Hockey Terminal
Be a GM

← All players

Photo of Nate Schmidt

Nate Schmidt

#88 · Defence · Utah Mammoth

Born Jul 16, 1991 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA (age 35) · 6'0", 197 lb · Shoots left

Trophy case

Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2024-25

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2019-20. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Mark Giordano CGY · 31 P in 60 GP Filip Hronek DET · 31 P in 65 GP Josh Morrissey WPG · 31 P in 65 GP Damon Severson NJD · 31 P in 69 GP John Klingberg DAL · 32 P in 58 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

01020302013-14: 6 points613-142014-15: 4 points414-152015-16: 16 points1615-162016-17: 17 points1716-172017-18: 36 points3617-182018-19: 30 points3018-192019-20: 31 points3119-202020-21: 15 points1520-212021-22: 32 points3221-222022-23: 19 points1922-232023-24: 14 points1423-242024-25: 19 points1924-252025-26: 22 points2225-262026-27: 1 points126-27

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2013-14 WSH 29 2 4 6 4 6 41 18 0.21 $925K
2014-15 WSH 39 1 3 4 -2 10 40 34 0.10 $625K
2015-16 WSH 72 2 14 16 12 16 80 69 0.22 $813K
2016-17 WSH 60 3 14 17 22 16 60 51 0.28 $813K
2017-18 VGK 76 5 31 36 19 16 103 41 0.47 $2.225M
2018-19 VGK 61 9 21 30 22 8 112 37 0.49 $2.225M
2019-20 VGK 59 7 24 31 11 12 112 25 0.53 $5.95M
2020-21 VAN 54 5 10 15 -7 4 76 15 0.28 $5.95M
2021-22 WPG 77 4 28 32 -4 10 117 37 0.42 $5.95M
2022-23 WPG 71 7 12 19 15 8 101 45 0.27 $5.95M
2023-24 WPG 63 2 12 14 10 16 75 66 0.22 $5.95M
2024-25 FLA 80 5 14 19 4 30 70 82 0.24 $800K
2025-26 UTA 82 5 17 22 31 22 86 78 0.27 $3.5M
2026-27 UTA 6 0 1 1 0 0 8 10 0.17 $3.5M
14 seasons Career 829 57 205 262 137 174 1081 608 0.32

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2015-16 WSH 10 0 1 1 -3 2 7 14 0.10
2016-17 WSH 11 1 3 4 6 4 17 8 0.36
2017-18 VGK 20 3 4 7 7 4 38 18 0.35
2018-19 VGK 7 0 4 4 2 2 9 1 0.57
2019-20 VGK 17 1 5 6 -1 0 56 21 0.35
2022-23 WPG 5 0 2 2 -2 0 10 4 0.40
2023-24 WPG 3 1 0 1 -5 0 4 4 0.33
2024-25 FLA 23 3 9 12 9 4 26 35 0.52
2025-26 UTA 6 0 1 1 2 2 8 5 0.17
9 seasons Playoffs 102 9 29 38 15 18 175 110 0.37

2019-20 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
59 7 24 31 11 12 112 25 0.53 6.3 21:41

Contract

$5.95MCap hitends in 2026, then UFA
$192KCap dollars per point31 points in 59 games
$3.224MCap dollars per goal above replacement1.8 goals above replacement
$2.2MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$3.7MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 668 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct 25, 2018, as an extension of the contract he was on: 6 years and $35.7M, beginning in 2019-20. It was signed to run through 2024-25, but the Winnipeg Jets bought it out on Jun 30, 2024, after 2023-24.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2019-20 $5.95M $6.8M $2M $8.8M M-NTC
2020-21 $5.95M $6.1M $0 $6.1M M-NTC
2021-22 $5.95M $6M $0 $6M M-NTC
2022-23 $5.95M $5M $0 $5M M-NTC
2023-24 $5.95M $4.95M $0 $4.95M M-NTC

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Jul 1, 2025 Utah Mammoth New contract 2025-26 to 2027-28 3 $10.5M $3.5M
Jul 3, 2024 Florida Panthers New contract 2024-25 to 2024-25 1 $800K $800K
Oct 25, 2018 Vegas Golden Knights Extension bought out by the Winnipeg Jets, Jun 30, 2024 2019-20 to 2023-24 6 $35.7M $5.95M
Aug 5, 2017 Vegas Golden Knights New contract 2017-18 to 2018-19 2 $4.45M $2.225M
Jun 17, 2015 Washington Capitals Extension 2015-16 to 2016-17 2 $1.625M $813K
Jul 13, 2014 Washington Capitals New contract 2014-15 to 2014-15 1 $625K $625K
Apr 2, 2013 Washington Capitals Entry-level 2012-13 to 2013-14 2 $2.7M $925K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2019-20 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2019-20 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+2.4Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
+0.4Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+1.1Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence+0.9Even-strength defence-0.6Power play+0.1Penalty kill+0.2Penalties+0.5

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. A playoff run is too short to rank anyone on. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

02468102013-142015-162017-182019-202021-222023-242025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

