Blackhawks Select C Nick Schmaltz
In the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks traded up to select center Nick Schmaltz.
Nick Schmaltz, C
6-0, 172
Green Bay (USHL)
DOB: 02/23/1996
55 games, 18 goals, 45 assists
The Hawks traded up to pick in front of the Blues, sending an early third round pick to the Sharks to move up to 20. That’s of note because St. Louis selected his older brother, Jordan, in the first round of the 2012 Draft.
Ranked 30th by The Hockey News, who said “University of North Dakota commit may be the most skilled player in draft, but needs a linemate to lead him.” The Hawks have enjoyed great success with one North Dakota player (Jonathan Toews) and drafted North Dakota center Luke Johnson in the fifth round last year; last season’s North Dakota roster also featured defenseman Nick Mattson, a 2010 Chicago pick. Schmaltz is ranked 24th overall by Craig Button and 19th by Central Scouting (just ahead of MacInnis).
His brother, Jordan, is currently at North Dakota. He was named the 2013 World Junior A Challenge Most Valuable Player, and his 12 points (in four games) broke the previous scoring record of 11 shared by Kyle Turris in 2006 and Mike Connolly in 2007. Schmaltz is another college-bound player selected early by Bowman. His NHL.com profile lists his favorite team as the Blackhawks, and favorite player as Patrick Kane.
Looks like an interesting pick. Won’t know until 3 years or so. Sure seems like Oduya and Leddy are staying and that maybe a bargain priced veteran might be added at Center as some point. I believe the Hawks need to make a significant move and I’m sure Stan does too. But the salary cap is biting us in the ass. Honestly, if we don’t go into camp with clear cut improvement at Center that goes beyond crossing fingers on Tueco and hoping Rasmussen is s great find, then honestly it might be a difficult season ahead in terms of legitimate Cup contention. We also better hope Clendening is seriously set to compete for a dman job.
Rufus it isn’t very often I agree with you but I’m with you 100% on your last comment. The team is a 2nd center short of being a real contender this season.
The Bollig signing is sure appearing to be a pain and the Versteeg trade(which I was all for) really has hamstrung the team
I would be willing to bet Steeger looks like a totally different player next year. He will bounce back.
Kinda with it was our 3rd in the deal, no FLA’s but oh well. Schmaltz looks like a good prospect. Should fill out a little over the next 2/3 years, just stinks this is another pick that will take 3-4 years to have any impact to the roster (ala Hayes, if he signs, McNeill, or Danault…)
I’ve said this a lot, but if Shaw is part of the 2nd line and primarily plays Center, and is Smith is playing primarily on the 3rd line, then the Hawks have overall weakness at forward. It’s just that simple. Stan and W know this too. It may be a challenging 2014-15 season. And the spectacle of Toews and Kane getting around $12 m per looms. It really becomes all about the youngsters being invested in coming thru. Sustaining elite status in the NHL has become exponentially harder. As a long time fan and ticket holder who lived with the great early 80s team that had the unfortunate fate of existing in the shadow of the Edmonton dynasty, and who lived thru the JR era of the 90s who had the misfortune of Mario Lemieux and the Pens, I will be eternally grateful for the 2 Cups we DID win in this era. Hoping for more, but it’s going to be tough. And people are delusional of they think 19 and 88 are going to leave a lot of money on the table. Not after the lockout and not with Johnny being a vocal leader within the NHLPA.
Rufus you are right-we need to be thankful for what we have gotten-It’s so easy to want more because we’ve tasted it recently twice.
The Hawks will be one of the top 8 to 10 teams. and fun to watch next year but can’t compete down the middle with the best 2 or 3 teams in the league-it happens! One of the main reasons for the cap in to ensure relative parity and making it quite hard to dominate for a longer stretch.
It’s till kind of frustrating realizing you are probably one top level center with size away from being the favourite to win.
