[Signing] Oilers sign Mike Smith to multi-year deal (2yrs, $2.2 mil AAV)

[868904]

.923 save percentage last year. Unreal. Course, there could be some inflating by the Rogers Place staff there.

I guess if Tim Thomas can carry a team to a cup at age 37, so can a 39 year old Mike Smith.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Multi year!? Lmao.

The dude only plays well in a contract year

[getbak]

How does he get a 30% raise for the second year?

Holland daze, indeed.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by 868904

.923 save percentage last year. Unreal. Course, there could be some inflating by the Rogers Place staff there.

I guess if Tim Thomas can carry a team to a cup at age 37, so can a 39 year old Mike Smith.

A 39 year old Mike Smith has already proven quite definitively that he cannot carry a team out of the 1st round, let alone to a cup.
I suspect a 40 year old Mike Smith isn't going to do much better.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by 868904

.923 save percentage last year. Unreal. Course, there could be some inflating by the Rogers Place staff there.

I guess if Tim Thomas can carry a team to a cup at age 37, so can a 39 year old Mike Smith.

Thomas was actually good (though a nut) and by 39 he was in his last season, playing 8 games with Dallas. Life comes at you fast.

[The Yen Man]

Smith pretty much had to play lights out last year from his usual crap level, and the best Oilers did was get swept by a weak Jets team. Lol, they realistically think Smith is going to be able to sustain his play for the next two years?

Looking forward to seeing more dejected Mike Smith for 2 more years.

[Tkachukwagon]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1418257177832161285

[Locke]

I thought of posting a long, photo-laden post of laughing gifs.

But its just kicking a puppy at this point. Its cruelty.

If the grease hadnt been gifted Gretzky they would be the single most pathetic sports franchise in history.

And they still got McDavid. And they still suck.

[The Fonz]

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.

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.

[PepsiFree]

Mike Smith can play as well as he likes, but from the time he was here right up to the most recent playoffs with the Oilers, we know for every game-breaking run of fantastic goaltending performances in the regular season, there is a complete and utter turd waiting for when the pressure is on and you need him most.

He just doesn't have what it takes. I honestly think he's a good goalie... until you really, really need him to be.

[Monahammer]

Best part about the rise in the 2nd year is that it probably totally precludes Smith retiring in year 2 (that's when he earns the most...) and it makes him harder to trade or buy out.

Also, the 2nd year ends up raising his cap hit rather than lowering it as oilers fans expected. Lol this is priceless.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

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.

Exactly. And that hasn't been talked about enough.

Not only was last year a statistical aberration that is very unlikely to be repeated, but it was done so playing the fewest games of his career (last 10 years, post Tampa).

As you say, as the #1, he will be expected to play 50+ games, which he hasn't done in 4 years, since his first year in Calgary. His games played in the last 4 years:

1/18..: 55
18/19: 42
19/20: 39
20/21; 32

Expecting him to play 50, at the age of 39, and hoping he can repeat last year's numbers, is a big, big ask. To say the least.

[topfiverecords]

Smith will be the backup in year two after they trade Draisaitl and many 1sts for Vasilevskiy.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Smith will be the backup in year two after they trade Draisaitl and many 1sts for Vasilevskiy.

Condolence to the Vasilevskiy and his family.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by 868904

.923 save percentage last year. Unreal. Course, there could be some inflating by the Rogers Place staff there.

I guess if Tim Thomas can carry a team to a cup at age 37, so can a 39 year old Mike Smith.

Bad compatible, Thomas had a great team in front of him that could shut opponents down. Smith had McDavid and Drai and a heaping shovelfull of poop. So even if Smith somehow went to a seance and was possessed by Jacque Plante, he's not carrying the Oilers anywhere. We also saw what happened when the going got tough for the Oilers and McDavid's and Draisaitls lack of give a crap was exposed.

Now Smith might be playing behind a pretty much worse blueline then he played against last year, and a group of we don't give a crap about playing without the puck group of forwards.

I expect Smiths groin to snap like a 38 year old rubber band early. The Oilers miss the playoffs and at the end of June, Holland will be reading the paper while eating a bowl of sugar snaps and hear the tone of the skype ring of doom.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Smith will be the backup in year two after they trade Draisaitl and many 1sts for Vasilevskiy.

Why on earth would Tampa make that trade? If there's any team that understands the danger of spending all your cap on forwards and nothing on goalies, it's Tampa.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by getbak

Why on earth would Tampa make that trade? If there's any team that understands the danger of spending all your cap on forwards and nothing on goalies, it's Tampa.

They wouldn’t but I felt it would both annoy the Oiler fan and get his hopes up in the same post, only to come back to realization that E=NG within seconds.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Mike Smith can play as well as he likes, but from the time he was here right up to the most recent playoffs with the Oilers, we know for every game-breaking run of fantastic goaltending performances in the regular season, there is a complete and utter turd waiting for when the pressure is on and you need him most.

He just doesn't have what it takes. I honestly think he's a good goalie... until you really, really need him to be.

Agreed. Good in low stakes, can even elevate in tougher games with standings implications.

But when it comes to must-win situations with the season on the line, he finds ways to be the second best goalie on the ice. Every time.

[Jay Random]

Smith did have that really good run with Phoenix in 2012, but he was a lot younger. It occurs to me that maybe he can't elevate his game in must-win situations because at his age, he has to be fully elevated every night just to keep up with the young 'uns in ordinary games.

When you're driving an old beater, and have to go pedal to the metal just to keep up with traffic, there's nothing left over for an extra burst of speed.

[Huntingwhale]

Smith had a stellar season the last one. But asking him to repeat it not one, but twice at age 39-41? Damn. History shows that he'll fluctuate each season, having a good one than a bad one. His first season in Calgary he was very clearly the MVP. Second season he was pretty bad except for vs the Avs.

Similar pattern in Edmonton having a rough first season, than stellar the last one. I wouldn't bank on him repeating it again this season. I get signing him for a year given how good he was last season. But 2?

Only a matter of time before that fanbase turns on him yet again.