Assuming the organization sees Zack Smith filling that third line centre role, this is pretty good value for Smith. In 81 games last season, Smith racked up 14 goals and 26 points, along with 98 penalty minutes.
With guys like Carkner, Konopka and Foligno leaving this off season, Smith will be one of the guys counted on to pick up the slack in the team toughness department.
What do you think of the move?
Full television schedule is out as well, Sportsnet's dates are finally out.
http://senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=640928&navid=DL|OTT|home
If he kicks on and continues to improve this will be a very good deal. If he doesn't, nearly 2 million a year is a lot to be paying for a 4th liner which is what he will be by the end of this deal.
wish we'd use him on the top line vs teams who try to take out spezza and put their meat line out against him.
smith is like neil but with more mobility and better hands
I couldn't agree about smith being a forth liner at the end of the deal.
Last season was his first full season and i see lots of potential in this kid.
Another solid move by Bryan Murray.
which is my point
given the forward prospects we have in the organisation, if he doesn't improve from where he is now he's a 4th liner.
tender-turry-alfie
smith-regin-greeno
condra-JOB-Neiler
Bingo Bound-MZ93/Ston e
Also by doing these early deals the Sens get some discounts and also it sends a positive message to possible future UFA's that Ottawa is a good team with good management who cares about their players.
It's positive all around.
A+ to BM and the team.
Agreed, I like what the kid brings, still young, fits in with the club really well. One of the character guys every team needs.
I still think he has the potential to be a 20g guy over a full season where he did not play into the summer and over 100 games lol
Every team in the League wants or has a couple of players like Zack Smith.
Smith is a good 3rd liner who plays with his heart on his sleeve, and gives it his all. Hopefully he will develop into a "chris neil" type player...he's getting there but chris still hits harder and smarter in my opinion.
Hopefully Smith has a great season and sticks to what he's good at. I don't know if he was just burnt out by the second half of the season but he wasn't playing his game when we needed him to and he was invisible in the playoffs.
He has to be in opposing players faces all night and finish all his checks, something he didn't do in the latter parts of 2011/2012.
I can't complain about the extension, but I would like to see more from this kid in the upcoming season.
Didn't really see any urgency to get an rfa 3rd/4th liner signed, but at least its news
If smith produces the way.he did last season, or slightly better, this is a great signing (just like turris)
Spezza, Turris, Smith, and O'Brien sounds like a very strong middle.
+ he's tough as nails and 2,4 million dollars over the contract cheaper than Prust - who's ass he kicked last year by the way.
Good Move - GO SENS GO!
Not when you add Regin to the mix, who will probably get 3C over Smith...sigh... and smith get 4C. Bit expensive for a 4C but until Regin leaves (GOD I wish its this year) Smith wont get 3C.
Disagree with your Regin hate. If he's healthy, he's 3C with 2C potential meaning he's perfect for the 3C position. If he's injured, then we revert bact to your scenario with a 3C in the 3C spot.
You should be hoping for Regin to be healthy and productive at a very modest 800K instead of writing him off. Smith's value for the time being is his fists and truculence. That's can be done on the 3rd line wing or 4th line centre position IMO.
Not a bad signing at all.
I think Murray is thinking that's the best thing to do with everyone but mostly young players who still need to prove something out there.
My only problem with Smith is that he not only struggled in the second half, he was straight up invisible and at one point was a healthy scratch to try and wake him up.
All that said he scored 14 goals as a rookie grinder. That's very impressive.
If he can keep improving he could be a very hard player to play against while also being a threat to score.
I can honestly see him potting 20 next year if he shows up for all 82.
Hax saying he's got 2nd C potential is a little much but he could be a real solid 3rd liner.
Greening-Smith-Neil would be a very very hard line to play against.
Now I'm waiting for a Cowen signing. Hopefully a 4 or 5 year deal somewhere around 2.5
Hi Mat! Here is an idea, why don't you go f**k yourself, dumbass!
*thumbs up*
That's true eh?! Cowan would be the logical next "cornerstone" player we need to offer a long term contract to. For 4-5 years at 2.5 would be an absolute steal in my opinion.
What do you all think?
Love the Smith signing, As someone mentioned earlier, Smith is a great example of a player working hard in Bingo and eventually earning his move up to the big club. He was in the cusp for a few years there.
In BM we trust.