I’m curious how the Oilers do in the next years-some similarity to the BHawks of the recent past but if they don’t tweak in the right way they may have wasted all that futility and those very high picks. This year is a big year for them.
Sorry, I just don’t understand the assumption that the Hawks won’t be able to compete (next season) based on not getting Kesler(?). In my opinion, they have already improved at #2 center by Q not having Handzus as an option. If it were my choice, I would move Versteeg for anything they can get *without retaining any salary*. I wouldn’t mind seeing Rozsival moved, as well. Obviously, if they wish they could get decent value for Oduya.
I’m not the GM – and that’s a good thing. I have faith in Stan Bowman. Things ain’t at all bad.
Schmaltz- will be a very good player…
Here is to Hoping that 88/19 don’t break the bank…
If they do– SB- will have to dump some “Core” players in 2 years… assuming the cap is close to $72-73M
Oduya has been a good integral player for 2 years and only has one year left on a favorable deal. Therefore can’t understand this automatic response by some of you that he would be traded.
Hawks badly need a Center but it isn’t coming. We will have to hope that Teuvo and Danault can seriously develop…and relatively fast. It is what it is.
Pretty much status quo so far…free agent frenzy will bring some changes…cannot count on Regin and Brookbank sticking although both would be ok with me if they did…just feeling a bit gloomy as it “appears” our main competitors are making improvements and moving on….totally believe we have drafted well in the past and the farm is going to add to the team very positively. Hampered by smaller cap limit, Toews and Kane “gotta pay it” big bucks further down the road and weakness down the centre the callups need to be stellar. Some are worried about the defense but not me, think we are exceptional there. Concern for me is if Crawford goes down in the stretch or the playoffs we really become vulnerable. Something has to happen to get under the cap this year. Biggest mistakes are made on the first day of the frenzy and we will have to play the game. Stan pretty cool customer, doubt if he makes a big mistake and Q is going to have to put more trust in his youngsters right off the bing bat and give them ice time. With a bit of good fortune ( no key injuries ala Crawford, Versteeg gets it back, Hossa no decline ) we can still be top dog and not slip against the tide.
RTF, “Oduya has been good…only one year left on a favorable deal…can’t understand this automatic response by some of you that he would be traded.” — if you look at the way Montreal in the 70s (- obviously, different than the Cap era, but fundamentally the same, somewhat) and Detroit the last 20+ years remain competitive every year, it includes moving assets at the “right” time/maximum return. The “good” and “favorable deal” make Oduya an ideal candidate. The same is true for Sharp and Seabrook in the near future (Read: before the 2015 season). Do you remember Tab commenting on “bandaid years” – I think he was getting at this, too – now, the Hawks are in the position to “turn-over” a player or two (about) every year to keep the NHL roster stocked and keep the system rejuvenating developing talent.
I completely agree with you that Oduya has been “integral for 2 years”, but the Cap forces change, so to remain successful, decisions, hopefully the best possible, have to be made. I believe that Stan has been correct nearly all of the time…that is, as far as “who is the best/least detrimental to team success” players to move. (…for example, it would’ve been great to keep Ladd and Byfuglien, but not if it meant moving Sharp, keep Niemi but lose Hjalmarsson, etc.) Some of the acquisitions are certainly “questionable”…Versteeg, Khabibulin, Montador, Campoli, et al – the jury is still out on Rundblad.
The Hawks badly need a center – absolutely. I’m certain they will open next season with (at least) four centers. I believe that Kesler not being their #2 center will not be a “make-or-break” factor. I think everyone here hopes that Teuvo and Danault can seriously develop…and relatively fast, but they probably will not be “rushed”. There’s no doubt in my mind that we will see a very good and competitive (- one of the 3 or 4 favorites), and motivated team. I don’t feel any disappointment. Also, I’m glad they got Schmaltz – sounds like he’ll fit right-in in a few years.
GO HAWKS!!
Good for Schmaltz. He’s probably pinching himself. Can’t say I know much about him though.
