One thing I've noticed is that when Smith handles the puck it takes our defence and forwards a lot longer to get into position for a breakout which gives the opposing team time to set up. Last night our defence were skating more in our own zone which resulted in faster transitions up the ice.
I'm still of the belief that Smith provides a net benefit with his puck handling skills, but I'd like to see quicker passes. The one thing that can't be denied is he saves our d-men a lot of punishment from the dump and chase.
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