Currently, the Utah Hockey Club hold a record of 8-10-3 in its inaugural season. Through the team’s first 21 games, forward Nick Schmaltz has assisted on 15 goals and has failed to find the back of the net. Although the 28-year-old is known for his playmaking abilities, it’s not looking like he will match his back-to-back 22-goal seasons. With that in mind, it’s time to review his scoring troubles this season.
Schmaltz’s Career in Arizona
On Nov. 25, 2018, the Arizona Coyotes acquired Schmaltz from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini. Since becoming a Coyote, he has been a 40 to 60-point scorer.
Related: Reviewing the Coyotes’ Trade for Nick Schmaltz
When healthy, the 6-foot, 184-pounder has developed chemistry with Utah’s captain, Clayton Keller. The connection has been evident in terms of Schmaltz’s offensive production: 59 points in 63 games (2021-22), 58 points in 63 games (2022-23) and a career-high 61 points in 79 games (2023-24).
Breaking Down Schmaltz’s Play This Season
The North Dakota product’s team-leading 15 helpers can be considered misleading. Schmaltz’s seven secondary assists are tied for the UHC’s team-best with Keller and Logan Cooley. Therefore, he has eight primary, 11 even-strength and four power-play assists this season.
In terms of goal-scoring, Schmaltz ranks last on Utah in goals above expected with a minus-4.4 rating. While some could question if he is shooting the puck less, he is fourth on the team in shots on goal (SOG) with 41. His 4.5 expected goals rank him tied for fifth-best on the UHC. Overall, the right-hand shot has put himself in a position to score early in the season.
Schmaltz and his teammates’ lack of scoring has them tied for 11th worst in goals for per game at 2.71.
“Myself included, maybe just gripping the stick a little bit too tight,” Schmaltz said after the team’s 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. “Have to have a little bit more poise and confidence with the puck when you get those grade-A opportunities.”
Line Combinations Featuring Schmaltz
Here are the four line combinations Schmaltz has played on this season:
Clayton Keller — Barrett Hayton — Nick Schmaltz — 13 games
Matias Maccelli — Barrett Hayton — Nick Schmaltz — four games
Clayton Keller — Nick Bjugstad — Nick Schmaltz — three games
Alex Kerfoot — Barrett Hayton — Nick Schmaltz — one game
The Blackhawks’ 2014 first-round pick is also on the team’s top power-play unit. It seems Utah’s head coach André Tourigny is trying to replace the line’s success from the 2022-23 season featuring Keller, Hayton and Schmaltz. This line ranked ninth best in the NHL during 2022-23 with an expected goals for of 26.6. The connection also sparked Keller to notch an 86-point season, tying Keith Tkachuk for most points in a single season in Coyotes’ history. Hayton also benefitted from the two and recorded his best offensive season, highlighted by his career-high 43-point campaign.
Analyzing Schmaltz’s Season Via NHL EDGE
One reason why Schmaltz hasn’t lit the lamp this season could be because of his shot speed; his 56.33 average shot speed in mph is roughly equivalent to the league average of 56.84. Or how about his above-league-average high-danger shots? Thirteen of his 41 shots this season have come within the goal crease or in-tight slot area compared to a league average of 9.3.
Offensive zone time hasn’t been a potential cause either: His 46.3% of his time-on-ice in the O-zone slots him in the 91st percentile in the NHL. Furthermore, 21.3% of Schmaltz’s shifts start in the offensive zone, the third-highest on the UHC.
Tough Luck or Poor Performance?
On Nov. 23, 2024, in Utah’s 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, it looked like Schmaltz had finally cracked his scoreless drought. However, his goal from the slot was overturned after it was ruled that Hayton had interfered with Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic in the crease.
While he currently holds a minus-7 rating on the season, 73% of Schmaltz’s assists have come at five-on-five play. Therefore, it should only be a matter of time before he finds the back of the net for the first team this season.
