WINNIPEG - It's been said that word of mouth is the best form of advertising, and it would appear Nate Schmidt's arrival on the Winnipeg Jets roster is just the latest example of that.
Schmidt, acquired on Tuesday from the Vancouver Canucks, waived his modified no-trade clause to come to Winnipeg after talking to players like Paul Stastny and Cody Eakin - two players he was teammates with in Vegas with the Golden Knights.
"(Stastny) and I had a really good relationship in the last couple of years and I still stayed in touch with him, obviously, this last year," said Schmidt. "He's an awesome guy, a straight shooter and he said you get treated really well, the staff and the guys and the organization, they do a great job with players and when you're here you see such a tight group from top to bottom, which is awesome."
Schmidt sees a lot of potential in Jets
"This is going to be a great move for me and for the team."
While he heard rave reviews about the Jets organization and the city of Winnipeg - up until now his only experience with both was the 2018 Western Conference Final - he still needed some time to himself to make sure he was making the best decision he could.
"It wasn't like on Monday it was 'I'm never going to them.' Then Tuesday I said 'Oh, just kidding,'" said Schmidt. "I went up to my hunting land and just was chopping trees down, cutting some trails, just kind of clearing your head and processing everything. Just clear your head and make sure you look at 'this is going to be a great move for me and for the team.'"
Wait, hunting land? It sounds like Schmidt - a product of St. Cloud, Minnesota - will fit in nicely around here.
"It's Minnesota north," laughed Schmidt, who added being close to home was also a positive. "Mom and dad can pop up a little easier now that the borders will be all open. All that stuff this year. All things considered is the reason why we're sitting where we are today."
With the deal done, the energetic defenceman is excited to get started.
He's spoken with both head coach Paul Maurice and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff in the last 24 hours, and despite the fact he's a left-handed shot, he's more than willing to play the right side.
In fact, he feels more comfortable playing on his off side. He's been doing it off-and-on since his college days at the University of Minnesota.
In every NHL stop since - from Washington, to Vegas, to Vancouver - he's played on the right side
"Whatever it takes to get me in the line-up, I'll play. It just evolved from there," said Schmidt. "I think sometimes it's easier to play D on the right side. It's a little harder on some breakout passes, but it's usually easier to play D because your stick is extended to the outside and you don't have to cross your feet over, or cross your body over."
The challenge of playing on the right side as a left-handed shooter is more on the breakout, he says, when he has to make a number of plays on his backhand. He's been able to make those adjustments, though, and now he's focused on bouncing back from a tough year in Vancouver in 2020-21.
His 15 points were a career-low after three straight seasons of more than 30 points. Of course, a shortened season plays a role in that, as does the grueling schedule the Canucks had down the stretch following the pause in their season due to the COVID-19 outbreak within the organization.
"I'm probably my harshest critic on how I play. I know there's more to give and I'm excited about starting fresh with Winnipeg," Schmidt said. "I'm someone that really kind of thrives off of the energy and fans and having that. I think a lot of guy are. And guys realize that more this year than they ever have how important that is to have people in the building."
When the fans are inside Canada Life Centre cheering on Schmidt in his first game in Jets colours, along with recently acquired Brenden Dillon, the blue line will look much different than it did in 2020-21.
Schmidt hasn't heard who Maurice plans to play him with, but he does know one thing - there are plenty of options.
"I just really liked how this is shaping up, how this Jets team is being put together," said Schmidt. "We want guys that want to be here and want to rock and roll and want to win. This is what we're looking for, and that's what I was looking for."
He also appreciates the fact he won't have the job of defending against the Jets forwards he saw last season.
He's more than happy to get those forwards the puck and join the rush, helping his squad get up ice and make things difficult on opponents night after night.
"We have a great team, we have a great group of forwards, a fantastic goaltender, and now our defence is looking like a defence that could, in my opinion, help you win," he said. "That's what makes playing hockey the best job in the world, is being with the guys, getting the energy and playing in front of fans. And having a chance to win, having a chance to win it all."
