Schmaltz tied for NHL goal lead after studying Reinhart and Point
The Mammoth forward has six goals through six games, and he credits video of two elite slot shooters for the jump.
Nick Schmaltz decided he should be finishing more of the chances he was already getting, so he went to school on two of the league's best at it.
The Utah Mammoth forward had the team's skills coach cut video of Sam Reinhart and Brayden Point, focusing on their shots and goals from the slot. The results show. Schmaltz has six goals and eight points in six games, tied with Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov for the NHL lead in goals. He scored in each of Utah's first four games and added his league-leading fourth power-play goal in a 4-1 win at Buffalo on Saturday.
Schmaltz said the video helped him understand where those players positioned themselves on the power play and how they chose their targets when a pass arrived.
This follows a career season. Schmaltz had 74 points (33 goals, 41 assists) in 82 games in 2025-26, blowing past his previous highs. The 30-year-old signed an eight-year, $64 million contract ($8 million average annual value) on March 11.
Utah is 4-2-0 and tied with Vegas for fifth in the league in goals per game (3.67). The Mammoth power play leads the NHL at 40 percent. Schmaltz skates on a line with Clayton Keller, who also has eight points, and Vincent Trocheck, acquired from the New York Rangers on July 1.
Utah coach Andre Tourigny praised Schmaltz for reading plays well and contributing through positioning and puck movement rather than flashy plays.
Schmaltz and the Mammoth host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.
