Devils' Schneider wants assurance he is No. 1 goalie before signing extension

Signing goaltender Cory Schneider to a contract extension appears to be a priority for the New Jersey Devils, but Schneider wants to know what his role is on the team before committing.

Whether it's alongside veteran netminder Martin Brodeur or another goaltender, Schneider wants to be the No. 1 option. He is under contract through the end of next season at a cap hit of $4 million.

"It would be very un-Devil-like of me to discuss any negotiations, but both sides have talked and we've made it known what we’d like to do going forward," he told The Star-Ledger. "It’s early June, so there is still plenty of time to continue talking."

For Schneider, playing 60 games a season is an ideal workload. He estimates he is "probably 50 or 75 games short" of where he wants his career to be and says he hoped to be a No. 1 option sooner. 

Schneider isn't sure if the Devils will give him the opportunity he is looking for, but he seems confident the two sides will reach an agreement eventually.

We’re probably about a month short of figuring out what is going to happen going forward. In five or six weeks I’ll have more to say or dissect, but as of today and what I’ve heard from the team, hopefully I can sort of begin my career as a starter and earn it see what I can do.