Nate Schmidt, Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers, has signed a three-year contract with the Utah Mammoth, worth $3.5 million annually.
Last June, the Winnipeg Jets terminated Schmidt’s contract, even though a six-year contract worth $5.95 million annually that he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018 was still in effect.
The termination of the contract by Winnipeg made Schmidt an unrestricted free agent, leading to Florida signing him to a one-year contract for $800,000, with the intention that the Panthers would have another option among the top six.
The investment paid off when Schmidt reached the 80-game mark for the first time in his career, scoring five goals and 19 points, while averaging 16:31 minutes of ice time, with the Panthers finishing third in the Atlantic Division.
Although his regular season contributions gave the Panthers another daily defensive option, it was in the postseason where Schmidt enjoyed some of the most solid performances of his career.
The 33-year-old player, who turns 34 this month, had three goals and 12 points in 23 games, helping the Panthers win a consecutive Stanley Cup against the Edmonton Oilers, with this year’s series ending in six games.
The Florida salary cap situation raised the possibility that they might not be able to afford Schmidt. This became reality on Monday when the club signed Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand to long-term deals.
This opened the door for Schmidt to reach an agreement with the Mammoth, which will see him join what appears to be a group of six high-level players including Ian Cole, Sean Durzi, Olli Maatta, John Marino, Mikhail Sergachev, and Juuso Valimaki.
