Coyotes Confident Schmaltz Can Help Produce Offense

GLENDALE --Coyotes General Manager John Chayka had wanted to add forward Nick Schmaltz to the roster for some time. Late Sunday, after a 6-1 loss to Calgary on home ice, Chayka pulled the trigger on a two-for-one trade with Chicago and brought Schmaltz into the mix.
"He's a guy that has top-line potential," Chayka said Monday morning. "Speed, skill, creativity … Obviously he's a right shot, which we need. He can play center, he can play wing. When he's playing center, he's an elite skater and can really push the pace from the middle of the ice. I think that adds another element and dimension to our team that we've been missing. Our offense hasn't been what we would have hoped through a quarter of the season, so hopefully he can give us a boost in that regard."

Schmaltz, 22, has notched 29 goals and 62 assists 162 NHL games, all with Chicago, which drafted him 20th overall in 2014.
"It was a shock," Schmaltz said of the trade, in which Arizona sent recent first-round draft picks Brendan Perlini and Dylan Strome to the Blackhawks. "But at the same time, I know a lot of players on the Coyotes so it's really exciting. It's a young group, and a lot of skill up front, so I'm really excited to get started."

Chayka said giving up Perlini and Strome was necessary to get a player of Schmaltz's caliber.
"He's played center and he's put up 20 goals and 50 points (in one season) at that position," Chayka said. "I certainly think he's proficient there ... That versatility is certainly valuable and the fact that this guy can play both is important. He's a good centerman so we'll start him there."
Schmaltz, who is from Madison, Wisc., and who competed for two seasons at the University of North Dakota, is prepared to play anywhere Head Coach Rick Tocchet decides to utilize him.
"I've always been a center growing up and in college, then I've kind of played both in Chicago," Schmaltz said. "I don't really have a preference, but I'm probably a little more comfortable at center just because I've always played it and I'm more used to it. I like using my speed up through the middle of the ice, making plays and kicking it out to the wingers and stuff like that. But I'm comfortable playing any position, so wherever I fit in, I'm going to make the most of it."

The Coyotes on Monday departed Arizona for a two-game road trip that begins at Minnesota on Tuesday and concludes at Nashville on Thursday. Schmaltz is expected to join the team in Minnesota on Tuesday morning. As he did with the Blackhawks, he'll wear sweater No. 8.
"It's pretty exciting to hear that Arizona has been trying to get me for the past year," Schmaltz said. "The Hawks got some pretty good players in return ... I'm excited to get going here. They have a lot of faith in me and they wanted me on the team, so I'm going to do everything to help out the team and play as hard as I can."

Observers have noted that Schmaltz likes to pass the puck more than shoot it.
"I think I've gotten better at it over the last couple of years," Schmaltz said. "That's the type of player I am. I like to set up guys, make plays, and find open guys, but there's going to be times where I should definitely shoot the puck. I'm still working on that, but at the same time I've just got to play my game and read the play."
Schmaltz already has many friends on the Coyotes roster including Christian Fischer, Clayton Keller, Vinnie Hinostroza, Richard Panik, and Niklas Hjalmarsson. He's also good pals with injured center Christian Dvorak, with whom he played on a line for three years during their youth hockey days in Chicago.
"It's nice to have guys to hang out with away from the rink and go out to dinner with on the road," Schmaltz said. "They will definitely help me get adjusted and I'm really excited to see everyone and meet everyone."

In addition to trading for Schmaltz, the Coyotes on Monday recalled forward Mario Kempe from their American Hockey League affiliate in Tucson to provide depth at forward.
Tocchet is eager to see how the other Coyotes respond to Sunday's trade.
"I think sometimes when you make a trade at certain points in the season, for whatever reason - even when teams are going good, some teams make a trade - it kind of wakes up a lot of guys," Tocchet said.
With a 9-11-2 record after 22 games, Chayka said the time was right for Sunday's blockbuster trade.
"Certainly the recent performance of the team and the players is a part of it," Chayka said. "Obviously, a move of this magnitude is not done in isolation or in a vacuum, it's done with the whole body of work in consideration. I think we owe it to our fans. We're still in the hunt here. We still have an opportunity in this (Pacific) division to compete. For whatever reason, we haven't been able to produce as much offense as we need to and we think this makes us a better offensive team. It's not on one player, it's not on those two players (traded), but this is where we're starting. We're looking to improve our group and, again, we feel we owe it to our fans."