Waived: Sens waive Zack Smith (upd: clears)

[harrisb]

Every year there are players who clear waivers then get traded very shortly thereafter even without retention. Just looking at transactions from around this time last year: Pedan, Deslauriers, Baun, Redmond, Martinsen, Pickard ... all waived during or after camp, cleared waivers, and traded shortly thereafter. It's kinda normal.

Lets break down those trades you mentioned:
Pedan - Pouliot was the cap dump that went to Vancouver and made the team better, not worse. Pedan couldn't crack the league
Deslaurier and Redmond were traded for each other - Neither could stay on an NHL roster and habs lucked out that Deslaurier played well. Again, improved team
Baun - Another AHLer, part of Plekanec trade to clear spots for kids
Martinsen - Again, 26yr old with 110 NHL games under his belt. Journeyman to provide toughness for Habs, again to make team better. Smith had 341 NHL games all with Ottawa by that age and it included a lockout year.
Pickard- Insurance for McElhinney to make the team better

What's common, none of those guys were 10 years vets and a leader on a team in rebuild. Every one of those moves was to make the team better and not worse.

 

[belair]

No one wants to pick up Smith's salary straight up though. He ain't going nowhere.

One of the Ottawa posters pointed it out earlier. Smith for Stone makes a lot of sense. So does Smith for TVR.

 

[Flameshomer]

One of the Ottawa posters pointed it out earlier. Smith for Stone makes a lot of sense. So does Smith for TVR.

Smith for stone only makes sense if you pay no attention to the flames needs. We have a glut of forwards pushing to make the NHL, and only Rasmus Andersson really pushing to make the D squad. I'd much rather hang onto stone in case of Hamonic injury or something than take on another huge contract for our 4th line. Makes no sense.

 

[Holymakinaw]

What's worse?

The current Sens team/management team? Or the Ballard years Leafs?

 

[Avelanche]

I am honestly surprised a few people here said that "he was going to get claimed for sure."

Shocked me.

A 4th line guy, who's 30 yrs old, has $3.25M for 3 more yrs, coming off 6 goals...

If he was a free agent this past summer he would get a 1 yr- $1M deal. Or a PTO.

NOBODY is begging to add this type of contract.

Not necessarily true, depth guys have gotten deals after one bad year on a terrible team. Teams will pay vet 3rd/4th liners who have shown they can play for years especially guys like smith who can do more then eat ice time. No way he gets near 3.25M with that length though.

 

[CraigBillington]

Dorion is lucky he wasn't GMing in the 60s...

Sam Pollock would have turned the Senators into a glorified farm team

 

[rt]

From Arizona, I’d offer Josh Archibald for Smith with 25% retained. Saves Melnyk a bunch of cash and gets a warm body that’s also guy a reputation as great in the room and max effort and hustle type.

 

[belair]

Smith for stone only makes sense if you pay no attention to the flames needs. We have a glut of forwards pushing to make the NHL, and only Rasmus Andersson really pushing to make the D squad. I'd much rather hang onto stone in case of Hamonic injury or something than take on another huge contract for our 4th line. Makes no sense.

Prout?

I don't see the Flames valuing Mike Stone too highly. I am aware of their interest last season in Smith though.

 

[Flameshomer]

Prout?

I don't see the Flames valuing Mike Stone too highly. I am aware of their interest last season in Smith though.

Prout sucks- total pylon. The reported interest in smith was dubious at best (most flames fans called it out for hack job reporting right away), and the need has entirely evaporated with the acquisition of 2 RH centres in Derek Ryan and Elias Lindholm (with Ryan specifically being brought in to fill smith's potential role).

Meanwhile, they thought highly enough of Stone to move him into the 2nd pairing when Hamonic missed games.

 

[tucker3434]

Okay, so, why? Was it really purely on the extremely thin hope someone would take his salary off their hands? I really don’t see how the Sens are better off now than they were 36 hours ago.

 

[Wingsfan 4 life]

What's worse?

The current Sens team/management team? Or the Ballard years Leafs?

IMO Melnyk has quite a ways to go to out ****storm Ballard. The Sens stuff right now is actually tame compared to the crap that Ballard constantly put Leafs fans through for 20 something years.

 

[Stuzchuk]

good for the sens!! at least he cleared

f*** YOU Melnyk, I hope someone runs you over on the side of the street, wherever you are

 

[greasysnapper]

So no team would claim him for free but will now give us assets for him? Hmm, great plan, I can't wait to see how this works out. There is literally no chance that Melnyk retains any salary.

Not necessarily for Smith, because I think Smith sucks but...

If there was a player I had some interest in but it put me up against the wire (50), and he cleared, I'd rather trade a nothing contract for that player. Like a Steve Olesky or Andrew Agozzino type. Contracts matter.