Washington Capitals: Nate Schmidt an important part of future

Defenseman Nate Schmidt is an important part of the Washington Capitals future.

After another season without winning the Stanley Cup, the Washington Capitals are in for some changes. Some of those changes will be happening on the blue line. Specifically, it’s highly unlikely unrestricted free agents Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner will return to the team. Several players stand to gain from their departure. Nate Schmidt is definitely one of them.

While John Carlson was out due to injuries, he got chances to play in the top four. And Schmidt definitely impressed in this role. When Alzner got injured in the playoffs, number 88 replaced him. Schmidt did so well, head coach Barry Trotz said he couldn’t take him out. It’s the first time in his career he’s truly earned the trust of his head coach.

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Assuming Schmidt returns next season (there’s a slight chance he could be selected by the Vegas Golden Knights), he’ll be playing a huge role moving forward. In his fourth NHL season (and his second full one), he put up career highs with 17 points in 60 games played. Schmidt did this despite playing in 12 fewer games than he did in 2015-16, when he set his previous career high with 16 points. He also saw his playing time decrease from about 18 minutes a game to just 15:30 per game.

If Trotz is around next season (and that’s not a guarantee), expect Schmidt to get more playing time. Mostly because he likely won’t have much of a choice. Schmidt is excited to prove he can be a top four defenseman. He wasn’t shy during breakdown day.

Schmidt said he feels ready to step into that "ever elusive" top-four role. Thinks he proved himself in the playoffs and made an impact.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) May 12, 2017

Next: End of an Era?

Hopefully he’s able to step into that role for the Washington Capitals. But no matter where he ends up to start next season, Schmidt has earned his chance to be a top four defenseman.