According to TSN’s Frank Seravalli, The Edmonton Oilers and free-agent goalie Mike Smith have agreed on a contract. Financial terms will be announced on July 1st when free agency officially opens.
Veteran goalie Mike Smith has chosen the #Oilers. He’s more or less trading places with Cam Talbot, who as we hinted on Monday, is heading to the #Flames.
More on what that means for Lehner, Mrazek, and the rest of the goalie market on @SportsCentre at 6pm ET.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 30, 2019
Mike Smith to Sign With the Edmonton Oilers
Over his 13-year NHL career Smith has played for the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, and Calgary Flames. He has a goals-against-average of 2.70, with a save percentage of .912 in 571 career games. The veteran netminder also has added 38 shutouts. Smith has a 243-236-68 record. He was originally drafted in the fifth round, 161st overall at the 2001 NHL draft by the Dallas Stars.
Last season he held a 2.72 goals-against-average and .898 save percentage. It was his worst save percentage registered in his NHL career. He also had two shutouts during the 2018-19 season. He collected a 23-16-2 record with the Flames.
What This Means for the Future
While Smith may be a veteran he also just turned 37-years-old. He had expressed that he’d like to come back to the Calgary Flames, but the team also has some other contracts to fit into their budget and has reportedly added former Oilers (and Flyers) goalie Cam Talbot. That means that Smith has become expendable. He moves to the Oilers who need a 1B option to go with Mikko Koskinen.
Smith has an eccentric goaltending style where he tends to wander from the security of his crease thinking he’s a defenseman and plays the puck. That can have good and bad consequences for where the puck ends up after he leaves his crease.
He’s still a serviceable netminder and can contribute when he’s on. That seems to be the issue though, that he runs hot and cold. Just look at his performance in the Flames first-round playoff games. He had a shutout in Game 1 and then gave up six goals later in the series.
