NHL Free Agency opened on July 1, and while many of the best free agents have new contracts, a few quality players remain. One of those players is Craig Smith. He has become a journeyman in recent years, most recently playing for the Detroit Red Wings after being traded from the Chicago Blackhawks. Now he is looking for potentially his sixth new club in just four seasons.
Smith broke into the NHL in the 2011-12 season and would become a mainstay on the Nashville Predators roster. From 2013-14 through 2018-19, he scored 20 or more goals in each season except one, while having 29 or more points in each of them as well. From there, he would sign with the Boston Bruins, but his goal production began to wane. He was keeping his assist total and defensive ability up still, though.
In 2022-23, Smith would be traded to the Washington Capitals during the season, and has since played with the Dallas Stars, Blackhawks and Red Wings. He has played in 987 regular-season games in his NHL career, in addition to 83 games in the playoffs. While the American-born forward is no longer the scoring threat he once was, he is still a strong defensive presence that will add veteran leadership to any team.
Here are a few realistic landing spots for Smith in the dog days of summer.
The Blue Jackets add veteran leadership
In NHL Free Agency, the Columbus Blue Jackets focused more on retaining players than adding. They brought in Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle through a trade with the Colorado Avalanche, while adding Isac Lundestrom in free agency. Lundestrom is currently projected to be the fourth-line center, but other players can fit in that spot, allowing Smith to take on a wing position on the fourth line. Further, Lundestrom does not add a lot of defense. He has also averaged just 20 points per 82 games played in his career.
Smith has been near that average in the last four seasons as he has traveled around the league. He also brings experience that Lundestrom does not. Not only has he played in 650 more games, but he has played in the playoffs, something Lundestrom has not done. Further, Smith is a more physical defending presence on the ice, having more hits in fewer games. The forward has not played in all 82 games of a season since 2015-16, so both players may be necessary, but signing the veteran would be a solid addition for a club trying to make a playoff run in 2025-26.
Craig Smith and the Bruins have a reunion
The former Boston Bruin could have a reunion with his old team this summer. From 2020-21 to 2022-23, before being traded, Smith played in 170 games for Boston, finding the back of the net 33 times while adding 45 assists. He was also part of two playoff runs, playing in 17 playoff games.
The Bruins have been connected to forwards to add scoring depth. Currently, Fraser Minten is expected to be some of that depth. He has just 25 games of NHL experience with three goals and two assists. While Smith has seen his scoring ability decline from when he was with the Bruins the first time, he will add more reliable depth than someone with little experience.
Replacing a player like Minten with Smith would also require someone else to play center. This would let Smith take a wing position. The Bruins do have options for players to play in the third or fourth line center position. He also gives Boston an insurance policy in case their young player falters at the NHL level.
The Sharks add to their bottom-6 forward group
The Blue Jackets could use a player like Smith to add depth with solid defense, plus experience in both the regular season and playoffs. The Bruins are lacking depth overall after they try to rebound from a down season in 2024-25. The San Jose Sharks will not contend in 2025-26, but have a very young roster that could benefit from adding a reliable veteran like Smith.
Many of their top forwards are under the age of 25. Macklin Celebrini is just 19, and he joins a line with the 22-year-old William Eklund. The second line is led by Will Smith, a 20-year-old. Beyond adding a player with nearly 1,000 games of experience, it also solves one other issue for the roster.
The NHL cap floor is currently projected at $65 million. The Sharks are currently just $1.1 million above that marker. This means if a player goes on long-term IR, they could potentially drop below the floor. The team has plenty of money to spend. Bringing in a solid defense presence to mentor their young players and help ensure they stay above the cap floor could be helpful.
A team signing a player like Smith will not be the difference between making the playoffs or not. Still, it could help shape the future of their franchise. He has adapted his game with age, focusing on being a strong defensive forward who can control one side of the ice from his wing position. Many teams often struggle to find that type of player, but one like Smith brings proven leadership and stability — and the Jackets, Bruins and Sharks should be inquiring.
