Reilly Smith has come to the Boston organization in that explosive July 4th trade involving Rich Peverley and "He Who Shalt Not Be Named" who wore #19 for the Bruins. We're going to take a look at the newest Bruins this week and we have decided to start with Smith.
From Defending Big D's 2013 report card of Smith:
"In the offensive zone Smith was one of the most frustrating players to watch this year. He hit way more than his fair share of posts throughout the season and he came close on many occasions, but was only rewarded for three of those. The recent game against Vancouver comes to mind when I try to define his year offensively. He had two prime chances down low where he made a great move to create some space then just lifted the puck too high and over the crossbar. These chances, for me, explained Smith's season in a nutshell. He put himself into good situations and showed some great hands and ability to think the game, but just couldn't connect.
The fact that a rookie right out of college would have the presence of mind to stop the puck and deke in tight in front of Cory Schneider of the Vancouver Canucks is really impressive to me, most players would have just stuffed the puck at the net. So, offensively, Smith has some learning to do, he needs to settle down a bit and focus on hitting the net in tight more, but he still showed the instincts of a goal scorer. And those two moves didn't show any lack of confidence either."
In 2011-2012, Smith was nominated for the Hobey Baker award and had impressive numbers with Miami of Ohio. In 121 total games with Miami, he posted 122 points, with 66 of them being goals.
Smith played 45 games for the Texas Stars of the AHL in 2012-2013, scoring 14 goals and putting up 35 points. In the 37 games he played with the Stars, Smith has scored 3 goals and put up 9 points.
Contract wise, Smith is still on his entry level deal, which carries a $900K price tag (and is a two way contract) and then he becomes a restricted free agent at the season.
Honestly, I think Smith will fight for the third line RW spot, but eventually play in Providence. Should the injury bug hit, we could see him in Boston but with Fraser (who we will write about soon), Caron and Spooner all lined up for a potential jump to the big leagues – Smith could be left in the cold.
"Smith showed good instincts and the boatloads of skill he possesses throughout the year and it will only be a matter of time before it all comes together. When it does, oh boy, it's going to be beautiful." – Defending Big D
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