Player Discussion Is Zack Smith the real deal?

[Babych Moustache]

... value might still be 'high' at the draft too... but yes, probably best to sit on him and see how next year goes. No matter what, he's become much more of an asset this year. Nice to see.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

How anyone can think Smith is going to continue to shoot at over 20% is beyond me. It's far, far more likely that he'll be back to a serviceable bottom 6 player who scores about 12-15 goals next season.

I agree, but I also can see him as one of those "playoff heroes" scoring bottom 6 clutch goals.

As with everything, it all depends on price. 3rd round pick? No. 2nd round pick? probably not IMO. A legit #5 dman who can fill in #4 role with injuries thats solid and consistent? Yeah probably sign me up.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Let's say Smith doesn't repeat, but posts a 15 goal, 10 assist season. How much are you willing to give him to resign?

I'd do 4yrs at 11-13mil, probably not any more. That's a bout 2.75 - 3.25mil a year. I think it's a fair deal for both sides.

Is Zero the right answer? I don't want him to resign. I want to see him keep playing.
He had a great year this year. Showed versatility. Played like he cared. Good guy to have on your roster.

 

[Real Smart Sens Fan]

Is Zero the right answer? I don't want him to resign. I want to see him keep playing.
He had a great year this year. Showed versatility. Played like he cared. Good guy to have on your roster.

Haha dammit. RE-SIGN

 

[Sens Rule]

I'm continually amazed at how most seem to be missing the obvious...so I will say this.
If Smith plays most of the year with Stone...then yes, he'll have another career year...and if not...well then back to old Zack.

And it wasn't just Zack..Stone improved everybody he played with this past year...all year long, whatever line he was on...was the line that was producing...regardless of what line-mates he had.

The same thing can be said of Pageau. Smith scored plenty before Stone joined them. Pageau and Smith have some serious chemistry. Both should start together on the third line and on the PK.

 

[FlyingJ]

I agree, but I also can see him as one of those "playoff heroes" scoring bottom 6 clutch goals.

As with everything, it all depends on price. 3rd round pick? No. 2nd round pick? probably not IMO. A legit #5 dman who can fill in #4 role with injuries thats solid and consistent? Yeah probably sign me up.

That really is the issue: what could the Sens get for him. If it were a top 4 D, then yes, do it (though I honestly wonder if the Sens would dismiss that trade since they seem to think Ceci is already a legit top 4...despite his underlying numbers being pretty poor).

If some team were stupid enough to offer up a 1st round pick (looks over at Jim Benning and the Canucks ), then you're damn right you take that. But since both that and the top 4 D are unlikely, probably best to keep him.

The other issue, and this I really fear, is that the Sens will offer him a long-term extension this summer, somewhere over $3.5 M, maybe even over $4 M per season. That would just be...ugh.

 

[lafite]

The same thing can be said of Pageau. Smith scored plenty before Stone joined them. Pageau and Smith have some serious chemistry. Both should start together on the third line and on the PK.

I agree. The thing is though, if they are put on the third line in a shut-down role, you can't expect Smith to get as many goals. That's fine, if that's what happens, but some will just say it is proof that this year was a fluke for him. Personally, I couldn't believe his shot this year. He is also one of a select few who can muscle their way to the slot.

 

[operasen]

I agree. The thing is though, if they are put on the third line in a shut-down role, you can't expect Smith to get as many goals. That's fine, if that's what happens, but some will just say it is proof that this year was a fluke for him. Personally, I couldn't believe his shot this year. He is also one of a select few who can muscle their way to the slot.

A Smith - Pageau - Stone line would have to be a No2 at least.

That leaves a 1, 3 open between Zibanejad and Turris. If Zibanejad comes to camp hungry and in shape it will be a difficult choice. I do see MacArthur starting on the 3rd to protect him a bit with Hoffman on the 1st. Hoffman - Zibanejad - Dzingel has some jam but is Dzingel really a No1 RW? (probably not). Is Ryan? (probably not at his current rate). Is Lazar?

Hoffman - Zibanejad - Lazar
Smith - Pageau - Stone
MacArthur - Turris - Ryan

Lines 1 & 3 are interchangeable depending on which is going better on a current night or situation.

Leaves a Puempel - Paul - Neil/White 4th

 

[Canadian Time]

Smith is the one player that I want to see how Boucher influences. He had a fantastic year, yeah he probably punched above his weight but I happen to think he is more valuable than most.

You have to let him try to keep going on one of the top two lines to see if he can keep doing it. How long though?

