TORONTO — When Martin Necas signed his recent extension with the Colorado Avalanche last week, the natural reaction from many around the NHL was to wonder what it would mean for the likes of pending unrestricted free agents Adrian Kempe and Alex Tuch.
To which an NHL team executive asked me, “What about Nick Schmaltz?”
Yeah, what about Nick Schmaltz? And why isn’t he getting the same kind of attention as some other pending UFAs?
The 29-year-old forward leads the surprising Utah Mammoth in goals and points, after all, with eight and 18 in 14 games.
He’s essentially been a 20-goal, 60-point guy the past four years but has exploded out of the gates this season and is on pace for a career year.
“He’s one of the most underrated players, I think, in the league,” Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander told The Athletic this week. “He’s unbelievable, actually.”
Nick Schmaltz has scored between 58 and 63 points the past four seasons. This season, he’s on pace for 105. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Nylander and Schmaltz have remained close pals since playing together on the 2010-11 Chicago Mission Bantam AAA team — on a line with Philadelphia Flyers center Christian Dvorak. Imagine that trio coming at you in Bantam.
“We were unstoppable, it felt like,” Nylander said with a smile. “We were just on fire.”
Um, yeah. Nylander put up 34 goals and 61 points in 29 games that season, Schmaltz had 24 and 55 in 27 games and Dvorak 10 and 24 in 22.
“It was unreal,” Schmaltz recalled with a smile. “Just crazy to look back at it and see where we’re at now. We were super close off the ice. I was from Madison (Wisconsin), so I would come to Chicago to play and stay with Dvorak or Nylander.
“We dominated pretty good. It was a lot of fun.”
Three years later at the 2014 NHL draft, Nylander would go No. 8 to Toronto, Schmaltz No. 20 to the Chicago Blackhawks and Dvorak No. 58 to the Arizona Coyotes.
With Nylander signed long-term in Toronto and Dvorak leaving Montreal for Philadelphia in free agency last summer, it’s Schmaltz’s turn to make some big decisions over the coming year. His seven-year deal carrying a $5.85 million cap hit expires after the season.
“I try not to think about it too much,” Schmaltz said of his pending free agency. “But obviously it’s on your mind at some point. You just let the agent do his thing. Just play hard every night and everything should take care of itself. That’s where I’m at.’’
There haven’t been any meaningful negotiations to date, interestingly. The Mammoth have chosen to be patient with it.
“But I think we’ve been very clear with the agent and with the player on our understanding of where we are right now and where we’re moving to,” Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said, confirming the quiet state of negotiations on an extension with Schmaltz’s camp, led by veteran agent Kurt Overhardt. “I do think there’s been a lot of clarity and transparency about where we’re at now. I think it’s in a good spot, and I’ll tell you why: He’s leading the team in points, and we’re winning. We’ve been clear with our message.”
The message from the team is essentially that if Schmaltz can help Utah get over that playoff hump this season, and he’s a big part of things, then those contract talks will take care of themselves.
“The big theme this year for him is that he’s got to get us into the playoffs and help us win in the playoffs,” Armstrong said.
Whatever the case, Schmaltz certainly hasn’t let any of it affect him. He’s on fire to start the season — a man possessed.
“I’ve been so impressed with Nick, with his growth every single year,” Armstrong said. “Just a little bit better, a little bit better, a little better. I like the fact that he went home in the summer and put a lot of time in, in getting better. That was a big thing for us. When he left last year, we walked through where we’d like him to get better and explained, ‘Hey this is where we’d like to see you play, and this is your role. You need to work on these key elements of your game.’
“I felt like there was an awakening for the first time, where he went home and trained. I had a coffee with him midway through the summer, and I was impressed with his mindset and his thought process. My main thing I always tell the guys, and they get sick of this, ‘Confidence comes from source.’ His source of confidence came from the amount of work he did in the summer. That’s why you see him doing what he’s doing now. He’s put the time in.”
Schmaltz’s offseason training has paid dividends. That was the goal: to go next-level with his game.
“I just want to continue to get better every year, and I feel like I’ve been pretty good the last couple of years, but I still thought there was another level for me to get to and I could be a high-end player,” Schmaltz said. “So I really focused on that. I did some different stuff off the ice as far as workouts and training.”
He worked with skills coach Jonathan Sigalet, for one.
“Just doing some video stuff and different areas off the ice where top guys like to hang out and their tendencies — learning from high-end guys,” Schmaltz said of the skills work. “I think having a great team to start the year also helps. We’ve got four lines that know their roles and identity, and it makes it easier on everyone.’’
He’s been a solid top-six guy for many years. Now he wants more.
“That’s the goal,” he said. “Obviously, it’s still early and there’s lots of hockey left. Having a lot of fun. When you’re winning, it gets everyone’s confidence higher out there. Just trying to enjoy the ride.”
Nylander couldn’t say enough about his pal’s overall game.
“Without the puck, he does a great job,” he said. “With the puck, the way he sees the ice — he makes those small, little plays, gets people to come toward him and feeds someone else that’s open. I’m not surprised he’s leading the team in scoring, because he has an unbelievable shot and he’s going to find those soft areas. I told him before he should shoot more. Now he’s shooting at least.”
Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny said there are a few components to Schmaltz’s impressive opening month of the season.
“First, I think his line (with Clayton Keller and Barrett Hayton) is playing really good,” Tourigny said. “Second, his effort, his inside game, reloading, both sides of the puck — he produces offensively, but he does a lot of good things defensively as well. So I’m really proud of him for that. And I think we’re more balanced as a team, and that balances (opposing matchups) a little bit, so that helps everybody.
“But his focus and consistency so far is elite.”
Schmaltz isn’t a rah-rah guy. He’s got a calm demeanor. But that shouldn’t be misinterpreted.
“Nick can be misunderstood in that he’s a quiet guy, but probably nobody cares more underneath,” Armstrong said. “You have to know him to appreciate him. And you have to understand how much he cares behind the scenes.”
What Schmaltz cares about now is playing his first playoff game since his rookie season in Chicago in 2016-17. Those Arizona years were tough. The move to Utah has been unreal. Now comes the most important part.
“It’s fun to see ownership go all-in on us, and we’re trying to repay the favor,” Schmaltz said. “Playoff hockey would definitely be fun. It’s been a long time for me.”