Canucks: Where could Nate Schmidt go? Part one

Vancouver Canucks fans had an intriguing start to July when it came to one of their newest defenceman.

The news first broke on Thursday morning, with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period dropping this tweet:

This was later reiterated by Rick Dhaliwal on Friday afternoon during The Donnie and Dhali show.

With reports of Nate Schmidt being unhappy in Vancouver after just one season, General Manager Jim Benning will be tasked with trying to move the top-four defender if the rumours are indeed true. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has four more years remaining on his contract, with an annual cap hit of $5.95 million per season.

Schmidt is coming off one of the more disappointing seasons of his career so far, putting up five goals and 10 assists at even strength, zero points on the man-advantage and one assist on the penalty-kill.

Some might say that this was just an off year for Schmidt, especially given the circumstances. On the other hand, others might argue that this could be an early sign that Schmidt won’t pan out as expected. If the latter turns out to be true, the Canucks’ front office should definitely all of this into consideration. In this case, a trade would not only satisfy the player, but also the team and its defensive plan moving forward.

This week, The Canuck Way is going to explore possible trade options for Schmidt, and what the Canucks could get in return.

Trade proposal #1

Vancouver trades

• Nate Schmidt
• Olli Juolevi

Detroit trades

• Troy Stecher

Before we dive into this one, it should be noted that Schmidt has a modified no-trade clause where he can list 10 teams that he won’t be traded to. One can assume that Detroit will be on this list as they won’t likely be a playoff team any time soon but, for the sake of this conversation, let’s say the Red Wings would be excluded from that list.

In this situation, Detroit receives a prospect in Juolevi, who is ready to play more minutes and prove his potential as a fifth overall pick from the 2016 draft. They also receive a veteran blueliner in Schmidt, who is looking to have a bounce back season.

Vancouver receives a familiar face in Stecher, who was a fan favorite during his stint as a Canuck for four seasons.

For a rebuilding team like Detroit, this trade makes sense because they have a projected $48.15 million in cap space. Adding Nate Schmidt’s contract will help them reach the cap floor and, in return for taking that contract, they also receive a young defenceman ready for opportunity.

In Vancouver’s case, this trade opens up cap space for them to address the many holes on their roster. With Stecher coming back, the team also knows what he can do. Stecher made a difference in Detroit this past season, even though the team finished poorly in the standings, and could do the same if he returned to Vancouver.

It also wouldn’t be totally out of the blue if you factor in some analytics. Below is a  “WAR” (Wins above replacement) comparison with current and former Canucks blueliners, including Stecher and Schmidt.

As said earlier, Schmidt might not be the fit that everyone was expecting him to be in Vancouver, and should see his overall play improve on another team, so long as they allow him to utilize his strengths. Looking ahead to next season, and assuming that Detroit still won’t be a playoff team, Schmidt would have the opportunity to bounce back with the Red Wings, and could even attract a playoff team at the deadline.

Whatever the Canucks end up doing, it is another acquisition to add to a list of many that Benning may have to take care of this offseason.

What are your thoughts on this possible trade to move Schmidt? Let us know in the comments!