With Saturday's trade of Paul Cotter bringing fantastic news to Vegas Golden Knights fans, it capped off an incredible weekend for Las Vegas. The Sphere hosted the NHL Draft and the Golden Knights acquired Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid for Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick. It showcased Kelly McCrimmon's ability to turn something from a fourth-line player, somehow making the team younger.
Of course, such moves are nothing new with McCrimmon. For example, he traded Marc-Andre Fleury in 2021 and brought in Robin Lehner to get younger at the goaltender position. Although the replacement wasn't as successful as planned, it did make the team younger at the position. It also brought in Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, two players who would help Vegas win their first Stanley Cup.
But let's focus on Schmid for a second and what he brings to the table. He's a big goaltender, standing at 6'5". He went 5-9-1 in 2023-24 with a GAA of 3.15 and a save percentage of .895. The former Devils goaltender has a lifetime GAA of 2.90 and save percentage of .899.
He's not expected to light up the stat sheet for Vegas, serving as a backup goalie to Adin Hill. However, he has a more meaningful purpose ahead of him. That starts with making minor adjustments to his game. What must the Swiss goaltender do to become more viable for the Golden Knights?
Akira Schmid must use his size to his advantage
Akira Schmid doesn't use his size efficiently as a goaltender. Often, he's seen staying stagnant in one place, making it tougher to scope out a shot. As a result, he's late on incoming shots, which leads to goals. That includes being quicker with the glove, which he must use better.
When the New Jersey Devils played the Florida Panthers on March 5, they attacked Schmid's glove side throughout the game. That included shots up high, which made it tough for the Swiss goaltender to see. The eventual Stanley Cup champions won that game, 5-3, winning their first title by season's end.
The former Devils goaltender must also control his rebounds better, keeping them from opposing players at all costs. Solid exits are better than giving the team a second chance, especially on the power play. Getting more playing time will remedy these issues, especially if he works closely with Sean Burke and Mike Rosati.
The Vegas Golden Knights have a solid system in place
The good news for Akira Schmid is the Vegas Golden Knights have a goaltender-friendly system to make life easier for netminders. It's tailored to take away shooting lanes and emphasize the forecheck. In turn, it leads to takeaways and rushes to the other zone.
The Golden Knights are more defense-oriented than the New Jersey Devils were in 2023-24. The aforementioned forecheck and constant movement should simplify the game for the Swiss goaltender. He'll see the puck better and work on his glove side, making him a more formidable goalie.
Fans fell in love with Saturday's trade that sent Paul Cotter to New Jersey for Holtz and Schmid. Vegas got two young players (who are surprisingly younger than Cotter) that can develop into something more. If both former Devils blossom into solid contributors, that's bad news for the rest of the NHL.