Way too much. Yeah more because we're on the metro but I wouldn't give that for Hellebuyck and he twice the G Hart is

Plus, now NJD would be in a position where they'd have to pay both their goalies in the same offseason.

If Schmid is able to build off of his playoff run, you know you have VV in for one more year at 3.4M instead of also having to pay Hart.

The plan seems to be Schmid in the minors

That makes zero sense, in my opinion.

Wow, that would be hard to pass up but it may be even harder to play against Hart for the next 10 years.

I could see this scenario blowing up in the Flyers faces so I would probably say no just based on that fact.

Flyers and Devils don’t trade with one another.

He's still very young, especially for a goalie, so it shouldn't hurt his development. If anything, playing a full starter workload in Utica could be more beneficial than a 1B role. It also keeps his next contract cheaper.

In my opinion, the hardest thing a goaltender is going to have to do is perform well in the playoffs. Schmid just did that. I think sending him back to the AHL rather than giving him more NHL minutes will hurt his development. All to save a couple of bucks on his next contract, which should be a bridge anyway? Doesn't seem smart.

But again, I'm an outsider looking in. He just looks ready to me.

My understanding is that goalie development is completely different from player development. Blackwood and Cossa, both highly touted as prospects, spent time in the ECHL. Logan Thompson was in the ECHL before signing his ELC. AHL vs. NHL does not seem to be so big a difference for goalies as for players. Keep in mind too that Schmid is only 3 years removed from the NAHL. There's no need to rush him.

That said, I agree that he is probably ready and would thrive in a 1B role. I rarely say things like this since a lot of front offices are clearly incompetent, but I'll defer to the professionals on this.

Unless Fitzy is playing possum!

It makes some sense. If we acquire a starting goaltender we'll probably want Schmid to get as many starts as possible, and that would mean the AHL.

That's why, to me, it doesn't make any sense. You have a starting goaltender in VV, and a young up-and-comer that just showed you (small sample size, but it was in the playoffs) he can handle some minutes. Why not make use of VV and his 3.4M over the next couple of years and give Schmid more and more starts as time goes on. Is he not the long term solution to be NJD's starter?

Well, in this hypothetical we're acquiring Hart (or Hellebucyk) to be the #1, presumably relegating Vanecek to backup and depriving Schmid from the opportunity of getting those starts at the NHL. In the AHL, Schmid would be the everyday starter (and Brennan the everyday starter in the ECHL). That would be the way to optimize everyone's number of games played.

If we don't acquire anyone (and I doubt we are going to), then I'd want Schmid at the NHL level getting at least half of our games.

As to whether Schmid is the long-term solution... I have no idea? Goalies are nearly impossible to prognosticate.