Jets place Nate Schmidt on unconditional waivers for purpose of buyout

The Winnipeg Jets are moving on from veteran defenceman Nate Schmidt. The team placed Schmidt on unconditional waivers Sunday with the purpose of a buyout.

Schmidt skated in 63 games for Winnipeg in 2023-24, picking up two goals and 14 points with a plus-10 rating.

The 32-year-old has played in 11 NHL seasons, spending time with the Jets, Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks.

Schmidt was acquired by Winnipeg in a trade from the Canucks in the summer of 2021.

He is owed $5.95 million in the final season of a six-year, $35.7-million deal he signed with Vegas in 2018. His cap hit will be $2,716,667 this coming season and then drop to $1,616,667 for 2025-26, according to PuckPedia.com.