Smith Enjoying 'Fresh Start' As He Eyes NHL Return

RALEIGH, N.C. - Last March, the Carolina Hurricanes made headlines when they traded for Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins. What perhaps went under the radar, however, was their acquisition of Ty Smith in that same deal.

The 24-year-old, who led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with 43 points in 63 games last season, remained with the American Hockey League club for the remainder of the campaign, but put pen to paper with the Canes on a new one-year, two-way deal this summer to further establish himself as a Hurricane.

Finally arriving in Raleigh for the first time since the trade, Smith is eager to make his mark during training camp.

“It’s been exciting with a fresh start here," he said. "They’ve treated me really well here since the start, and it’s an exciting group to be a part of. Carolina’s been a good team for a while, they’re really competitive and trying to win the Stanley Cup, so it’s exciting to come here and try to push for a spot on the team and contribute to that.”

Smith's "fresh start" comes on the heels of a couple of AHL campaigns after logging 123 games in the NHL with New Jersey and Pittsburgh. Still an emerging talent, the 17th-overall selection in 2018 brings a fascinating pedigree to the Canes organization.

At 15, he went first overall to the Spokane Chiefs in the 2015 WHL Draft. Five years later, he arrived in the NHL as the reigning CHL Defenseman of the Year, two-time WHL Defenseman of the Year and gold medalist at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. His star continued to rise as a rookie in New Jersey, earning a nod to the 2020-21 NHL All-Rookie team alongside names like Kirill Kaprizov, Jason Robertson and former Hurricane Alex Nedeljkovic.

Smith primarily turned heads through impressive offensive contributions with the Devils, notching 23 points (2G, 21A) in 48 games during that standout first season. He again breached the 20-point threshold in year two, but a -26 plus-minus rating (down from -9 as a rookie) and a drop in average ice time from 20:07 to 17:30 showed signs that his game might benefit from more seasoning.

A trade to Pittsburgh yielded just nine NHL games during the 2022-23 campaign before he was assigned to the AHL Penguins. There, Smith continued to showcase his high-end offensive talent while aiming to become a more complete player in all three zones.

“I like to think of myself as a two-way player, someone who can help break the puck out, should be sharp with my playmaking abilities, getting up in the play and helping to create offense," said Smith. "But (the focus is still) defense first - I think I’ve been really working at rounding out my game as far as defending and trying to end plays in my own zone.”

His efforts caught the eye of Canes management, who were happy to add to the organization's depth on the blue line while swinging for the fences with Guentzel. And while Canes GM Eric Tulsky wasn't calling the shots at the time of the trade, signing Smith became his first official act after moving into the role permanently this summer.

“Ty is still developing as a player, but he possesses a keen ability to generate offense from the blue line,” Tulsky offered when the deal was announced. “Our style of play relies on defensemen to pitch in offensively, and he is an experienced NHL player who can fill that role for our team.”

At 24, Smith is the same age as Andrei Svechnikov and only two years older than Seth Jarvis, two players who are key parts of both the present and the future of the Hurricanes.

Whether or not he cracks the opening night roster remains to be seen - the Canes still boast impressive depth on the blue line, even with this summer's departures - but there's a long runway available for Smith to reach his highest potential with the Canes, whether he's skating in Raleigh or Rosemont.

“(My focus is on) competing and trying to be a little more reliable, have a more complete game," he said. “I think it’s a good opportunity to get back into the NHL. It’s a really competitive team, definitely a team you want to be a part of.”