Prospect Info: 2021 96th Overall Pick | D Roman Schmidt

[LastWordArmy]

Big and strong defender with the US NTDP. We had a little about him here.

Prospects 81-90: 2021 NHL Draft Scouting Reports

Click to read more...

 

[StaySalty]

Roman Schmidt, Right Defence, US National Team Development Program, USHL, 6’6″ 209 lbs
Coming in at 6-foot-6, Schmidt is a giant on the blue line. He uses his size effectively and forwards coming down his side of the ice with their head down will certainly pay the price. He is also strong on the boards and at clearing the front of the net. There is not a lot of offence there, but Schmidt has a good slapshot from the point. Schmidt is a very good skater for his size, and this mobility helps him to maintain good gap control. He uses his long stick to cut down passing lanes and create turnovers. Schmidt makes a nice first pass to start the transition game.

 

[ultra63]

sounds better than Foote already

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Going from the US NTDP to the OHL

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Has the same agent as Vasy, Kuch, and Cajkovic

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Played on the top D pair for the US at the U-18s

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

 

[Stormbreaker]

 

[clemmy]

HOME IS WHERE THE HOCKEY IS: Roman Schmidt took many roads in two countries to reach the NHL draft | Ottawa Sun

Looks like a good kid. I like how in one of the videos he says he tries to model his game after Victor Hedman. They asked him what his dream pairing would be, active or retired, and he chose Hedman.

 

[Rschmitz]

How did this guy fall to us? He looks good

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Sam Cosentino had him ranked 13th overall back in November

Sportsnet’s 2021 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: First edition

Also unlike last year, when forwards dominated the first round, this year looks like several defencemen will be in the mix to be impact players down the road. Twenty-four of the first 31 players taken in the 2020 draft were forwards and the number of defencemen taken in the first round should move up from the six taken last season. Size seems to be the common thread amongst them, when looking at 6-foot-6 Owen Power, 6-foot-4 Simon Edvinsson, and 6-foot-5 Roman Schmidt. Similar to basketball, bigger players are so much more well-rounded and multi-faceted than they’ve ever been.

13. Roman Schmidt, D, USNTDP: Another fine skating right shot defenceman who can dish it out physically.

NHL Central Scouting also gave him an 'A' rating back in October, indicating a 1st rd talent

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I like this player. You guys got great value.

Schmidt had a chance to go late first/early second, around that range that Mailloux and Roger went with similar profiles. He had a really weak WJC18. It dropped him at least a round, maybe up to two rounds.

That whole team has dropped in this draft, and I believe the main reasoning is coaching. They hired a new head coach for Schmidt’s age group, and the team was a disaster, mostly due to the coach. A new environment should do Schmidt some good.

He’s a big defensive defenseman that skates well and can move the puck, but he has no offensive instincts. He won’t score much. Best case scenario may be a Cernak.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Nice, another Kitchener Rangers prospect! Hopefully I will be able to see him play in person this season.

 

[Rschmitz]

Yep Cernak clone

 

[clemmy]

They more I research, the more I like. He may develop a bit later than some since he started off in figure skating. Both his parents we Olympic level skaters, which might speak well for his athleticism. Maybe that’s why the scouts all note his agility on his skates as a plus given his size.

 

[berlin]

Really like this pick. Will probably take a few years to develop.

 

[BoltSTH]

When can Barb Underhill work on his skating? He needs to view Hedman games tapes on a loop.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

When can Barb Underhill work on his skating? He needs to view Hedman games tapes on a loop.

Hopefully next week if that's when development camp is

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Lightning draft defenseman Roman Schmidt with top pick

“Roman’s one of those guys that we say makes the all-warmup team,” said Lightning assistant general manager/director of amateur scouting Al Murray, “because as soon as he steps on the ice, everybody takes a look, and they see a great big guy wheeling around, and they go ‘Holy mackerel, who’s this guy?’”

Schmidt’s length, ability to move the puck, strong positional sense and willingness to finish his checks reminds Murray of the Bruins’ Brandon Carlo. But Schmidt has grown to admire another supersized defenseman: the Lightning’s Victor Hedman.

“I love watching him play,” Schmidt said. “He’s so good with the puck, so good at both ends of the ice. And being a bigger guy like Victor, I try to emulate as much of my game to his. Obviously, he’s the best defenseman in the league, so he’s definitely one of my idols. I’ve looked up to him for a long time, and it’s quite surreal actually now being part of the same organization as him.”

Schmidt is regarded as more of a stay-at-home defenseman but said he hopes his decision to play with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers over college hockey at Boston University will help him develop his offensive game and the league’s schedule will best prepare him for the rigors of NHL life.

“Just their whole system’s style as a team is very offensive and they really encourage all their defensemen to jump up in the play and be part of the offense,” Schmidt said. “So I think definitely one of the things I want to work on this year is my movement in the offensive zone and my involvement in the offense and just creating chances for my teammates, getting open for teammates.”

Schmidt not going to college will allow the Lightning to have him work with their skating and conditioning and strength people. The organization will get an up-close look at its top pick at its prospects tournament in September.

 

[LightningStrikes]

RD too! Awesome!

 

[CupsOverCash]

Sounds like a decent pick at that stage. This feels like an excellent draft to pick up gems in these later rounds with how our scouting is. Looked like that could have been the case.

 

[CupsOverCash]

When can Barb Underhill work on his skating? He needs to view Hedman games tapes on a loop.

Doesn't look like too bad of a skater already at his size.

 

[Rschmitz]

From the videos....this kid is RAW. He looks a lot more like Foote than Cernak except Foote has pretty good decision making in the offensive zone. I'll be following him closely, but definitely a project as to be expected.