After having an arbitration hearing on Monday, the Nashville Predators and Craig Smith have come to an agreement on a new contract as opposed to waiting to hear the ruling. The deal is worth five years, and will play him a total of $21.25 million – an average annual value of $4.25 million.
The former fourth round pick and Wisconsin Badger scored 20 goals for the second consecutive season and was among the team’s leading scoring threats during their short lived playoff run. Throughout his career, Smith has scored 144 points (65 G, 79 A) in 277 games – all with Nashville.
Smith, 25, finished fifth on the team in scoring with 44 points and his new deal will make him the fifth highest paid player – by AAV – on the Predators.
Craig Smith’s New Contract Already A Bargain
The cap hit, $4.25 million, puts him in some pretty unique company when it comes to fellow right wingers who make that kind of money, and in terms of his 2015 production – he belongs in the same class.
Smith’s even strength numbers fit right in with the likes of Patric Hornqvist, T.J. Oshie, Jaromir Jagr – even Jakub Voracek. With a 1.91 Points/60 total, he beat out names like David Perron, Jagr, and Justin Williams. His Goals-For% was as good as any right wingers – regardless of pay value – as was his ability to drive action towards the opponent’s net (Corsi-For %).
It wasn’t just his 2015 that got him his big payday, but also the steady progression he has shown since his rookie season in 2011. Outside a very forgettable 2012-2013 season that saw him score only four goals in 44 games (had a 4.8 shooting percentage), Smith has progressively gotten better in just about all his even strength numbers.
General Manager David Polie spoke of Smith’s contributions to the team, and his possible progression,
“With Craig’s durability, work ethic, and intensity, we see him continuing to build on his recent production and be a valuable contributor to our offensive attack for the next five seasons.”
He has steadily improved his Goals/60, Corsi-For%, Total On-Ice Goals/60 in each of his three seasons (excluding the 2012 season). Smith also produced on the power play, scoring six goals with a man-advantage, good for a tie with Filip Forsberg for second on the team and only behind Mike Fisher.
Already with one of the best defensive cores in all of hockey, the Predators have always lacked the goal scoring to match their blue line. With the emergence of Forsberg and now Smith, Nashville is quickly making strides to even up the two.
The future appears to be very bright for both Smith and the Predators. The Madison, Wisconsin native has showed every sign that he will continue to get better, which could lead to this contract being a steal. Matching up his contract to the others that make a similar amount, it already looks like it is.