We’re in fantastic shape as an organisation. Even if (IF) 65, 28, TT, or perhaps 10 don’t fill our needs at 2C, we can make a trade for what we need at the deadline. If we dump Oduya and Rozy in a trade, we can still clear space and make a splash.
I still say it’s best to see what we have on the roster for three months, get all available information to assess needs, and then make a move. There’s no rush.
Hawks need to plug their young talent into the lineup and play them. Please no more slow veterans on their last legs. Sign Hayes if at all possible and get TT, Morin etc into the lineup and play them so they are ready to go come playoff time. So what if they make some mistakes. PLAY THE YOUNG PLAYERS.
With the Hawks/Kaner being his favorites, the kid has to be in heaven. With what I’ve read about this kid, which is admittedly probably not as much in depth as some of the others here, it sounds like the Hawks got the kid they wanted.
Can’t wait for training camp
Its an excellent pick, as he’s a Centre that can play wing, has perhaps the most talent offensively of the entire bunch in the first round, but needs time to work on his strength and commitment to team defence. He’s just entering North Dakota (Toews alma mater) to join his brother Jordan and will be ready in about 4 years…good for the Hawks in many ways. And ND is a particularly good college for Schmaltz as they teach commitment to team defence.
Now as for moving Oduya, its very easy to understand why…we must have the CAP space…and while Oduya has given us good service, he’s not great, and is weak under the consistent forecheck of teams like the Kings…but even more than that, we can replace him internally with homegrown prospects that are ready to roll and shouldn’t be held back any longer. Klas Dahlbeck has proven everything he needs to in the AHL, he needs to play in the NHL. Clendening is ready as well, although he might come up part way through the season…with Oduya gone and Dahlbeck up, we get younger, stronger and cheaper in a hurry…its time for Oduya to go. If you still don’t understand this, I can’t help you.
For those that didn’t believe it, as I speculated, the Nuckleheads wanted more from the Hawks than other suitors had to give…and while Bonino is a good young player, he’s no Brandon Saad, and doesn’t project like TT…and this is what the Canucks demanded from the Hawks and didn’t waiver…when you are the #1 team in the world, you are held to a higher standard by everyone…as Tab has said, the ideal pick ups for the Hawks would be Spezza (because he would be here for one year) or Stastny (as he is the ideal Hawk player and “family” with Marian Hossa). The question simply is, how would Bowman make either of these work with a $69 million Cap?
Pete, I agree with you…its time to let the kids matriculate, let Q teach, and move forward. Dahlbeck and Clendening should both be brought up this year and players like Morin and Smith shouldn’t have their ice time restricted by grizzled veterans like a Handzus or sub par players like Bollig.
But the thing is Oduya looks like he is staying. And Statsny is a complete pipe dream because he flat out can’t fit with the cap. I would also think Rasmussen is viewed as the replacement to the Regin role and that Brookbank isn’t coming back.
A $69 million cap has pretty much sealed the fate of roster moves that might have been expected otherwise. The Hawks are simply going to have to make it work with what they have. Which means I see 2014-15 being a bit of a challenging season. Sure we will make the playoffs again. But legitimate Cup contention? That’s more of a stretch to see. Possible? Absolutely given the overall talent. But not highly probable next season would be my unvarnished assessment as of this moment.
Brad- Luv ya… BUT the Hawks are no longer the #1 team…
To add- while moving #27 this year – Hawks can grab a 2nd C for next year…
the REAL problem is when 88/19 new contract + Saad kicks in!!!!!!
If the Cap doesn’t go up $6-7M… the Hawks are FU****
They will have to move 1 or 2 of #10,29,7,81… Penguins 2.0!!!!!!
The Only ways things look OK in 2015-16…
1) cap goes up to $75M+
2) 88/19 sign for less than $9M
3) at least 2 guys/prospects BLOOM into stars (like Saad/Shaw at least) in less than two years!!!
