Smith joins the Bruins after spending his entire nine-year career with the Nashville Predators, for whom he scored 20 or more goals five times. The Wisconsin native will, no doubt, boost Boston's middle-six scoring prowess, whether he finds himself on the right side with David Krejci or Charlie Coyle.
"Just looking at the lineup and playing against that team…when we play Boston, that's a team that just has my full attention with that first line with [David] Pastrnak - that was one of the best lines that I think I've ever played against," said Smith. "To get to be able to work with those guys - as far as the team and where I'm going to fit in, I have to come in and earn that and earn the respect from the guys.
"[Who I play with] will sort it all out. I'm excited to be part of the group and be able to chip in any way possible and any area. I'm going to be there for it. I'm excited and willing. Like I said, we're just ecstatic to get there and get to work."
Everything else you need to know about the newest member of the Boston Bruins:
Last Team: Nashville Predators
Position: Right wing
Height: 6 feet, 1 inch
Weight: 208 pounds
Shoots: Right
Birthday: September 5, 1989
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
Miscellaneous: The 31-year-old winger has spent all nine of his NHL seasons with the Nashville Predators, five times potting at least 20 goals. In 2019-20, Smith collected 18 goals and 31 points in 69 games.
Smith posted career highs in goals (24) and points (52) in 2013-14, his breakout campaign with the Predators, before going on to score 20 goals in four of the next five seasons. For his career, Smith has 162 goals and 330 points in 661 games.
The Wisconsin native, who was part of the Predators team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, is coming off of a five-year contract that was worth an annual NHL cap hit of $4.25 million.
Smith was drafted by Nashville in the fourth round (89th overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft. Prior to debuting with the Predators, he played two seasons with the University of Wisconsin and three seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL.
"I'm just excited to have another opportunity and, especially, to come into a great organization like this," said Smith. "Nothing but good things to say from Nashville, had a great time there, a good run. But it was time for us to move on and my wife, [Aleah], and I feel that this is the best step for us.
"There's different things that we looked at. And with our options, we looked at obviously, the team, the organization, the people that we'd be working with. The city has a big part to do with it. My wife is in love with Boston and I've always had a soft side for it so that definitely checked it.
"Those were two of the big boxes that we wanted to check and definitely checked them off, so we're excited."
Scouting Report: The 6-foot-1, 208-pound winger adds some size and strength to the Bruins' right side, as well as some much-needed 5-on-5 pop, an area that Boston has lacked in recent years. Of Smith's 162 career goals, 120 have come at even strength. He was third on the Predators in shots on goal with 184 last season.
"Five-on-five scoring, five out of the last seven years, he's top-20 in goals," said Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. "Everybody advertised him as a an absolute true professional. He's a true right-winger, volume shooter…we've felt all along the depth in scoring has to be there. It dried up this year in the playoffs and was a real factor for us in the previous year. Craig touched an awful lot of boxes to plug that hole with."
With Pastrnak and Ondrej Kase already slotted in on the right side, it seems like Smith could be a natural fit alongside Coyle on Boston's third line. He also has seen significant power-play time with the Predators.
"We played against each other quite a bit when he was in Minnesota, but I don't know him personally. I liked his game. I like the way he skates. I think he thinks the game well," Smith said of Coyle. "Obviously, he's a big strong body and he can make plays. For the last couple years, I've watched him. That would be great.
"Like I said, I don't know how things are going to shake out here when I get to Boston and get to work. If I have a chance to play with him, I think that would be an exciting opportunity and I'd definitely take advantage of it."
