Winnipeg Jets Looking To Move On From Top Defenseman This Season

The Winnipeg Jets defensive group has always been regarded as one of the weakest parts of the Jets in recent years. This year that trend continues in particular for one player. Nate Schmidt has struggled mightily to live up to expectations.

His struggles have gotten so bad that he was recently scratched for Declan Chisholm who made his season debut with the team.

The main upside of Schmidt's game in the past was as an offensive and powerplay spark plug. At his best Schmidt was a player who could get around 35 points while playing in a middle pairing role. This season he has just 1 point through 20 games.

With his lack of offensive production, one would hope that his defensive play has been stellar to justify playing significant minutes. However, this is not the case either as he has struggled both in defensive battles as well as his off-puck positioning.

These struggles at both ends of the ice have led fans and media to question if there is room for Schmidt in the lineup anymore.

If the Jets can move Schmidt to another team it could mean great things for both the present and future of the club.

First of all, Schmidt is making over 5 million dollars. Being able to clear even some of the salary through a trade would provide the Jets more wiggle room to make impactful additions to the roster.

Beyond getting rid of the salary Schmidt's production could be easily replaced by one of the many young players in the Jets' minor league system. A perfect example is Declan Chisholm who replaced a scratched Schmidt and matched Schmidt's point total in his first game.

Whether the Jets trade Schmidt now or try and move him in the offseason they cannot continue to allow him to anchor the defense down.