Quote:
Originally Posted by Philly06Cup
Mike Smith showed he can still play, and this is a good contract for the Oilers given his stats last year. Weird how fans here are celebrating this contract.
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Last year was a contract year for Smith, and a shortened season where he only had to play 32 games. Now he's 39 years old, just beginning the final deal of his career, and is going to be expected to start 55+ games (unless they can replace Koskinen) - I don't see it as very likely he replicates his 2020/21 performance (.923 sv%).
He's shown he doesn't have the stamina to be a #1 anymore. After starting the 2017/18 season with a .920 sv% in games 1-32 (the last time he had decent stats), he finished with a .911 sv% in games 33-55. He followed that season up with an .898 sv% in 2018/19 and a .902 sv% in 2019/20.
Last season was an outlier for him at this stage of his career, and I believe it largely had to do with the fact it was shortened and a contract year.