but only Montreal is slated to pay over $10 million on the one position, and that’s because all of it is going to Carey Price.
That means the Devils appear to be stuck with Schneider, for better or worse. While it’s good news that he is expected to make a complete recovery, who knows what else at his age will break down over the final four seasons?
It could be why Shero will continue to be extra careful this offseason when everyone’s (including my own) instinct will be urging him to “Spend! Spend! Spend!”
TAYLOR HALL DESERVES SOME HARDWARE
While we’re poring through Tuesday’s injury announcement, let’s all take a moment to be further amazed at the marvel that was Taylor Hall’s 2017-18 campaign.
The club stated that its star left wing also needed postseason surgery on April 30 to repair torn ligaments in his left hand.
Hall reportedly injured the hand in December, which means his ridiculous late-season point-scoring streaks (including a Devils-record 26-game run from January 2 to March 8) were accomplished while playing through the pain.
Hall, who is a finalist for the League’s Hart Trophy (MVP) and Ted Lindsay Award (Most Outstanding Player) to be announced on June 20, is expected to recover in time for training camp. If the voters know their stuff, he will have some hardware to show off to his teammates.