Vegas Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon traded goaltender Akira Schmid to the Florida Panthers on Monday for a 2028 third-round draft pick, according to David Pagnotta.
That's a low-cost swing for Florida on a 26-year-old with starter upside still developing.
-
Schmid posted a .893 save percentage in 34 games for Vegas this season, going 13-17 with 2 shutouts. Decent numbers for a backup, not yet proven as a full-time starter.
Vegas finished 39-26-17 this season, thirteenth overall with 95 points. Their goaltending tandem of Adin Hill and Carter Hart combined for uneven results, with Hill posting a .870 save percentage and Hart split between two separate stints.
This deal clears a logjam in net for John Tortorella's crease, and it gives McCrimmon a future asset without giving up anything from the current roster's core.
Florida, meanwhile, just watched Sergei Bobrovsky post a .876 save percentage at age 37, an alarming number for a team that finished 40-38-4 and allowed 276 goals.
Panthers add depth insurance behind an aging Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov backed up Bobrovsky this season with a .895 save percentage in 33 games. Adding Schmid gives GM Bill Zito a third option with real NHL starts on his résumé.
This isn't a move that screams urgency. A third-round pick three years out is the kind of price you pay for organizational depth, not a difference-maker.
But with Bobrovsky's numbers trending the wrong direction and his contract running at a $10,000,000 cap hit, Florida needs to start thinking about life after him. Schmid, at 26, fits that timeline far better than adding another aging veteran.
Vegas walks away with a future asset for a player who didn't have a clear path to significant minutes behind Hill and Hart anyway. Sometimes a trade is just two front offices solving two different problems at once.
Did the Panthers get good value trading just a 2028 third-round pick for Akira Schmid?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Nobody saw this Connor Hellebuyck trade update coming