4) or any combination of above
“Oduya looks like he is staying” – based on…..?
The threat of Pittsburgh 2.0 is very real. And coupled with that we have to address the likely decline of Hossa, Sharp and even Seabrook. I said this a bunch of times, but Toews and Kane are not going to leave big money on the table. Especially Toews given his prominent role with the NHLPA during the lockout hell.
So what it really boils down to are the youngsters hitting on nearly all cylinders. Sharp and Seabrook will most definitely be moved in a year because there really will be no other choice.
Seems like for 2014-15 that Bowman will keep what he’s got and see what happens. Then next offseason we see new contracts for Toews, Kane and Saad kick in while removing Sharp, Oduya, probably Seabrook, and probably a few other pieces that become a tad too rich to keep around even though they are invariable contributors (eg, Kruger).
“The threat of Pittsburgh 2.0 is very real.” – this indicates that you’re clueless.
PIT fell apart because they had to pay Crosby & Malkin before the lockout/cap froze. And they grossly overpaid a mediocre goalie and a mediocre defenseman. But those issues can be overcome if an organization drafts well – and PIT has not done that.
In Saad & Shaw, the Hawks have had more picks make an impact from ONE draft class than PIT has had since Staal. Chicago’s organizational depth makes the concerns about becoming PIT 2.0 minimal at best
“the Nuckleheads wanted more from the Hawks than other suitors had to give…” – WHY/HOW does this make sense? They trade an major asset to a team in their own division at a “discount” specifically to not move him to a team in the Central division. By helping Anaheim Benning really taught the Hawks a lesson?
Dickie, the Hawks and Nucks have a rivalry that really stings Vancouverites…again, I was born there, I have family there who are Canuck fans…the Nucks have NEVER been accused of being a smart organization, and clearly taking less in deal to keep a player away from a bitter rival, may be not be the smartest thing to do, but then again, we don’t know what the Hawks were asking, we only only what the Canucks stubbornly held to in their asking.
Oduya not being traded now means little…next year’s draft has been identified already as being “better” than this year’s group of prospects…plus by taking picks in the following draft, you usually get more than by asking for picks in the current draft. Bowman won’t be getting players for Oduya, likely only picks, and right now our picks need to WAIT for their shots.
Wall, I hear you…but I still think we are tied with the Kings for the best team, and now perhaps better because Zus and Bollig are gone…I have high expectations for Morin, as you know, and I really believe that with a group of Toews, Shaw, Smith, Kruger and Regin as Centre options next season, we will beat the Kings. For me the key is getting rid of Oduya and promoting Dahlbeck from day one…by the playoffs, Dahlbeck could already become a stud, stay at home DMan.
But I agree, no matter what Bowman says, the $69 million figure must have been a blow to him, as it now becomes very unlikely for the 2015-16 that the CAP hits $75 million which is an important number for the Hawks with Toews, Kane, and Saad’s contracts hitting the books. But I also think that the announcement of $69 million yesterday might actually help the Hawks in the long run, because I believe now that Toews/Kane will HAVE to take $9 or thereabouts to make this work…and that’s a reduced figure over a likely 8 year period.
Teams like Buffalo are positioned to suck up picks to take dead weight contracts. Could be a landing spot for Oduya in the wake of the Ehrhoff buyout
There is no way we could be like PIT 2.0. PIT doesn’t have a fully stocked bar (farm), we do. BOS is not going to be able to keep some important players (more then us). Only LOS is as deep/deeper then us and that’s included Hands & Bollig.
We are setup for 7-10yrs, not the next 3 or so only.
We could use a center though. We could easily sign Stastny and keep him for 7 yrs but that would mean 10 or 7 and more elc guys on 23man.
Remember that Rozy 2.2, Oduya 3.3, Vertseeg 2.2 will probably be not on roster. That 7.7m will cover a lot of 19/88/20 raises.