Schmidt and his many good friends with the Caps are finally in the Stanley Cup Final this week. Only they’re on opposite benches after the Vegas Golden Knights grabbed Schmidt in the expansion draft and wouldn’t give him back.
Schmidt was Washington’s sixth defenseman last season, but he now leads the Golden Knights in ice time. The improbable matchup in Monday night’s series opener puts a bewildered grin on Schmidt’s face.
”Yeah, I don’t think you could have written this up any better for me,” he said Sunday.
Both of his franchises are in the midst of banner years, and Schmidt won’t argue with the idea that he deserves a small part of the credit.
Or maybe the blame.
”I really enjoyed my time in Washington,” Schmidt said. ”I thought that team was special, and we still had a good chance to go and do something, and here they are, proving it.”
Schmidt stops himself as another grin invades his serious interview session.
”I must have been the reason why!” he said. ”I must have been the problem.”
Not likely. Schmidt’s irrepressible personality and two-way acumen have made him one of the Golden Knights’ most valuable players during their improbable inaugural season.
He surpassed his previous career highs with five goals and 31 assists while doing steady work on the back end. Given extensive responsibilities in Vegas after playing a smaller role in Washington, Schmidt has taken a major step forward.
”The perception of your game could be remodeled and redone Fred Warner Color Rush Jersey , and I think that’s the coolest part of what we’ve been able to do here in Vegas,” Schmidt said. ”You have guys that have been able to revamp their image or revamp their style, and for other guys to grow into the players that people may not have thought they could be.”
Schmidt might have had this success in Washington if he had stuck around. He had begun to assert himself in a pairing with John Carlson, the Caps’ No. 1 defenseman.
”We were playing together last season, and that’s probably how it would have started out again this season,” said Carlson, who led all NHL blueliners this season with 68 points. ”So there’s a little disappointment from that, but obviously he’s done really well for himself. That’s no surprise. I wish him all the best, but not for these next two weeks.”
Schmidt has been particularly effective in the playoffs. Partnered with former Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb in the Knights’ top pairing, Schmidt has provided energy, timely scoring and strong back-end play while Vegas roared past Los Angeles Cheap Baker Mayfield Jersey , San Jose and Winnipeg with just three losses.
Schmidt knows more about the Caps than his teammates, so he realizes the enormity of their task. He’ll lead the Golden Knights’ efforts to minimize Alex Ovechkin’s time and space with the puck.
”He’s a beast,” Schmidt said. ”I played against him in practice for a long time, so hopefully I know a few tendencies of his. But in reality, he’s a player that can shoot the puck from anywhere.”
Schmidt’s unusual perspective on this series is matched only by Vegas general manager George McPhee. Before the Caps fired him in 2014, McPhee acquired many of the players on Washington’s roster – including Schmidt, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota, in 2013.
McPhee acquired him again last summer for Vegas, but Washington general manager Brian MacLellan tried hard to keep him with a post-draft trade. If anybody could have made a deal, it’s these two men, who have known each other for 44 years since their bantam playing days in Guelph Paul Worrilow Color Rush Jersey , Ontario, followed by college careers at Bowling Green and several years together in Washington’s front office.
Not even a childhood friendship could keep Schmidt away from his new destiny in Vegas.
”We made our selection, and then he called and asked if there’s any way we could do a deal for him to get Schmidt back,” McPhee recalled. ”And I said, `I don’t see anything, but we’ll try to come up with something to give you a chance to say no.’ We made a proposal that I didn’t think would work, and it didn’t work. Our guys liked Schmidt.”
—
More Stanley Cup coverage:
Editors:
To help you with planning for NHL free agency on July 1, here are some of our coverage plans. Please direct questions to Dave Zelio (dzelio(at)ap.org). Plans subject to change. All times Eastern.
MONDAY, JUNE 25
HKN–FREE AGENCY-LOOKAHEAD
Movement at the NHL draft sets the stage for one of the most active free agency periods in recent history with John Tavares, Paul Stastny, Ryan O’Reilly www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-dickson-jersey , James van Riemsdyk, James Neal, David Perron, Rick Nash, Thomas Vane, Mike Green, Dan Hamhuis and Ian Cole among those potentially available. They can start speaking with other teams Monday ahead of the market opening July 1. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 700 words, photos.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27
HKN–FREE AGENCY-THINGS TO KNOW
The New York Rangers are expected to be among the most active teams in free agency with a boatload of salary-cap space and aging goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. But they won’t be the only team looking to find top-end talent in a rare free agent pool full of it. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 600 words, file photos by 5 a.m.
FRIDAY, JUNE 29
HKN–FREE AGENCY-NAMES TO WATCH
NHL free agency is top heavy Authentic Sam Darnold Jersey , and the price will be high for the likes of John Tavares, Rick Nash, James Neal and Mike Green if their teams can’t keep them off the market. By Hockey Writer Larry Lage. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, JUNE 30
HKN–FREE AGENCY-GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Vegas Golden Knights are among the NHL teams with the most salary cap space, giving the Western Conference champions some chips to put on the table in a bid to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. By Hockey Writer Larry Lage. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by noon.
SUNDAY, JULY 1
HKN–FREE AGENCY RDP
John Tavares and a host of other players could be in play as free agency opens in the NHL. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 7 p.m. Developing from free agency opening at noon.
With:
– HKN–FREE AGENCY-THE LATEST, real time updates throughout the day.
– Team separates on merit.
AP Sports
.