Golden Knights, defenseman Jimmy Schuldt working on contract
The Golden Knights and defenseman Jimmy Schuldt, a finance major at St. Cloud State University, have some calculations to do.
The 24-year-old restricted free agent remains unsigned, and off-ice testing for the team’s rookie camp is Thursday. The first on-ice workout is Friday.
That means Schuldt, one of several players expected to compete for an opening-night spot on the blue line, and the Knights need to negotiate fast to give him the best chance to make the team.
“We (both sides) are working on it,” Schuldt’s agent, Tom Lynn, said in a text message to the Review-Journal. The Knights declined comment.
Schuldt signed an entry-level deal with the Knights on April 3. He received interest from 29 NHL teams, according to Lynn. He left college as the highest-scoring defenseman in Huskies’ history with 118 points in 156 games and was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award (best college player) as a senior.
“His strength is that he’s well-rounded,” St. Cloud State coach Brett Larson said. “He’s extremely strong. He can skate well. He can defend. He can move the puck and obviously he’s got a good shot from up top.”
Schuldt played in the Knights’ final game of the regular season against the Los Angeles Kings and recorded an assist. He was partnered with veteran Deryk Engelland — potentially a sign of things to come — and left the ice believing he could play in the NHL.
“Yeah, I think so,” Schuldt said after the game. “Everyone says it’s a lot easier to play here than other leagues, and I think it’s just because the players around you are so good. It makes it a lot easier to just play out there and try and do your thing.”
It was his only action with the Knights because he was ineligible for the postseason and then, in accordance to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, he became a restricted free agent without arbitration rights because he turned 24 before Sept. 15.
That means Schuldt and the Knights have had little to force them together as they try to work on his next contract. There’s also few comparables because college players as decorated as Schuldt rarely reach the NHL at his age.
If Schuldt was a year younger, he would have signed a two-year, entry-level contract and needed a new deal next offseason instead.
One comparable player, 24-year-old former Clarkson center Nico Sturm, signed an entry-level deal with the Minnesota Wild in April, played two games and then agreed to a one-year, $874,125 contract in July. Schuldt’s high level of interest this spring may change his asking price, however.
The Knights also would like to see the defenseman in rookie camp as he competes with Nic Hague, Zach Whitecloud, Jake Bischoff and Dylan Coghlan for a spot on the blue line. All but Bischoff are expected to attend rookie camp, but Schuldt won’t be able to without a contract.
That would leave the team without a young player it seemed high on this spring and cost Schuldt a chance to prove his mettle. It’s a situation both sides would like to avoid.
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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.