Interesting player, you don't fluke what he did last year but I think he might work well with Stone. When I see Stone at these World Champ games, he seems to be able to set up most players and just needs someone to be able to stand in front of the net, take punishment and direct it in.

I like Smith and am pulling for him to keep it up.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Smith has always had a pretty good shot aside from when he was coming back from his dislocated wrist. He's also been willing to get into the hard areas. That's one thing you can say about his goal scored this season

 

[Do Make Say Think]

And he is one of the few on the team that goes to the dirty areas.

If we had more players willing to pay the price to get to the net he wouldn't be as critical to the line-up.

 

[Proust*]

Unequivocally, no.


But he's a guy you want on your team if you make the playoffs. He will just throw his body at opposing players with a complete disregard for his own safety. You need that. Guys who don't even need sticks in their hands. There is a role for them.

 

[Boud]

That depends on what's your definition of ''the real deal''.

Zack Smith has always been a much better than average 4rth line centre that can pot 12-14 goals, good on face-offs and can play PK. For a bottom 6 player, there really isn't much more that you can ask from Zack Smith. He can play with an edge, he can play on a grinding line, he can play with more skilled players too, and I think that's a great asset to have.

That being said, having Zack Smith at that salary right now is a luxury we likely won't be able to afford long term. Depth is extremely important, especially when it comes to long and tough playoffs and guys like Zack Smith can help you handle the long and tough minutes that top 6 players have to go through, and also injuries. I have always really liked Zack Smith, I still see him for what he is and what he's always been, a really good bottom 6 option. He had a tough season last year but overall we have a much bigger sample size and he's still a relatively young player.

I see Smith getting a 12-15 goals like he usually does, which is perfect for what's his role. With MacArthur likely back and hopefully Hoffman signed, Smith will probably play with Pageau on the 3rd line which means we should have a very good group of forwards. Anything more than that is just a bonus for me.

The handling of Smith will be very interesting. I'd really like for us to keep him but as I just said, he's likely a premium we can't afford, especially if he gets 20+ goals once again. So do we keep him and trade him at the deadline? but by then we may be in a playoff spot and we'll likely want to keep him ...

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Like Cody Ceci, unsustainable shooting percentage. Good 3rd of 4th liner that should be traded for assets ASAP instead of overspending on him.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Like Cody Ceci, unsustainable shooting percentage. Good 3rd of 4th liner that should be traded for assets ASAP instead of overspending on him.

I was waiting for this.

We just had a perennial 4th liner break out, and now looks like a great capable 3rd liner and fill-in second liner. We better trade him now for a second round pick that may or may not ever become as good!

#assetmanagement

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

I was waiting for this.

We just had a perennial 4th liner break out, and now looks like a great capable 3rd liner and fill-in second liner. We better trade him now for a second round pick that may or may not ever become as good!

#assetmanagement

Yeah it boggles my mind.

Imagine if the Senators get another legit top 6 player, as seems to be the intention of Dorien. Then you can have a third line of Macarthur-Pageau-Smith That's as good a third line as there is in the league, it could do a bit of everything.

Regardless,you need players like Smith. Especially if you want to do stuff in the playoffs. As skilled as the Sens are up front, they're rather soft. Smith is a very important piece to the senators, even if he only scores 10 goals next year.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Hard to believe that he scored 25 goals, but he was also put in a new role with good players.

Performing well in a new situation with better line-mates looks better for the future than having a good year in the same role that you also had some 'meh' years.

Smith is officially a 20 goal guy now, and should get a chance to show he can do it again next year before wondering about a trade.

Like many have already said, he is so much more valuable to us if he can be a steady 20ish goal guy, than whatever we could get by trading him when his value is "highest".

Maybe the trade will net us a 20ish goal guy type thing.

Smith's confidence has got to be sky high right now, and with a brand new coaching staff he's gonna get a different role on the team moving forward, and it likely isn't going to be fourth line grinder.

Whether you think he can sustain it or not, he has earned the chance to show that he can.

 

[trentmccleary]

Solid guy to have at 25 points with a lot of value adds: defense, face-off ability, toughness, can play 2 positions and apparently fill-in on the top-6. Would be nice to keep him, but I would expose him to expansion.

 

[aragorn]

Smith is the one player that I want to see how Boucher influences. He had a fantastic year, yeah he probably punched above his weight but I happen to think he is more valuable than most.

You have to let him try to keep going on one of the top two lines to see if he can keep doing it. How long though?

Interesting player, you don't fluke what he did last year but I think he might work well with Stone. When I see Stone at these World Champ games, he seems to be able to set up most players and just needs someone to be able to stand in front of the net, take punishment and direct it in.

