Tuesday night was supposed to be a night of pure pain for the Vegas Golden Knights. They didn't have Jack Eichel (upper-body injury), Alex Pietrangelo, and Nicolas Hague (both with illnesses). That meant taking on a playoff-bound Colorado Avalanche team... in Denver.
On a night when delay of game calls was the norm (rumor has it Zach Whitecloud is still dumping pucks into the stands), one player kept his team in the game. No, it wasn't Mark Stone, nor was it William Karlsson. Sure, the "Misfit" got a shorthanded goal with his good buddy, Reilly Smith, assisting. However, he wasn't the player stopping 34 of 36 shots.
Instead, it was Akira Schmid. The Swiss netminder looked comfortable in Tuesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche, swallowing an endless array of shots. He almost won the game in regulation with an incredible stop that was called for a goal. The shot happened in the second period and was credited to Valeri Nichushkin, leading to another Avalanche goal that period. Colorado ended up winning in a shootout, 3-2.
Still, Schmid's performance got the Golden Knights home ice in the first round. He's shown that he can get comfortable in Bruce Cassidy's system, swallowing up shots with little effort. But that raises another question about the young prospect: Does he have a future as the team's backup goaltender?
Why Akira Schmid will fit in fine with the Vegas Golden Knights
The one thing that Akira Schmid and Adin Hill have in common is their size. Hill stands at 6'4" while the Henderson Silver Knights prospect is 6'5". This allows them to take up plenty of room in the net, leaving incoming attackers without many shooting areas. Combine that with a constrictive defensive system where sticks are around the ice and it makes life easier.
He also has the necessary tools to make it in the NHL. For example, his glove side got the Golden Knights a much-needed point in a tough environment. It didn't matter if it was Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar. Schmid made it look effortless, stopping shot after shot by snatching flying pucks.
Granted, there are some things he must improve. He hasn't grown into his body and still needs necessary NHL experience to grow. The 24-year-old must also develop his goaltending instincts and anticipate plays better. Still, that comes with age and experience.
Schmid's solid performance makes the backup goaltender position much easier to settle
This season has had some fans worried about the goaltender position. No, it hasn't been because of Adin Hill. He's been excellent in net for the Vegas Golden Knights. Instead, it's been Ilya Samsonov, who's had a combination of bad performances (2.79 GAA, save percentage of .892) and injuries bog him down.
"What will happen if Hill goes down again?"
"Who can Vegas turn to?"
It seems that Akira Schmid is doing an excellent job of filling that backup netminder void well. With Samsonov only on a one-year deal, it makes keeping the Silver Knights prospect around. Not only do you have a cheaper option in tow (Samsonov makes $1.8 million compared to Schmid's $875,000), but you have a younger option, too.
Schmid is 24 years old compared to Samsonov being 28. That makes life easier for Kelly McCrimmon, for he'll go with the cheaper, younger option every time. Just look at Pavel Dorofeyev and Jonathan Marchessault this past summer.
The Golden Knights might've lost to the Colorado Avalanche in a shootout on Tuesday. However, that loss wasn't in vain. It showed they might have a reliable backup goaltender for the future, giving them another big option behind Hill. That might leave them vibing in net with their buddies from Calgary and Switzerland.