I've never said Smith was a 2C. I think he's a solid 3C or cup winning 4C. Or (maybe more likely) a 3W.
If Regin or Zibanejad take the 3C slot this season I'd expect Smith on their wing with JOB centering the muckers. Unless everyone is healthy and both Silfverberg and Zibanejad make the team - then maybe you have Smith as 4C and top PK guy. But I doubt he spends much of his contract on the 4th line unless we're stacked.
Well technically Smith and Turris' deals don't kick in until 2013-2014 anyway.
I do think he's more likely than other GMs to give out longer deals to younger players - but I think that's more the way he has to operate in a small market that has trouble attracting key UFAs. Get a guy young, get him excited to be in the NHL and lock him up before he meets a girl that wants to live on a beach.
Go fuck yourself Mat.
Good point Hax - I didn't realize that the Smith deal started in 13-14.
Yeah I think that's part of the beauty of it. As someone else mentioned, it takes pressure off in a "contract year" and even lessens the pressure in the first year of a new deal.
The only down side is that it's a bit of a risk instead of waiting a year to see how his play improves etc - but that's minimal.
HA! Thanks for the kind words fellas!
I'll gladly take the insult if it means 1 less whiney-ass post about what you plan to do to protest the lockout..
But on another note...
Great signing today by Murray. Love the kid. I know he'll be counted on to drop the gloves more but I'd also be happy if he developed to be a Travis Moen-like player. Perfect 3rd line checker with occasional fistacuffs.
Enough Said!!!
I've been wondering the same thing. I guess the CBA shit has made teams wary of signing any "filler" UFAs until after the new deal is done. Add in Winnie's concussion history and I assume his phone isn't ringing.
Too bad though as he's a reliable bottom six guy. If we had managed a Q4Q trade or two I'd have been thrilled to see him back with us.
Certainly doesn't look like he is in the plans here in Ottawa but he should be able to find work elsewhere. With that said, no word of any specific interest so far. The Rangers were believed to be interested shortly after free agency opened but there hasn't been any news on that front.
I'm really happy about this one as well. I think (and hope) that Smith can continue to develop year after year and would love to see him become a Neil type player (already showing some shades). Plus I can't complain about having guys on the team that literally lose their marbles everytime they score. There is nothing better to watch than that!
Go SENS and Go Smith! Bring on 2012-13 season!!
Quoting RUSHRLZ:
I think ppl are forgetting that both can play center or wing. In today's NHL when every other faceoff the center is getting kicked out, it's such a good thing to have.
I think the 3rd line will be:
Smith-Regin-Greening
All of those guys can take faceoffs, more notably Smith and Regin.
I love how BM is shoring up all our centers right now. Brilliant move by a smart hockey mind.
Now, let's sort out that minor CBA issue.
Go Sens Go!!!!!!!!!!!!
As with everything else we pay for, you have to count inflation. An NHL Players salary is no different. I can't say I'm a fan of it, I've always thought players were paid way too much in any sport, but considering what some teams are paying players to join clubs around the league this year, the Smith signing is a steal.
WhoTF are you guys? If you can't handle regular members here, stating ONCE what they will do if there is a lockout and why... then I suggest that it should be the two of you who piss off, not us.
I realize everyone is cranky with the CBA doom+gloom but grow up.
I think x N!C X was siding with you.
But yeah, this site has been fortunate that it very rarely turns into some sort of post battle and while not every comment is golden, the discussion is usually decent.
Long Live SensChirp
Zippydippy and Eklund are the most hated arund here
If there is no season this year, does Alfie's contract still play out? It worries me that if we have no season this year Alfie won't come back for one more year, and I really want him to!
I hate those arrogant Boston announcers. He will be on the 1st tee within 24 hours? Why risk breaking your hand on that cement head?
Arrogant bastards..
Quoting Hax:
i can see alfie playing in 2013-14 so he could remain in game shape and participate in the olympics again before retiring.
so i would guess alfie signs a one or two year deal after this season.
He's a bargain at that price & he has the skill to fill in temporarily on higher lines in case of injuries. This guy is only going to get better & he is already pretty good getting 27 pts in his first full yr in Ottawa. That's a lot more points than the pretty boy Filatov ever got in Ottawa. So much hype is given to skilled players like Filatov & so many excuses are used when they don't succeed. Smith is a success story in Ottawa & should be celebrated by the fans. I love his game.