I like Smith and am pulling for him to keep it up.

Smith has always been a good player who was injured early last yr & missed most of the yr, he didn't have an off yr HE WAS INJURED & it took some time to recover & be healthy again. People crap all over him because he wasn't a fancy player, he played a ROLE which the coach wanted him to play on the 4th line for most of his career here. He always had a good shot, he was always good at faceoffs & he was always tough to play against. Finally he got to play with some skilled guys & specifically Stone who is a great playmaker & started getting him the puck in the slot & Smith started putting the puck in & showed he also has some offensive skill. People just never saw that in him before because all of the coaches up to last yr had him playing a 4th line role.

IT WASN"T A FLUKE, he has always had a good shot but got to play with a great player in a different role who got him the puck consistently in good scoring areas & good things happened. Zack Smith is exactly what this team needs more of, bigger tougher players who can play in the playoffs & not so many soft players who are easy to play against, we have too many of those. He's good defensively, he's good on faceoffs, he's tough to play against, he's good on the boards & he can score & he's cheap, why the HELL would you trade such a good player like that & for what?

And he is one of the few on the team that goes to the dirty areas.

If we had more players willing to pay the price to get to the net he wouldn't be as critical to the line-up.

Exactly, Ottawa has TOO MANY SOFT players. Look at the playoffs this yr & how hard the hockey is, I'm not sure the Sens would compete very well with the tough hockey I'm watching. St Louis, San Jose & Tampa are all big tough heavy teams, I'm not sure Ottawa could compete with them in a 7 game playoff round. Ottawa needs to get tougher, not become smaller & softer.

I was waiting for this.

We just had a perennial 4th liner break out, and now looks like a great capable 3rd liner and fill-in second liner. We better trade him now for a second round pick that may or may not ever become as good!

#assetmanagement

It's unbelieveable! This team is so easy to play against which is why they are so poor defensively & the one guy that is very hard to play against people want to trade. Just makes no sense but hey we should bring back Prince instead who can stick handle with the best of them but contributes almost nothing.

Solid guy to have at 25 points with a lot of value adds: defense, face-off ability, toughness, can play 2 positions and apparently fill-in on the top-6. Would be nice to keep him, but I would expose him to expansion.

I was finally starting to agree with you then you had to add that last part. I would protect Smith over Pageau, MacArthur & Ryan although because of the money Ryan is getting we will be forced to protect the marshmallow.

 

[trentmccleary]

I was finally starting to agree with you then you had to add that last part. I would protect Smith over Pageau, MacArthur & Ryan although because of the money Ryan is getting we will be forced to protect the marshmallow.

Ryan has an NMC, so he needs to be protected. Also, the team did give up quite a bit for him.

Pageau is better. He faster, more talented and a lot younger.

MacArthur should be exposed.

Stone, Turris, Zibanejad, Ryan, Hoffman, Pageau, Lazar.

I like Smith and would like him to stay for under $3M. But if I even went that high, it'd be short term. He's not a good candidate to take on a bigger role because he's slow. Worse for him, because we already have a few slower players in the top-6.

At this point in the leagues history, slow makes teams worse defensively than small.

 

[aragorn]

Ryan has an NMC, so he needs to be protected. Also, the team did give up quite a bit for him.

Pageau is better. He faster, more talented and a lot younger.

MacArthur should be exposed.

Stone, Turris, Zibanejad, Ryan, Hoffman, Pageau, Lazar.

I like Smith and would like him to stay for under $3M. But if I even went that high, it'd be short term. He's not a good candidate to take on a bigger role because he's slow. Worse for him, because we already have a few slower players in the top-6.

At this point in the leagues history, slow makes teams worse defensively than small.

Agreed, except I think that if Lazar in his 3rd yr can find more offence to his game I think he has the potential to replace Pageau as the 3rd line centre. That would allow Ottawa to bring up Paul as their 4th line centre without losing a lot of speed & making the team bigger especially down the centre. Having said that though, Pageau is so popular in this town I just don't see it happening, Pageau may actually put too many bums in the seats to trade anytime soon.

 

[tony d]

I think he'll be nothing more than a top 9 forward.

 

[Ice-Tray]

I think he'll be nothing more than a top 9 forward.

.... in the NHL, which is great news for us and our forward depth

 

[Burrowsaurus]

As long as he's cheap I'm cool with him.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

As long as he's cheap I'm cool with him.

Cheap, and continues that same level of hustle we saw last year. Even if he never breaks 20 or even 15 goals again, that hustle and energy on the bottom six has good value.