NHL

Bruins Sign Craig Smith to Three-Year, $9.3 Million Deal

Well, the Bruins finally made a somewhat big move in free agency.

Saturday morning, the Bruins announced they signed former Predators forward Craig Smith to a three-year deal at $3.1 million per.

By no means is Smith a gaudy free agent signing, but he certainly brings value and scoring depth to a team that desperately needs it.

The 31-year-old put up 20 or more goals in five of his past seven seasons. If the 2019-20 regular season wasn’t shortened due to COVID-19, he most likely would’ve put up at least 20 again (he finished with 18).

Smith looks even better from an advanced analytics perspective.

His 67.62 Corsi For per 60 ranked eighth among the rest of the NHL last season. His Expected Goals For per 60 was also very encouraging, coming in at 2.97, which was good for tenth.

The question then becomes where does he fit in the Bruins lineup?

The most obvious spot for Smith would be on Charlie Coyle’s right side on the third line. However, due to his scoring consistency, Smith could also slot in well on the right side of David Krejci.

Yes, he’s not Taylor Hall. That’s obvious. But this is a great value signing that the Bruins know will be consistent for them over those three years.

Evan Marinofsky

Recent Posts

Celtics Collapse in Second Half, End Road Trip with Loss vs Nuggets | Garden Report Postgame Show on CLNS Media

The Celtics end their road trip with a 103-84 loss in Denver. Boston hit their…

1 day ago

Hugo Gonzalez Reflects on Luka Doncic Matchup as Celtics Wings Thrive

PHOENIX -- Hugo González attended Real Madrid's camps around the time a budding Slovenian star…

2 days ago

Jayson Tatum Shoots Down Notion of a March 1 Return Date

LOS ANGELES -- NBC flexed the Celtics' home game next Sunday to 8 p.m. from…

5 days ago

Who Has the Edge in USA vs Canada? | Poke the Bear

In this episode of Poke The Bear, Conor and Ty preview Sunday's Gold-Medal showdown between…

5 days ago

Larry Bird and Kevin McHale: Not Best Friends — Just Champions

When people think of the 1980s Boston Celtics, they think of banners. They think of…

6 days ago

Where the Patriots Must Improve in the Offseason | All 32 NFL Podcast w/ Mike Giardi

Mike is joined by Dan Fetes of Buffalo Plus. The two discuss the Pats' season…

6 days ago