Smith has potential, unlike someone like Gaudreau that already has developed his skills. Smith's biggest issue that I saw is he is slow at making decisions with the puck and stops the offensive momentum putting his teammates in bad spots by killing the cycle. Obviously he'll improve but how much? If he can keep the puck moving more quickly he'll have big offensive upside, if not he'll have to naturally gravitate towards an enforcer or energy role. Hopefully Carroll or Smith pan out to be top 6 players. Our biggest players are very raw in terms of puck moving ability which is one of the most important skills in such a fast game.
|