59.1Corsi for %358 attempts for, 248 against
+0.2CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
58.9Expected goals for %16.4 expected for, 11.4 against
-4.3xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
60.4Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
46.2Goals for %12 for, 14 against
95.0PDO6.2% shooting + 88.8% saves
78Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 192 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Brayden McNabb · Nate Schmidt17241:4058.661.79-13
Alec Martinez · Nate Schmidt1516:5154.541.50-1
Nate Schmidt · Shea Theodore1315:5569.462.12-0
Nate Schmidt · Zach Whitecloud1212:3843.549.40-0

The pairs he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's pairs that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

1Goalsnot counting empty-netters
3.1Expected goalsfrom 74 unblocked attempts
-2.1Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.48 expected goals per 60 minutes97th
Shot quality 4.2% chance per attempt89th
Finishing -2.1 goals above expected1stOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 70 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

0123Expected 3.1Goals 1

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took in these playoffs, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Mar 9, 2020 @ EDM W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 22:50
Mar 8, 2020 @ CGY W 5-3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 21:44
Mar 6, 2020 @ WPG L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 0 4 0 21:26
Mar 3, 2020 vs NJD W 3-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 17:50
Mar 1, 2020 vs LAK L 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 22:58
Feb 28, 2020 vs BUF W 4-2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 20:20
Feb 26, 2020 vs EDM W 3-0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 23:00
Feb 23, 2020 @ ANA W 6-5 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 22:25
Feb 22, 2020 vs FLA W 5-3 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 22:31
Feb 20, 2020 vs TBL W 5-3 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 20:19
Feb 17, 2020 vs WSH W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 20:53
Feb 15, 2020 vs NYI W 1-0 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 23:06
Feb 13, 2020 vs STL W 6-5 (OT) 1 0 1 -1 0 2 2 19:41
Feb 11, 2020 @ MIN L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 24:09
Feb 8, 2020 vs CAR L 5-6 (SO) 0 2 2 0 0 2 1 22:29
Feb 6, 2020 @ FLA W 7-2 1 1 2 1 0 5 1 25:05
Feb 4, 2020 @ TBL L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 19:56
Feb 1, 2020 @ NSH W 3-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 22:49
Jan 31, 2020 @ CAR W 4-3 1 0 1 3 0 2 0 21:26
Jan 21, 2020 @ BOS L 2-3 0 2 2 -1 0 1 1 24:03
Jan 18, 2020 @ MTL L 4-5 (SO) 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0 26:41
Jan 16, 2020 @ OTT W 4-2 0 1 1 3 2 2 0 18:26
Jan 14, 2020 @ BUF L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21:28
Jan 11, 2020 vs CBJ L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 22:20
Jan 9, 2020 vs LAK L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 21:06
Jan 7, 2020 vs PIT L 3-4 0 1 1 -1 0 3 0 20:09
Jan 4, 2020 vs STL W 5-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 22:47
Jan 2, 2020 vs PHI W 5-4 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 20:41
Dec 31, 2019 vs ANA W 5-2 0 1 1 2 0 3 0 19:49
Dec 28, 2019 vs ARI W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 21:06
Dec 27, 2019 @ ANA L 3-4 2 0 2 2 2 2 0 22:42
Dec 23, 2019 vs COL L 3-7 0 1 1 2 2 4 0 23:31
Dec 22, 2019 @ SJS W 3-1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 24:45
Dec 19, 2019 @ VAN L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 24:56
Dec 17, 2019 vs MIN W 3-2 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 18:21
Dec 15, 2019 vs VAN W 6-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 20:05
Dec 13, 2019 @ DAL W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 25:05
Dec 12, 2019 @ STL L 2-4 0 1 1 -2 0 2 0 22:19
Dec 10, 2019 vs CHI W 5-1 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 18:43
Dec 8, 2019 vs NYR L 0-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 17:39
Dec 5, 2019 @ NYI L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 22:26
Dec 3, 2019 @ NJD W 4-3 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 24:02
Dec 2, 2019 @ NYR W 4-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 19:45
Nov 29, 2019 vs ARI W 2-1 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 23:06
Nov 27, 2019 @ NSH W 4-3 (OT) 0 2 2 2 0 1 0 25:36
Nov 25, 2019 @ DAL L 2-4 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 23:20
Nov 23, 2019 vs EDM L 2-4 0 0 0 -2 0 3 1 22:21
Nov 21, 2019 vs SJS L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 4 0 21:51
Nov 19, 2019 vs TOR W 4-2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 21:07
Nov 17, 2019 vs CGY W 6-0 0 4 4 2 0 1 0 19:35
Nov 16, 2019 @ LAK L 3-4 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 23:20
Nov 13, 2019 vs CHI L 3-5 1 0 1 -2 0 2 0 20:24
Nov 10, 2019 @ DET L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 21:41
Nov 9, 2019 @ WSH L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 5 0 20:44
Nov 7, 2019 @ TOR L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 26:59
Nov 5, 2019 @ CBJ W 2-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 24:18
Nov 2, 2019 vs WPG L 3-4 (OT) 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 23:16
Oct 31, 2019 vs MTL L 4-5 (OT) 0 1 1 -2 2 5 2 20:20
Oct 2, 2019 vs SJS W 4-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 03:11