7:35PM: Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic notes that the Panthers have not completed a deal for Schmidt. Considering their cap situation, a trade of someone making a sizable salary will need to happen before they can finalize any contract with Pietrangelo.
5:59 PM: While the talk the last hour or so has been with the Vegas Golden Knights looking to deal one of their defenseman to the Winnipeg Jets to make room for an Alex Pietrangelo signing, now Fox Sports Andy Strickland reports that Vegas is expected to send defenseman Nate Schmidt and his contract of five years at $5.95MM, is heading to the Florida Panthers. No word yet on the return.
Schmidt has been a big component for the Golden Knights since their inception. The blueliner was one of the Golden Knights selections in the expansion draft and has been one of their top minutes eaters since joining the team. While likely being surpassed as the team’s top defenseman last season by the improved play of defenseman Shea Theodore, Schmidt has been a key face for the Golden Knights franchise and a major locker room presence, going back to the Golden Misfit days. Last year, the 29-year-old blueliner averaged 21:41 of ice time, while posting seven goals and 31 points last year, while providing solid defense for the Golden Knights.
In Florida, Schmidt should immediately fill a significant role for the Panthers that was hurting on the defensive end. Last year, Florida spent significant money on free agent goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who struggled out of the gate, much due to the fact that the Panthers defense was subpar, even under first-year head coach Joel Quenneville. This offseason, Florida has re-tooled their defense, moving multiple players out. The speedy Schmidt should fit in well besides Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle, Anton Stralman and newly acquired Radko Gudas and Markus Nutivaara.
Teams are only able to go more than 10% above the Upper Limit during the offseason which is $89.65MM. Accordingly, this deal will seemingly need to be finalized before Pietrangelo’s contract can be made official.
Makes no sense. Your getting older and it’s costing you more. Head scratching.
Interesting take since they are only 1 year apart in age. Schmidt is not a premier defender, but Pietreangelo is. This also allows the franchise to keep Fluery and make A LOT of Knights fans very happy.
So Florida can’t keep Weager now can they?
Vegas repaying a bit of the Smith/Marchessault favor the Panthers did for them years ago.
Interesting take since they are only 1 year apart in age. Schmidt is not a premier defender, but Pietreangelo is. Vegas has lacked a great defenseman since they started. This also allows the franchise to keep Fluery and make A LOT of Knights fans very happy.
Even after trading Schmidt, they still have less then $8 million left. They still need to trade MAF to sign Pietrangelo and afford a new backup and a 13th forward.
They aren’t going to trade Fleury, because nobody is going to overpay. If he leaves it will be a buyout. But at this point I think it’s unlikely he leaves. I would assume the trade to the Panthers will net a forward as well.
no way in heck they can keep both him and Lehner. surpised they seemingly forced themselves into giving gobs of money to Lehner when they could signed someone like Greiss and been able to better balance their finances.
They’re keeping both! Currently a million over the cap they are going to figure the money out and have 2 of the best goalies in the league for an 82 game season played in 2 fewer months.
David Pagnotta says he is not going to florida though so who knows.
Not David Pagnotta, that’s who.
@The Mistake of Giving Eugene Melnyk a Liver Transplant – The real DP (not the counterfeiter who recently reared his ugly head) is decently connected and has fairly reliable takes, not to mention is part of a solid podcast with RP, and DB (The Hot Stove League).
I don’t know why the Bruins aren’t in on Schmidt. They really need a left d-man and Schmidt would fit in nicely in their top 4 on their left side. The Bruins were willing to take on OEL’s $8.25 million contract if the trade asking place was lower & they originally made Krug an offer of $6.5 million a season. Schimdt’s cap hit is lower than both OEL & their initial offer to Krug. If they could figure out a way to make those two contracts work cap wise, they can surely make Schmidt’s $5.950,000 cap hit work
Same thing with Vancouver. If they were in on OEL, why not Schmidt? I’d take Schmidt at his lower AAV over OEL and his big cap hit anyway.
Is there a reason everyone seems so down on OEL? I know his cap hit is huge but the guy is elite.
It’s the money,age and term that scares along with the saline in production. Other than that everyone wants him
I don’t dislike OEL. I dislike his contract. He is a good player, but his cap hit is higher than Hedman’s & he isn’t anywhere near the player Hedman is. OEL has been a minus player the last 7 seasons. I know plus/minus isn’t a perfect stat, but it can be useful when you use it in trends. If a player is consistently a mnus, it says something & some of his minuses were really bad. -28, -23, -18, -16. Those are big numbers. It is one thing to be a -3. It is another to be a -28. Do I think OEL would help the Bruins, yes. He’d especially be a plus offensively. However, his contract will prevent the Bruins from doing other things. Schmidt’s contract is a little more friendly. Schmidt may not have the offensive upside of OEL, but he has been a better defender the past few seasons. Schmidt makes more sense cap wise than OEL does
Saline???? Stupid spell check
@oilcntryrdnk – I can help you with that. I know a guy, who knows a guy… (the second guy might be in decline, though) ;)
I wish people who claim to be fans of The NHL knew the basic rules; Vegas can no longer buyout MAF, that window shut last week. They’ll either trade him or keep him, period.
With the potentially new condensed schedule for 2021 they might try to pawn him off on another playoff bound team in need of a #1 goaltender. Apparently they could not get rid of him. I believe they are being patient now.
@Kar 120C No one want MAF. He 35 and has a cap hit of 7 mil for the next two years. Only way anyone trade for him is if Vegas throw in a high draft pick.
BRIAND – I’m an Oilers fan so feel I know stupid GM’s.
GM’s will do silly things all day long later tenure before they are fired. They get desperate.
If MAF is rocking the stats come playoffs, Vegas will be able to offload him. GM’s are not superstar intelligent and often they look at their own careers at 2 -4 years at best. So a win now, forget later mentality.
@Kar 120C Yah no playoff bound team going to pay for him. Once again, he’ll be 36 once the season start and at 7 mil for the next 2 year is ridiculous. No one views him as a starter anymore, just a backup goalie at this point of his career. Plenty of younger and cheaper options out there unless Vegas is willing to add a 1st or a 2nd to sweeten the deal. (Honestly, the only team I could see trading assets for MAF is Edmonton because it Edmonton!)
His cost is ridiculous I AGREE. Yet he was no slouch. Not as bad as you project. He is no Jimmy Howard. Vegas will find a buyer. They will put him out in games with easy padding, like bait.
I enjoy that you tried to insult me via Edmonton after I mentioned it. So I assume you are 12 years of age. Not an insult, just a perspective. You clearly do not understand self-deprecation.
Sigh!
This just shows how much a brain dead owner wants to win trade away core players to bring in the big fish on the market and sign them to a big deal. Then have them possibly just sit on the money and play just so-so up to their potential. But that’s Vegas baby… Not one player like Petro is going to make that d-core any better it’s a unit.. Trade more Vegas…
Interesting take. This move, plus the Pietrangelo signing improves the Vegas D quite a bit. Theodore can now play with a D man that will help him both offensively and defensively. Martinez can now pair with McNabb or Whitecloud and provide better D on the 2nd pairing. The Schmidt/McNabb pairing was the worst top 4 pairing in the league last year.