Smith signs two-year, $2.2 million contract with Devils

Brendan Smith signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $1.1 million.

The 33-year-old defenseman had eight points (four goals, four assists) in 45 regular-season games and four points (one goal, three assists) in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season.
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"There's a lot of young talent and that's kind of the way the game is going, is a lot of those young players are coming in," Smith said Thursday. "Looking at Jersey, all those young guys are a year older and I think they're ready to take that step. I think for myself, I can kind of fill that area of maybe a physical veteran defenseman with a little bit of a voice and maybe help these guys grow in an area to take that next step. So I think for myself that will be a lot of fun. I felt myself doing that before when I was with the New York] Rangers and some of the young guys with the [Hurricanes], so I'm looking forward to it."
As much as Smith feels he can help the Devils on the ice, he feels his experience will allow him to help in other areas.
"I've been around for a while and I've been very lucky to be in my first six years in the League with the Red Wings," he said. "I got to watch arguably the best, both offense and defense. So I learned a lot of things from them. I was kind of one of those young guys as a sponge just picking up all that information and now I feel like I can pass it on and pass it forward or play that whole pay it forward moment. ... So if I can help some of the [defensemen.
NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report.