Player Profile: Craig Smith

Craig Smith

Position: Center

Height:6-0

Weight:204

Shoots:Right

Salary:One year at $1 million

Did You Know:Smith played at the University of Wisconsin, just like teammates Ryan Suter and Joe Pavelski. Smith played from 2009-11 and had 76 points in 82 games. He is a native of Madison, Wisconsin.

Last Season:Smith split time between Boston and Washington and tallied 16 points (9 goals, 7 assists) in 64 games. Smith played the majority of his career in Nashville, but signed a three-year free agent deal with Boston in 2020. He had good numbers in his first two seasons with the Bruins, but hit the wall last season with 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in 42 games. The trade to Washington was a disappointment as Boston acquired two veterans in hopes of boosting its playoff roster and needed to shed some salary to make the deal work. Smith went from the eventual Presidents Trophy winner to a Washington team that missed the playoffs.

Looking Forward: Smith has to find his niche in Dallas. He was a reliable skilled forward in Nashville and a key power play contributor, but he has seen his man advantage time dwindle in recent years, and that clearly affected his scoring. Smith went from 1:33 in PP time to :15 before his trade last season, so you wonder if he is an option for the Stars with the extra man. If not, he will likely battle with players like Ty Dellandrea, Radek Faksa and Sam Steel for even strength minutes. He is a smart, craft veteran and he still has good speed, so he give the Stars solid depth among the forward and could could contribute a fourth line that is looking to create more puck possession and more scoring.

He Said It: "Craig Smith has been a proven scorer in the league, veteran, good leadership, he's a good skater, good speed. We've got a lot of options, guys can move up and down. We know we can plug in different roles."

• Stars GM Jim Nill

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.