Cole Schwindt spoke with the Panthers' beat team on Wednesday about his faceoff work, and the Florida forward has the numbers to back it up.
He's winning 64.1% of his draws this season, a figure that stands out on a line of 6 games played, no goals, no assists and a -4 rating. The faceoff dot is where his value shows right now.
Jameson Olive relayed the quote, and the Panthers' official account shared it too.
Olive reported Schwindt's answer when the faceoff number came up, and he didn't shy away from it.
"For me, it's always kind of been my bread and butter, taking faceoffs," Schwindt said. "I try to earn a little bit more trust in that way. I've always felt comfortable in the dot."
The team account posted the same comments, which adds the full context of what he said about his start.
Schwindt is listed as a right winger on the roster, so a faceoff specialist's résumé isn't the first thing you'd expect from him. That makes the 64.1% more interesting than a typical depth-player stat.
He's 25, a third-round pick of the Panthers in 2019 (81st overall), and he has 84 NHL games over his career. Fifteen points in that span means nobody is counting on him for offense.
Why faceoff wins matter for the Panthers right now
Florida lost 5-3 to Detroit on Monday, and the Panthers sit 8-5-2 with a +3 goal differential. They are fifth in the Atlantic Division. Possession starts at the dot, and depth players who win draws give the coaching staff something to build trust on.
Schwindt's point is plain: earn trust one draw at a time. A player without a point this season can still make himself useful, and he knows it.
Tonight the Panthers host the Chicago Blackhawks, who are 31st in the NHL at 4-10-1 and have lost three straight. Paul Maurice has confirmed Jacob Markstrom's start in net tonight, and Uvis Balinskis comes in for Radko Gudas on the blue line.
Chicago is 0-5-1 on the road this season. For a team trying to bounce back from the Detroit loss, controlling the draws against a struggling opponent is an easy place to start.
Does a 64.1% faceoff rate earn Cole Schwindt more trust from Paul Maurice?
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