Confirmed with Link: Sabres sign CJ Smith (UMass-Lowell LW)

[Chainshot]

 

[joshjull]

Don't get the huge difference in time there.

 

[Chainshot]

So the hits just keep coming...



If he's back on crutches, I doubt he gets a late-season look at all.

 

[Chainshot]

Back on the ice and practicing. Wooohoo!

 

[Chainshot]

Five goals and three assists in his last 6 games. Might be time to get a call-up.

 

[Dreakon13]

Reading through seeing all the talk of him in boots and on crutches and I'm like "shit, he's hurt again?" Then noticed it was all Feb-Mar-Apr 2018.

He definitely deserves a look.

 

[vcv]

Five goals and three assists in his last 6 games. Might be time to get a call-up.

If he's not one of the late-season re-enforcements that Botts has mentioned, I will be shocked.

 

[Chainshot]

If he's not one of the late-season re-enforcements that Botts has mentioned, I will be shocked.

Given his hot streak and complete play, I'm wondering if he'll be sooner rather than later. They can't continue to get no production out of the middle 6.

 

[Chainshot]

#FreeSmith

 

[Chainshot]

Two more tonight. So glad he got a chance in offensive situations on his recall. Like... they could've seen if he could handle the energy role in a scoring line instead of getting Sobotka'd.

 

[Rastin]

Yeah, CJ just seems like the type of player that can produce at any level (at his level), while being a 3 zone player. He needs to be a full timer next year.

 

[Chainshot]

So... let's talk Smith. Jack needs a defensive conscience out there, still. Smith is a high-energy, 3-zone player who has yet to get an opportunity in any minutes regular run with Eichel to see if he could potentially be the Hyman to Jack's Matthews.

I'm not impressed with the slotting by the brain trust, the limited usage, the idiocy of stapling him to Sobotka on his recall or tossing him into the Larry-Gus tandem in d-heavier rotation so his splits were 60-40 defensive to offensive zone start. Nylander is almost 70% offensive zone start, while Olofsson is a pleasant surprise at almost 50-50 (53-47 to the offensive side). I get that the purely offensive skills of VO and AN are higher than Smith's, but his use as a puck hound can and should be further explored going into next season. Yes, there is only one game left, yes, they wasted an opportunity to see if they had something... but there is a real need for a Hecht to Eichel's Briere.

 

[Irving Zisman]

So... let's talk Smith. Jack needs a defensive conscience out there, still. Smith is a high-energy, 3-zone player who has yet to get an opportunity in any minutes regular run with Eichel to see if he could potentially be the Hyman to Jack's Matthews.

I'm not impressed with the slotting by the brain trust, the limited usage, the idiocy of stapling him to Sobotka on his recall or tossing him into the Larry-Gus tandem in d-heavier rotation so his splits were 60-40 defensive to offensive zone start. Nylander is almost 70% offensive zone start, while Olofsson is a pleasant surprise at almost 50-50 (53-47 to the offensive side). I get that the purely offensive skills of VO and AN are higher than Smith's, but his use as a puck hound can and should be further explored going into next season. Yes, there is only one game left, yes, they wasted an opportunity to see if they had something... but there is a real need for a Hecht to Eichel's Briere.

Agreed. Smith was simply not given nearly as fair of a shake as Nylander, VO, and the other call-ups when you consider zone starts, usage and getting Sobonered.

Long term, I like his upside on a 2-way line with Reinhart (and with hopefully our shiny, new 2-way center) as the glue-guy, Hecht type that wins board battles and keeps the o-zone cycle going. I think he can be a positive possession, 15/20 forward that doesn't look out of place against top competition. Every team needs those types in their lineup.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Is Smith a Hawkeye Hecht?

Seriously though. It’s not an AN, VO, or CJ thing. It’s an AN, VO, and CJ need.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Straight talk - Sabres need to find a way to ditch underperforming veteran forwards and get Smith, Nylander, and VO in the lineup. Plus make a spot for Kakko.

 

[Icicle]

Surprised Sheary didn’t really get injured this year. Smith was poised to take all those minutes when it would’ve happened

 

[Chainshot]

Digging around in some primary point production at the AHL level for this year: Found Mr. Smith was 6th in the league with 34 in only 62 games. I'm not saying this is an indicator of NHL success, just that I was impressed when I found it. Going back a few years, I see guys like Ryan Carpenter, Derek Ryan and Frank Vatrano as being in the top 16.

Marchessault, Gourde, Connor Brown, Weal... interesting. Not a pattern so much as affirmation I guess.

 

[Team Cozens]

Digging around in some primary point production at the AHL level for this year: Found Mr. Smith was 6th in the league with 34 in only 62 games. I'm not saying this is an indicator of NHL success, just that I was impressed when I found it. Going back a few years, I see guys like Ryan Carpenter, Derek Ryan and Frank Vatrano as being in the top 16.

Marchessault, Gourde, Connor Brown, Weal... interesting. Not a pattern so much as affirmation I guess.

Where in the lineup do you see CJ Smith playing? 4th line? Who would he replace?

Skinner - Eichel - Oloffson
Ferland - Cirelli - Reinhart
Nylander - Mitts - Acciari
CJ Smith - Larry - Okposo


Does Smith take the Girgs spot?
Replace Sheary, Pomer and Sobotka

 

[Chainshot]

Where in the lineup do you see CJ Smith playing? 4th line? Who would he replace?

Skinner - Eichel - Oloffson
Ferland - Cirelli - Reinhart
Nylander - Mitts - Acciari
CJ Smith - Larry - Okposo


Does Smith take the Girgs spot?
Replace Sheary, Pomer and Sobotka

I would've like to see him in Sheary's role last season for a time rather than getting SoboTaged. Can he be a fetch-it guy on a scoring line? I'm interested to see if he could be rather than pigeon-holing him like Phil did.

 

[gallagt01]

Digging around in some primary point production at the AHL level for this year: Found Mr. Smith was 6th in the league with 34 in only 62 games. I'm not saying this is an indicator of NHL success, just that I was impressed when I found it. Going back a few years, I see guys like Ryan Carpenter, Derek Ryan and Frank Vatrano as being in the top 16.

Marchessault, Gourde, Connor Brown, Weal... interesting. Not a pattern so much as affirmation I guess.

Is he waiver-eligible next season? Or is he still exempt?

I would hope he's figuring into the NHL roster plans for next season.

 

[Chainshot]

Is he waiver-eligible next season? Or is he still exempt?

I would hope he's figuring into the NHL roster plans for next season.

No, he's eligible so he'd have to be waived to be sent down. After the year he had though, it would be painful to see him sent down without at least giving him a look at something more than a door opener on the SoboTage'd line. Heck, maybe he's the inhouse replacement to a high defensive zone deployment line since he's an energetic, straight line player who seemed plenty invested in hard stops and hard starts. Or maybe he can be a glue guy. We know he wasn't afforded that opportunity in his recalls.

 

[Jame]

He should've been the guy bringing offense to the Larsson line, without bringing down the defensive acument of said line.... ALL YEAR....

How we handled our forward options and groupings was bizarre all year.

Smith-Larsson-Erod is a modern NHL 4th line

 

[Dingo44]

The good news is everyone should be on a clean slate with a new coach. He has as good an opportunity as anyone.

 

[NEcoli]

He should've been the guy bringing offense to the Larsson line, without bringing down the defensive acument of said line.... ALL YEAR....

How we handled our forward options and groupings was bizarre all year.

Smith-Larsson-Erod is a modern NHL 4th line

Yep. O'Regan should've been given a shot on the bottom lines as well.

 

[old kummelweck]

Larsson is gone, folks.