The Vancouver Canucks have moved a defenseman that would be best classified as a failed experiment. After picking up Nate Schmidt in a trade last offseason from the Vegas Golden Knights for a third-round pick, the Canucks traded Schmidt to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday for a third-round pick. For the Jets, they’ll be adding a player who likely feels like he has a lot to prove.
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Darren Dreger was among the first to report news of the pending trade between the Canucks and Jets and it was learned Schmidt had to waive his no-trade clause to help facilitate the deal. It’s an interesting deal because, essentially, the Canucks rented Schmidt for a year for free (in terms of assets). The team recouped what they paid Vegas less than 11 months ago. It was the same round in the draft and the same year.
The Canucks are not retaining any of Schmidt’s $5.95 million salary over the next four seasons.
It was learned weeks ago that the Canucks were eager to move on from Schmidt. They acquired a piece they thought could really help them but the two sides just didn’t mesh well at all. It was clear he was not going to meet team expectations and whatever was at the root of the issues, it was evident things weren’t going to work out. The trick for Vancouver was shedding all of his salary.
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Meanwhile, Winnipeg was looking to do something with their blue line. Schmidt should help if he can find the same form he had in Vegas with the Golden Knights. The team also added Brenden Dillon in a trade on Monday. Dillon is a steady and consistent top four defensive defenceman. Like Schmidt, he’s said to have a big personality and is well-liked by a ton of his teammates.
Paul Stastny — who the team just re-signed — is rumored to have talked to Schmidt about what they’re trying to do in Winnipeg and sold him on the idea of waiving his no-trade clause. Originally, Winnipeg was not on his list of teams he’d be willing to go to.
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