Nate Schmidt is week-to-week with a lower body injury and it will now be down to a rookie defenseman to step up to the plate for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Schmidt was forced to leave the Vegas Golden Knights’ home opener against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday in the first period after colliding with Logan Couture, and it looked a hugely painful impact on Schmidt’s knee.
Vegas Head Coach Gerard Gallant revealed to the media on Thursday that Schmidt will now be week-to-week, but there is no definitive timeline on when the blueliner might be healthy enough to return to action.
As a result, we could see another rookie make their NHL debut for the Vegas Golden Knights tonight against the Sharks in their 2019-20 home opener at SAP Center.
Nic Hague was called-up to the majors prior to opening night after being sent down to the AHL following the conclusion of preseason, and the 20-year-old could make his NHL bow tonight.
Granted, the coaching staff could also decide to slot Jimmy Schuldt into the lineup given he experienced a small taste of the NHL at the tail end of last year.
However, Hague was arguably the most impressive rookie blueliner alongside Dylan Coghlan throughout Training Camp and the preseason, and he deserves his opportunity to shine on the biggest stage.
Plus, Hague brings an intriguing package to the table that the four other rookie defensemen who were also battling it out for a roster spot – Coghlan, Jake Bischoff, Zach Whitecloud and Schuldt – can’t.
Unlike Bischoff, Coghlan, Whitecloud and Schuldt who are all very responsible in the defensive zone, Hague is more of a two-way defenseman who can provide plenty of offensive upside.
He’s capable of jumping up to join the play and help the rush, while he boasts a wicked release and could provide another outlet from the point.
Not only that but Hague, standing at 6’6″ and 214 lbs, is a big body with a tremendous reach and he showed throughout the preseason that he’s perfectly suited to the rigors and high tempo of the modern NHL.
It is likely that whoever plays, be it Hague or Schuldt, will slot in on the bottom defensive pairing alongside Deryk Engelland, allowing them the opportunity to play alongside a veteran and a calm head.
That will be crucial for Hague in particular who, if he does play, will step into an absolute fierce cauldron at the SAP Center with the Sharks baying for blood after being beaten up on during Wednesday’s opener.
So, as a result, it would make perfect sense to have Hauge paired with Engelland to allow him to have a leader alongside him to help nurture him and guide him through his NHL debut.
It isn’t crystal clear at the moment when Nate Schmidt will be back and the true extent of the damage sustained to that knee is not yet known.
But, whether he is out for a couple of weeks, a couple of months or, god forbid longer, then it will be up to Nic Hague or Jimmy Schuldt to step into the breach, rise to the occasion and prove that they belong in the NHL.