This summer, Spencer Lazary and I will continue our series with more potential free agent targets that could be on the market on July 1st.
Today, we look at 12-year vet Nate Schmidt.
Target: Nate Schmidt - LD - Age: 33 - 12 Years Experience
Nate Schmidt was an undrafted free agent from the University of Minnesota who signed with the Washington Capitals in 2013. After spending the first four years of his career with the Caps, Schmidt was claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 Expansion Draft. He was traded to Vancouver on October 12, 2020, and then to Winnipeg on July 27, 2021. In the summer of 2024, Schmidt signed with the Cup Champ Florida Panthers, where he is currently helping them on their quest to repeat as champions.
Stats
Schmidt played 80 games for the Panthers this season, which was a career high. He scored 5 goals and totaled 19 points playing the Florida blueline. This was technically a "down" year for Schmidt, but he wasn't expected to be the star for Florida. He's averaging 26 points per 82 games played in his career.
He has played 95 playoff games in his career so far, scoring 10 goals and totaling 39 points.
Previous Salary
Schmidt signed a 1 year, $800,000 contract with Florida last summer. Contract experts put his next deal at around $3 million per season for two years.
Realistic Chances Of A Signing: Cold
Schmidt has played a lot of playoff hockey and could very well win a Cup with Florida this year. For that reason alone, I see him signing with another contender if the Cats don't re-sign him.
But more importantly, there isn't a spot on this Jacket team for him. He's a left shot defenseman, and as we've chronicled several times in this series, the Jackets really don't have a need for a LD unless they plan on replacing some of the guys they have currently, which probably isn't happening.
Let us know what you think below.
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