During this professional sports shutdown, I decided it would be a good time to profile each Golden Knights player. I will look at their skillset and then their overall season. I’m hoping to get each player done before the NHL is back up and running! We here at HockeyBuzz want to keep busy, giving you the hockey fix we all need!
Some people may refer to Las Vegas as Sin City. Others see it as a city of opportunity. No man sees more opportunity in Vegas than No. 88, Nate Schmidt. The defenseman was selected in the Expansion Draft, by the same man who signed him to his first NHL contract. Soon after, the former third-pair d-man worked his way to the top of the Golden Knights’ defensive depth chart. He’s now the unquestioned No. 1 defenseman on the team, logging big minutes in all situations.
The assistant captain is integral to the club (USA Today Sports)
Name: Nate Schmidt
Position: D
Age: 28-years-old
Drafted: Undrafted. Signed by the Washington Capitals from Minnesota (NCAA)
Nickname: Schmidty
VGK Since: 2017 Expansion Draft (Washington)
Contract: $5.95 million AAV through 2024-25
Biggest Strength:
Versatility: There isn’t a situation in which Nate Schmidt can’t play. He quarterbacks one of the Power Play units. He anchors the top PK pair. He has logged the most 5-on-5 minutes over the past three seasons. He has played both the left and right side depending on his partner. Schmidt can do it all.
USA Today Sports
Whether it’s making plays or finishing them by activating in the rush, Schmidt is at his best when he has his feet moving and can trust his defense partner. The only time Schmidt’s underlying numbers weren’t good was when he swapped partners with Shea Theodore and was saddled with the aging Deryk Engelland to finish the 2018-19 season.
By default, Schmidt is a metrics darling due to his competency in all three zones. Together with Brayden McNabb, Schmidt gives the Golden Knights much needed stability and reliability in their own zone, paired with high offensive upside. He has the freedom to join the rush, knowing the best stay-at-home defenseman has his “six”. His shot, his stretch passing, and his mobility serve the defenseman well up and down the ice.
His wide-ranging skillset and the new opportunity in Vegas dictated his jump in ice time. Schmidt went from a mere 15:29 TOI during his last season in Washington to the 21:59 average he has logged in parts of three seasons on the west coast. It’s clear to see what George McPhee saw in the Golden Gopher coming out of college and their reunion has been a bright spot for Bill Foley and his Vegas Golden Knights.
Biggest Weakness:
Size: NHL defensemen are typically bigger players. Even in the new, up-tempo era of the game, blueliners tend to be imposing players. They are asked to play a physical game in the corners, play the body, and use theirs to block shots. Life is hard for a defenseman.
USA Today Sports
Schmidt isn’t small, at 6-foot-1, 194 pounds, but he has always been a bit undersized for the position. His plus skating and footwork suit him well and his size has never been a detriment to his game. He’s as close to the perfect defenseman that a team could ask for.
2019-20 Season:
59 GP: 7 goals, 24 assists, 31 points, plus-11 rating, 91 blocked shots, 53.4 CF%, 100.9 PDO
With the emergence of Theodore, Schmidt has help driving the Golden Knights from the back end. Late in games, he is spelled by the youngster, when the team is pushing hard for a goal. He and Theodore give the Golden Knights two offensively gifted defensemen at their disposal. Even with the internal push, Schmidt still serves an important role on the team, in all situations.
Among all qualified NHL defensemen, Schmidt’s totals fall into a solid range for an unquestioned number one defenseman.
Ranks:
Goals: 41st (Tied with Drew Doughty, Jacob Trouba, P.K Subban, among others)
Assists: 42nd (Tied with Mikhail Sergachev, Seth Jones, Duncan Keith, Morgan Rielly)
Points: 44th (Tied with Mark Giordano, among others)
He’s in elite company within the ranges he falls into and that’s with less ice time. His impact is felt both on and off the ice, serving as one of the biggest personalities in the Golden Knights’ locker room. He keeps things light before, during, and after practices and it’s never hard to keep track of the audible defenseman during games.
He has grown into and settled in as a well-rounded, dependable defenseman. His team clearly missed him during his 20-game suspension (PED), at the start of the 2018-19 season. With a contract through 2024, Golden Knights fans can rest easy knowing the team will have their defensive leader and spark plug for a very long time.
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