Can Jordan Schmaltz Make the Toronto Maple Leafs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Jordan Schmaltz last month.

When I heard that the Toronto Maple Leafs had trade Andreas Borgman for Jordan Schmaltz, I nearly fell out of my chair.

Unfortunately, I had been enjoying some cocktails during my holidays and mistakenly heard that they had acquired Jaden Schwartz.

Once I realized that there was no way the Leafs were going to be getting Schwartz for Borgman, and that they had in fact gotten Schmaltz, I was much less excited.

So who, exactly is Jordan Schmaltz?

Toronto Maple Leafs and Jordan Schmaltz

By now, you’re probably aware that he’s a 6’2 right-shooting defenseman who was picked 25th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. (Coincidentally, he was picked in the same first round as Morgan Rielly (5) and Cody Ceci (15).

You probably also know that he’s a “defensive defenseman” (translation: he has zero career NHL goals and is over 6′ tall) even though that isn’t really true.

But what else?  Does he have potential? Can he make the roster? Where will he play?

To answer these questions: No, No and the AHL.

After being drafted, Schmaltz finished his time at University, then played parts of four seasons in the AHL, where he was able to put up half decent offensive numbers.

For the last three years he’s played intermittently in the NHL, but hasn’t done anything to really establish himself.

He played in 20 games last year, and did not dress in the playoffs.  He put up a horrendous 41% CF, as well as equally brutal shot, scoring chance and goal percentages.

Basically, when Schmaltz was on the ice last year, the Blues were one of the worst teams in the NHL – low 40s differentials all around.

It didn’t help that when he did play he was saddled with the ghost of Jason Bouwmeester, who is a shadow of a shadow of a shadow of the player he once was.   It’s a small sample size, but they put together a 37% possession rating and Schmaltz at least did better when he was paired with anyone else. (Stats from naturalstattrick.com).

Schmaltz hasn’t scored at the NHL level because he has only ever played with duds for ten minutes per night.  Prior to being drafted, he was considered a puck moving defensemen with so-so defensive skills.

Perhaps the Toronto Maple Leafs took a chance on him because he  -at least at lower levels – is a decent puck mover, and they believe that in the right situation he might live up to his former potential.

It seemed that when the Leafs got him, everyone looked at his stats and size and assumed they’d picked up a bit of a banger, but that does not seem to be the case. (He does not have high PIM totals in the minors).

If we’re being honest, it seems like a bad trade for the Leafs, as Andreas Borgman was actually very good in his time in the season before last.  It seems they have traded a definite NHL player for a possible one.

Schmaltz does, however, shoot right.  I’ve been quite vocal in this space about how it doesn’t really matter, and if you’re picking between two players of different skill levels, it would be extremely stupid to choose the worse player because you like the side he shoots from.

If two players are roughly equal – and since neither Borgman or Schmaltz is likely to ever be a top pairing player they might as well be – then it does make sense to have balance between the left and right shooters.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defense is going to definitely feature Rielly, Muzzin, Barrie and Dermott.  Schmaltz will join Kevin Gravel, Ben Harpur, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, Justin Holl, Martin Marincin and Codi Ceci in competition for a job on the bottom pairing or the right to watch every game from the press box.