Nashville Predators Craig Smith Quietly Facing Expectations
The Nashville Predators franchise winger is in prime position to mark best season of career.
The Nashville Predators declared Craig Smith a piece of their franchise’s core when they signed him to a 5-year deal entering last season, and he’s managed to prove his importance to Smashville, though his career is following an intriguing trajectory.
The team clearly missed the forward’s ability to manufacture momentum in the offensive zone during last year’s postseason, going a winless 0-3 without Smith on the ice when he missed time with a lower body injury. Even though his play only managed to record two playoff points, the disappearance of his motor was a glaring deficiency in Smashville’s game.
‘Crazylegs’ Craig Smith has been a consistent goal scorer, netting over 20 goals in each of the past three seasons. Though in a strange twist, his overall point production has been steadily dropping.
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Since the 2013-14 campaign, the Wisconsin native’s point totals have dropped from 52 to 44 to last year’s 37- something of a disappointment for a 26-year-old player who spent a good part of the season on the team’s hottest line. But here seems to lie an interesting trait of Smith’s- his play hasn’t suffered any noticeable decline, it just seems to not be translating into point scoring.
Problematic? Of course. You want your wingers to score. But it hasn’t stopped nearly anyone from continuing to project Craig Smith as one of the skaters the Nashville Predators will protect during the upcoming expansion draft.
The five-year pro uses his high-motor skating and grit to open up the ice, continually making the players around him better. Last year he displayed considerable chemistry with linemates Filip Forsberg, who led the team in points, and Mike Ribeiro, who pocketed a 50-point season, arguably overproducing for his ability at this stage of his career.
Smith and his positive impact on his team often goes unrecognized, serving as something like the Nashville Predator’s Andrew Shaw– except Smith puts the puck in the net. He has continually been a plus player in Smashville, and will be expected to continue the trend.
With the team’s talent level on the rise, Craig Smith will be counted on to help lead the Nashville Predators surge into the upper echelon of NHL franchises. Playing beside the skillsets of Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and P.K. Subban, Crazylegs should be able to return to 50+ point form in the 2016-17 season.
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