Craig Smith answers call, ready to take a shot with Bruins - The Boston Globe
Craig Smith doesn’t personally know anyone on the Bruins. That will soon change.
The career-long Predators winger signed a three-year, $9.3 million deal Saturday to join the forward ranks in Boston. A phone chat with
Patrice Bergeron helped sell him on the move.
“As a player,” Smith said in a Zoom call, “it’s definitely attractive to hear a guy talk about his team like that and how much passion he has for his city and the love he has for his teammates. That’s something I want to be a part of.”
The money works out nicely for Boston, which had work left to do as of Saturday afternoon. Smith was making $4.25 million a year last season as a third-liner in Nashville, but will cost the Bruins' cap $3.1 million, good value for a perennial 20-goal scorer.
Boston, both franchise and location, appealed to him.
“The city has a big part to do with it,” he said. “My wife is in love with Boston and I’ve always had a soft side for it so that definitely checked it.”
Count Smith as a believer in the roster as it stands.
“When we play Boston, that’s a team that just has my full attention with that first line with
[David] Pastrnak,” he said. “That was one of the best lines that I think I’ve ever played against.”