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Boston Bruins: Is Craig Smith the answer as the second line RW?

By Scott Roche

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 02: Craig Smith #15 of the Nashville Predators skates against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at Bridgestone Arena on March 02, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 02: Craig Smith #15 of the Nashville Predators skates against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at Bridgestone Arena on March 02, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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New free agent signee Craig Smith is a candidate to be the Bruins’ second-line right wing.

On the second day of free agency in October, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made his first move from outside the organization when he signed former Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith.

Signing the nine-year veteran adds depth to the Bruins’ middle-six forwards. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound right wing has scored at least 20 goals a season in five of his nine years with the Predators. He was on his way to reaching the feat for a sixth time this season when the NHL season was paused because of the coronavirus pandemic on March 12 with 18 goals.

Smith has 162 career goals and 168 assists for 330 points in 661 regular-season games. One thing is for sure, he’s not afraid to shoot the puck. He averaged 12 shots on net per 60 minutes of ice time. With linemates Nick Bonino and Rocco Grimaldi, the trio ranked fifth in the league last season in goals scored.

Can playing with Krejci can increase his goal total?

Second-line left wing Jake DeBrusk is still an unrestricted free agent. Whether or not he returns to Boston remains to be seen. David Krejci went through a rotating door on his right wing last season. Coach Bruce Cassidy tried many different options but never found consistency with DeBrusk and Krejci.

At the trade in February, Sweeney traded for Ondrej Kase from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for David Backes, defensive prospect Axel Andersson and Boston’s first-round pick in last month’s draft, hoping that Kase would be able to fill the void on the second line right win spot. Things did not work out as well as the Bruins had hoped as he recorded one assist in seven games before the league pause.

Things didn’t get any better in the Toronto playoff bubble as Kase had four assists in 11 postseason games. This is where Smith can come into play.

Smith has proven to be a secondary point producer in the NHL. The interesting thing with Smith being a 20-goal scorer in five years since being drafted 98th overall by Nashville in 2009, is can he increase his yearly goal total playing next to a playmaker like Krejci?

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It is easy to envision the 31-year old Smith being a 20-30 goal scorer for the Bruins and producing around 50 points. Given the Bruins’ need for secondary scoring and with Krejci’s play-making ability, can Smith get to near the 30 goal mark playing with the veteran center? Smith has the skill and goal-scoring history to be what the Black and Gold are missing on their second line.

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