Zack Smith

[pearcey]

Why does he play 15 minutes a night? Honestly why? Scoring is down 33% from last year. We don't need him defensively with Grant, Turris, Spezza. I keep hearing he is our most consistent player. What is that honestly good for? Possession time? Because last time i checked that doesn't win games. The secondary scoring on this team has been atrocious this year and I'm looking right at Zack Smith who centers that 3rd line. Just some stats here but in 154 games played Neil, Smith, Condra, Greening, Conacher, Pageau, Kassian, Grant, Da Costa have scored 11 goals and 25 points. While in 120 games played Phillips, Cowen, Corvo, Gryba, Wiercoich, Methot and Boro have scored 8 goals and 33 points(9 points on PP). Most of those defensemen are defensive defensemen.

Overall we need more offense coming from other lines. Smith is taking up 15 minutes when really he would be most effective with 8 or 9. I don't care if he is playing the best hockey of his career,if he isn't helping us win he is helping us lose. Also the same goes for Neil. Much more effective at 8 minutes, more energy per shift.

My personal solution is to either bring up Pageau or trade Smith+ to get a decent winger(Brad Boyes) that can play with Spezza and move Zibanejad to the 3rd line center role. I completely understand this isn't the main problem right now but with Murray stating he isn't going to make any moves this is the one problem we can fix from inside the organization by sitting/sending down Smith and bringing in Pageau. I understand we are clearly on a strict budget but if we aren't bringing Pageau up because we can't send someone like Smith down that is ridicuolous. Smith just doesn't deserve the time he is getting and there is someone that is better for the team that can replace him on the 3rd and 4th line(Grant and Pageau). For those who think Pageau lost his spot because he didn't preform when he had the chance how is an offensive player supposed to preform with Kassian on his wing? Another example of Paul Mclean bringing someone in with no opportunity to succeed and every opportunity to fail.

My forward lines with the team we have now would be

MacArthur - Turris - Ryan
Michalek - Spezza - Zibanejad
Greening - Pageau - Condra
Conacher - Grant - Neil

Give me your thoughts and opinions on Smith, Pageau and what our lines should be.

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[Tundraman]

We'll all have our opinion on this but for me Zack is not the problem. We don't have another physical checking centre like him and he can also play left wing very well. Maybe in the long term he will be centering a 4th line (or play 3rd line lw) when the team gets better but right now we have no one else who has shown he is better than him to play the 3rd line centre minutes.

Do you really believe that playing Pageau on a line with Greening and Condra on wings would make them play better just by calling them the 3rd line? Greening is a big part of the problem and Condra's game has really fallen off this year too. Do you think Conacher who at least is still a plus player will start scoring on the 4th line and how will this make Grant finally score a goal to help the team. Sorry I can't agree with those lines. Based on their current play IMO Grant Greening and Condra / Neil should be on our 4th line but look at what is left to shuffle around and there is still something missing on 2 of the lines.

As long as we have 8 full time D on the roster it makes it difficult to bring anyone else up from Bingo to try to fill the holes. I'm not unhappy with Grant's play at all in a checking role but it is a numbers game so like I said before barring an injury elsewhere I still believe he's the one on the bubble so they could exchange a checker for a potential scorer like Hoffman, Pageau or maybe even Stone.

 

[SenzZen]

Oh boy

 

[4thlineduster]

Maybe I interpreted your post the wrong way.....but are you implying we don't need Smith in his defensive role because we have Spezza? If that's the case, it seems to me you are implying Spezza is a contributor defensively. If that is what you are implying.....then you lost any and all credibility.

 

[YNWA14]

Smith has been one of our better and more consistent players this season. He's not an all-star, but he does his job well. He is definitely not the problem with this team.

 

[NyQuil]

Yeah, he hasn't been great, but as far as this team goes, he's not a problem.

 

[Milan the God*]

He's improved this season. He was awful to start the year but has been solid most games since.

 

[Lenny the Lynx]

Its funny that we have one of these threads after every loss, with a seemingly randomly selected player as the focus.

 

[stev0888]

I disagree with the notion of getting rid of Smith, and in fact I would love to have one or two more Smith's one this team.

Of the bottom six, I'd say only two players have preformed better than expected; Grant and Smith. Smith has brought stability and a decent faceoff ability to the team (over 58% in 2 of the past 5). I am always worried when he has the puck in the defensive zone... but have come to realize its not because he can't skate or pass, he just simply plays with No-Pass-Greening and Chris Neil.

If anything, I think our center depth is our only position of strength ATM.

 

[GimmeMyJetpack]

Meh I find Smith is overrated by Maclean. Great on the draws. Ok defensively. He barely even plays the PK so obviously his defense isnt great. He has games where he is really flying but the majority of the time he looks unimpressive. Maybe if he didnt have to play with Neil he would look better I'm not really sure but he's been far from consistent and far from impressive. With that said he's still pretty young, has a bit of the vermette and Foligno bug...in which he looks like he should be putting in more goals and points but never seems to be able to do it. Would be an elite 4th line center if they decided to put someone else at 3rd Line C.

 

[Oil For The Boys]

I actually really like Smith this year. His speed is incredibly underrated around here and he's stopped taking so many stupid penalties. Greening-Smith-Neil all play a role and they do it very well. Scoring isn't their game. Although I have been impressed with how much Neil's been scoring.

I'm probably also the only one who likes Greening's game. You can visibly tell at least that he's trying really hard every shift, leads the team in hits, but he's unlucky right now.

 

[Benjamin]

Smith has been great but needs to play with offensive players. Not Neil and Greening.

 

[BK201]

The problem is the whole team throws the towel in, where as the past 2 years they would play hard the whole game.

People respected us fit our no quit attitude. What was yesterday after those 3 goals? Laying down and quiting.

 

[WhiteLight*]

Smith has been great but needs to play with offensive players. Not Neil and Greening.

Being dragged down for sure

 

[SenzZen]

Its funny that we have one of these threads after every loss, with a seemingly randomly selected player as the focus.

Not exactly random.

I mean- the wheel decides.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

Not exactly random.

I mean- the wheel decides.

Brilliant

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Not exactly random.

I mean- the wheel decides.

It makes so much sense now.

Although i think a few people have Spezza's face on every slot of the wheel

 

[YNWA14]

I was going to say. I think the wheel looks a little different for some people than others.

 

[Sensinitis]

Wheel should be: Melnyk Greening Melnyk Michalek Cowen Greening Melnyk Neil Gryba Phillips Melnyk Spezza Melnyk Neil Phillips Melnyk Cowen Anderson MacLean Wiercioch Melnyk.

 

[SenzZen]

It makes so much sense now.

Although i think a few people have Spezza's face on every slot of the wheel

I was going to say. I think the wheel looks a little different for some people than others.

Wheel should be: Melnyk Greening Melnyk Michalek Cowen Greening Melnyk Neil Gryba Phillips Melnyk Spezza Melnyk Neil Phillips Melnyk Cowen Anderson MacLean Wiercioch Melnyk.

Oh, ok sure, guys.

Blame the wheel, now...

 

[NyQuil]

I blame the sun.

 

[mcnorth]

The problem is that Smith has been one of our most reliable and consistent forwards.

That's an issue. That means you have an incredibly mediocre group of forwards. If Smith is doing anything for you other than playing fourth line minutes, chirping, and winning the occasional face-off for you - then your team might stink.

 

[HockeySens]

Easy. Keep Z. Smith, get rid of Greening, Bring grant down, Call up Hoffman and Pageau.