Vinny Boombatz
formerly ctwin22
Schmaltz is excellent defensively in the neutral zone. He's just not good at board battles from his blueline in. He'll never be ROR. Putting him on the wing aka in a phone booth makes him play even worse, so that's why he is at center this year.
Finding a center that can skate and gain the zone with offensive skill like Schmaltz is a lot easier said than done, and will cost you a pretty penny in FA for a guy with a lot more mileage. He's flawed but he will have to do for now. His contract ratchets way, way up on the back end so I expect BA to rehab his value and then trade him, or trade him this summer with another center in mind.
It's a shame they missed out on Bennett.
Schmaltz is great at entering the zone offensively, probably one of the best in the league at it, but you're wrong on the defensive side of the equation, he is below average defensive center