When Nate Schmidt was evaluating free agency options this offseason, two big points stood atop his criteria: a system he fit into and a winning culture. That mindset led him from Winnipeg to South Florida, joining the Florida Panthers and returning to the tutelage of coach Paul Maurice.
“I really loved the idea of joining this team and this energy and this group,” he said. “I love that about Paul and I love that about how he treats his teams.”
Schmidt signed a one-year contract with the Panthers after spending the last three seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. He logged 65 points and a plus-minus rating of plus-21 while with the Jets. He spent part of his first year with Winnipeg under Maurice before the now-Panthers coach stepped away from the team in December 2021.
“I had a chance now to come back full circle again,” Schmidt said. “That style and that type of accountability he holds his team to. … That’s what I was looking for in free agency.”
The 11-year veteran had a solid 2023-24 season with the Jets, scoring 14 points and maintaining a plus-10 rating as Winnipeg finished with the second-best points total in the Western Conference. He and the team would sputter out in the playoffs, losing in five games to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. Schmidt had just one point and dropped to a minus-5 rating in the series.
Schmidt hasn’t been to a conference final since his 2019-20 season with the Vegas Golden Knights. He said he hopes to reach those levels and more with a Florida team that has the second-best odds to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
“You don’t realize you have it until it’s gone, and this team has it,” he said. “I told the guys when I talked to them, ‘Just give me a taste, a taste of what you guys are having now. I just want to be a part of that.’ ”
Schmidt will have an opportunity to fill in a big defensive role with Florida both in even-strength, penalty kill and power-play situations. The Panthers lost key defensive players in Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Josh Mahura and more.
Despite being primed for an important role with the team, Schmidt said he’s ready to compete at training camp and will take on whatever role the team gives him.
“There’s a lot of defensemen going to camp … you’re gonna have to grind out a spot again,” he said. “No matter how many games you’ve played and how many playoff teams you’ve been a part of, good teams you’ve been a part of. It doesn’t mean much until you get there.”
With offseason and preseason activities around the corner, Schmidt is motivated to cement himself as a part of Florida’s defensive core.
“It’s an excellent core group with a great [defensive] core and just say, ‘Hey, I can help contribute … on a team that just won the cup,’ ” he said. “That’s a very enticing feeling. … This group has the pieces, now it’s time for me to jump on board and get ready to go.”
