Thread: [PGT] Blues - 5 Flames - 3
View Single Post
Old 10-12-2018, 11:04 AM   #149
Mike F
Franchise Player
 
Mike F's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Djibouti
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by djsFlames View Post
I think he has to feel his way into his old play again. Takes you longer to bounce back from those injuries at his age. It's been slow and clunky but he is healthy and I think he'll work out the bugs. Making statements in not only October but early October typically looks foolish a few weeks down the road.

Can't have him starting more than 60 though. Probably 50-55 is best, if you don't go out and grab a 1B from somewhere.
That's the thing about Smith that was briefly discussed recently by a few posters, but many seem not to accept:

Smith's "old play" for virtually his entire career, including in his prime, is that of an average/middling goalie. He has consistently put up ~9.14 sv%, which is usually good for ~15th amongst goalies playing significant time.

And Smith is by no means still in his prime. He is 36 and has had a string of injuries. Any goalie of that age and history can be expected to have a lower top end of play, and to take longer to recover. So, by those expectations, over the course of a season, you should expect Smith to have a harder time reaching his "peak" (~.914) and to take longer to get there.

Could he defy those trends? Possibly. But with so many of the other aspects of the team seeming to be the best in years, and the core in its prime, how long does a responsible GM roll those dice?
Mike F is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Mike F For This Useful Post: