Player Discussion Is Zack Smith the real deal?

[Vesa Awesaka]

Whats his future hold? Is he automatically a top 6 forward next year? Did Cameron help his break out by giving him pp time? Does he stay on the pp?

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[Real Smart Sens Fan]

He plays his role well on the PP. I suspect we will roll him as our 3LW, and he will get around 15 goals - I really like him with Pageau, and think that we should keep them together - maybe with Lazar on the other wing.

 

[saskriders]

He plays his role well on the PP. I suspect we will roll him as our 3LW, and he will get around 15 goals - I really like him with Pageau, and think that we should keep them together - maybe with Lazar on the other wing.

This. When he plays well he is just what I want in a 3rd line winger.


And on a somewhat surprising note Smith can move in the top 10 of games played for the Senators next year.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

We've got our next Colin Greening boys. Buckle up.

 

[Icelevel]

everyone should improve for next year. including schmidtty.
So...30g 30a would be acceptable. makes him a top line player. lock him up, trade hoff and macarthur.

(or.....he's a 3rd liner who had a better than average year. not expected again. I'd probably go with this one even though it's in parentheses)

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

everyone should improve for next year. including schmidtty.
So...30g 30a would be acceptable. makes him a top line player. lock him up, trade hoff and macarthur.

(or.....he's a 3rd liner who had a better than average year. not expected again. I'd probably go with this one even though it's in parentheses)

i'd go with this. I think its possible he grew more confident with pp time and an increased role. He's a better player then he was before this season

 

[Benjamin]

Ill be shocked if he hits 18 goals. I expect 12 goals from Smith next season.

 

[mcnorth]

Career year. Crazy shooting percentage. It was fun. We all already know who Smith is and what he brings. Nice guy to have around.

 

[SAK11]

25 goals on 121 shots is something that won't repeat itself. He had a lot of goals on nice shots, but in today's game that often means the goalie messed up. If he shot at his normal rate, he would've scored 12 goals. Give him credit, he took advantage of the extra ice time and better linemates, and maybe he's gained confidence that'll help him going forward. But he got to spend more time with Stone than I think he will next year, and he had the highest shooting percentage of anyone with 12+ goals.

 

[Sens Rule]

Career year. Crazy shooting percentage. It was fun. We all already know who Smith is and what he brings. Nice guy to have around.

Smith really started looking pretty deadly shooting. Likevhus shooting percentage was not that ridiculous.

Smith is so good on Pageau's wing. He still takes faceoffs. They are a deadly SH goal connection on the PK.

I say Smith is for real. He and Pageau are on the 3rd line but get a lot of icetime. The worst RWer the have is Lazar... And Lazar is good!

I call Smith getting 15-22 goals. Having a lower shooting percentage but still an above average one. He still get some PP time but less. But still is effective

Smith definitely has a really good shot. He and Pageau have a good on ice relationship and they don't "need" Stone to allow them to score quite a bit.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Could see him developing like Beleskey into a guy that can put up around 20 goals and 30+ points.

Outside of 2015, in which he was playing through a wrist injury which severely handicapped his ability to produce, he's been a guy who can score 10 goals a year and produce between 20-30 points. His shooting percentage will drop next year, but it's not crazy to think he could be a 15-20 goal, 30+ point guy.

 

[Johnny Hanson]

I think if he can stay healthy for 75 or more games, he's a 18-20 goal guy assuming he plays in a top 9 role, gets second line PP mins and PK time. I think if he and Pageau anchor our 3rd line and we bring an offensive prospect like white to play on their right wing, he can have another really strong offensive year. His shot is too good not to score and he's not afraid to go to the dirty areas.

Obviously he cannot sustain his shooting percentage this year but I think he's better than he's shown in the past, offensively. Getting 4th line minutes with greening and Neil will do that to you, though.

 

[Sens Rule]

I think if he can stay healthy for 75 or more games, he's a 18-20 goal guy assuming he plays in a top 9 role, gets second line PP mins and PK time. I think if he and Pageau anchor our 3rd line and we bring an offensive prospect like white to play on their right wing, he can have another really strong offensive year. His shot is too good not to score and he's not afraid to go to the dirty areas.

Obviously he cannot sustain his shooting percentage this year but I think he's better than he's shown in the past, offensively. Getting 4th line minutes with greening and Neil will do that to you, though.

He could also take more shots then last year with confidence and a full season on the 3rd line LW (or higher). Smith has a really good shot.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

He got better as the year went on imo

 

[Senscore]

25 goals on 121 shots is something that won't repeat itself. He had a lot of goals on nice shots, but in today's game that often means the goalie messed up. If he shot at his normal rate, he would've scored 12 goals. Give him credit, he took advantage of the extra ice time and better linemates, and maybe he's gained confidence that'll help him going forward. But he got to spend more time with Stone than I think he will next year, and he had the highest shooting percentage of anyone with 12+ goals.

Or maybe he's just a better shooter than Ovechkin. We should consider that possibility.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

He got a lot of extra ice this year with all the injuries. If he can continue to paly a high energy game and push some guys a bit in the top 6, then I can definitely see 15 goals at least. This is the big thing for me....having a guy who will play hard and can take some extra minutes when our top guys start to float. I want guys to earn their icetime.

 

[Sun God Nika]

Nope.

Still an elite third liner though, and would love to have him long term will hate him though if he gets over 3m a season, cuz he won't hit 20 again. Thankfully murray won't be negotiating with him.

 

[SensNation613]

I'd love us to acquire Andrew Shaw from Chicago for a pick or prospect because of their cap purge. Sign him to a two year contract worth 2.5-3.0M.

Run these lines:
1st: Clarke MacArthur - Kyle Turris - Bobby Ryan
2nd: Mike Hoffman - Mika Zibanejad - Mark Stone
3rd: Zack Smith - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Andrew Shaw
4th: Nick Paul - Curtis Lazar - Chris Neil
Extra: Ryan Dzingel

1st: Marc Methot - Erik Karlsson
2nd: Dion Phaneuf - Cody Ceci
3rd: Freddie Claesson - Chris Wideman
Extra: Mark Borowiecki

1: Craig Anderson
2: Andrew Hammond

No qualifying Chiasson & Wiercioch.
If MacArthur doesn't play at the same level he once did, we acquire Drouin.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

He got better as the year went on imo

Yup, it wasn't just his production that continued to escalate. He is looking like a fantastic 3rd pairing tandem with Pageau.

 

[Samsquanch]

This. When he plays well he is just what I want in a 3rd line winger.


And on a somewhat surprising note Smith can move in the top 10 of games played for the Senators next year.

Seriously?? I'm shocked. I like Smitty, but that's kinda sad.

 

[Vaclav Varada]

I like many here expect this season to be a blip on the radar.

Id be happy with a 15/10-15 season on the bottom 6.

If he does what he did this season again, then maybe he's more then a bottom 6er. I wouldn't bet on it though.

 

[Vaclav Varada]

Seriously?? I'm shocked. I like Smitty, but that's kinda sad.

Only a select few have/had stayed around it seems.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

He and Pageau are probably going to be elite third liners.

 

[saskriders]

Seriously?? I'm shocked. I like Smitty, but that's kinda sad.

On my phone and can't remember exactly but 70ish games will move him up something like 7 spots. He is already at like 400 I think.

 

[DrEasy]

I managed to guess 9 of the 10 in the top 10 without looking up. Forgot Bonk! Some surprising things in there for sure: Condra has played exactly as many games as Chara, and one more than Havlat! Greening has played more games than Anderson! Cowen has played more games than Methot! Hoffman has played as many games as Gonchar!