Last Friday, on trade deadline day, the LA Kings made an AHL trade with the Montreal Canadiens acquiring forward Nate Schnarr.
We've acquired forward Nate Schnarr from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Frederic Allard.#GoKingsGo
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 3, 2023
“Who?”, said many LA Kings fans. Not many know much about Nate Schnarr and his game. We will break down his season with the Laval Rocket and what Ontario Reign fans can expect from him down the stretch. Let’s get started:
Player info:
Birthdate: February 25, 1999
Birthplace: Waterloo, Ontario
Weight: 185 lbs
Height: 6’3″
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
Drafted: Round three, 75th overall, 2017
Season with the Laval Rocket
In 27 games with the Laval Rocket, Schnarr recorded three goals, four assists, and seven points. Not eye-popping when you look at them. Schnarr has spent the past three seasons in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners, Binghamton Devils, Laval Rocket, and the Utica Comets. His best season came last year as he split time with the Laval Rocket and Utica Comets where he posted 36 points (17 G – 19 A). Unfortunately, his numbers have dropped from his breakout season last year.
Some stats on new Ontario Reign forward Nate Schnarr
TOI Avg: 13:43
G: 3
A: 4
Pts: 7
FO%: 55%*Stats courtesy of InStat#ReignTrain
— Kyle Garcia (@Kopitar4HOF) March 4, 2023
Now, I don’t watch the Laval Rocket too much so I don’t know which line he plays on. However, looking at the ice time shows me he slotted in on the third line. Laval also used him on the penalty kill. With the Laval Rocket having a bunch of forwards and Schnarr having a down year, it made sense for the Montreal Canadiens to trade him.
What can Ontario Reign fans expect from him?
With Alex Turcotte and Nikita Pavlychev out with injuries, and Nate Thompson only playing three games since returning from injury, the depth at the center position for the Ontario Reign has been very thin. Acquiring Schnarr will give the Reign some depth and allow Samuel Helenius to slide back to the fourth line. How is Schnarr’s game? Well, he can win faceoffs, play a 200-foot game, and kill penalties.
He made his debut Saturday against the Bakersfield Condors and didn’t register a point. However, I noticed Marco Sturm was already comfortable with putting him out on the ice and taking critical faceoffs in the defensive zone. I counted three faceoffs in the defensive zone Schnarr took late in the third period and he won all three of them. Great way to earn the trust of your new coach. While looking up the stats at InStat, Schanrr had 16:17 of ice time for the game along with 3:41 on the penalty kill. He even went 8-for-16 (50%) in the faceoff circle.
With Nate Thompson out, I expect Schnarr to take on his role of playing third-line center, taking critical faceoffs, and time on the penalty kill. Don’t expect a ton offensively, but expect him to be a good defensive centerman that Marco Sturm can use at critical points in a game.
*YouTube video courtesy of Jared Shafran and the Ontario Reign
*Featured image credit: Bakersfield Condors