Schneider's progress continues at 2018 Devils Camp

Time is of the essence for John Hynes and his coaching staff as they continue to evaluate their players.
With three games in the preseason remaining, including an exhibition tilt against SC Bern in Switzerland, Hynes continues to put his team through the rigors of intense practices, evaluating players at every turn.

"Every day is like a building block," Hynes said. "What you're looking for from players is their ability to sustain focus, to be reliable, to be dependable every day. Collectively for us, we haven't necessarily liked all the games that we've played but to their credit, the way that they've practiced, they're attentive in meetings, the way that they execute it has been excellent."
It's getting down to the wire now, as the team is a few short days away from heading to Winnipeg which is the start of a trip that heads overseas to Switzerland and Sweden. That limits the amount of time Hynes has to evaluate his group before cutting down his roster.
"We're going to have to be down, pretty close to our roster by the time we head to Switzerland]. By the time we get over there, there's the roster deadline and just one exhibition game. Then it's about practice and chemistry."
"It's a bit of a cloudy picture right now," Hynes added. "We think lots of guys have played well and played to our identity. We're going to have to make some decisions here in the next few days."
Players will get the day off on Saturday before heading back to the rink on Sunday for a practice ahead of Monday night's matchup with the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
**Schneider Getting Closer**
**[Video: 9/21/18 Practice: Schneider**
Goaltender Cory Schneider took part in his first full practice of training camp. Recovering from off-season hip surgery, Schneider has been used sparingly up until this point. On Friday, Schneider was an active participant for the full hour-long morning session on the ice and taking shots from teammates.
"We're making a lot of progress," Schneider said. "We're getting there. Some things you just can't replicate in the gym, and you have to do on the ice. I think we're entering that phase right now of doing full practices, playing out rebounds, competing."
Schneider continues to be evaluated by training staff, and no specific date has been set for his return to the lineup.