Canucks: 3 questions facing Nate Schmidt in 2021

Will Nate Schmidt play on the penalty kill?

Not having Tanev return to the Canucks was a major blow to Vancouver’s penalty kill. For years, Tanev has hovered inside the NHL’s top-five for most blocked shots per game and he did a lot of that shot-blocking on the PK. With him gone, it’ll be interesting to see how the Canucks find ways to be as defensively responsible.

As a player, Schmidt is a lot different than Tanev. The two may play the same position, but the way they go about isn’t similar at all. Tanev is your typical stay-at-home kind of defender, while Schmidt isn’t quite as strong in his own end, but he’s more versatile and well-rounded offensively.

Playing for Vegas last year, Schmidt was often up against the opposition’s best players at five-on-five, but when his team was down a man, Schmidt finished with the fourth-most PK minutes as a defenceman. He was a second unit contributor for Vegas, but the Canucks probably need him to be more than that. It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out next season.

How many points will Schmidt get next year?

Whenever your favourite NHL team makes a trade, it always makes you curious as to how effective that new player will be. Everyone wants to know the same thing. How many points will Schmidt score with the Canucks next season? No matter which way you put it, that’s what everyone wants to know.

As a member of the juggernaut Golden Knights, Schmidt put up the most points of his career last year in terms of points per game. In 59 contests, Schmidt tallied seven goals and 31 total points. It’s a shade over half a point per game, something he can probably shatter if he plays next to Hughes.

Either way, paired with Hughes or not, Schmidt should be the second-highest point producer on Vancouver’s blueline next year. He’s getting paid a smidge under $6 million and the Canucks are expecting him to perform like it. If things go smoothly, 2021 could be a year to remember for Schmidt.

What are your thoughts, Canucks Nation? What other big questions face Schmidt ahead of the 2021 campaign? Comment below and let us know!