The Smith signing was a letdown no doubt but it was either sign Barrie or spend bigger on a goalie. They didn't have the ability to upgrade both positions.
Also, they were 11-1-4 with Smith in net in January and February when they made their playoff push so it's being overexaggerated how bad he was last season.
Essentially he upgraded the 3rd line and defense at the expense of the goaltending. All 3 needs weren't going to be filled this offseason.
I agree with the bolded by the way...
I actually credit Smith early in the season to changing our team's attitude to Team-Defense. He's a fiery competitive player and a true vet. I think he raised the competitive bar on the team and helped hold everybody accountable (including himself).
It's no wonder there was a spiral of negativity in Dec when his own play suffered a bit, players slumped themselves, then got back to work and rallied hard in Jan. These types of dynamics happen all the time in teams and Smith is a guy that helped our team keep pulse and work itself out of issues.
Just my highly-biased view of his role in our team leadership. He was a positive addition. (not sure we needed him for another year, his good work was done, but not against it either given the options available)