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I fully realize these report cards aren't the most exciting thing in the world, and that the draft and free agency are coming up so in the interest of moving things along, today you get a double shot. We look at a couple of the bottom end forwards on the team. Up first, Zack Smith followed by Chris Neil.
ZACK SMITH
PRE-SEASON EXPECTATION
Smith is what he is, and that is a 4th line player (3rd if you are in a real pinch) who will skate up and down the ice, play a physical game, kill some penalties and drop the gloves if necessary.
If he could match the 13 goal season from the year before, that would be a bonus.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
The usually durable Smith played just 37 games due to a wrist injury that kept him out of the lineup from December 13th to March 23rd.
He managed just 3 points and didn't hit the scoresheet after Nov 24th, going pointless in his last 20 games including the playoffs. Smith got further passed on the depth chart by Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who came up in December and cemented his spot in the lineup. Smith doesn't really stand out in any area and his days in a Senators uniform are numbered even with 2 years left on his contract.
THE HARD STATS
THE FANCY STATS
Smith is certainly comparable with a group of guys who have at least one distinguishable talent, but for the most part are fringe NHLers.
THE "KEY" STATS
On top of everything else his faceoff % was a career low 44.6% and his wrist injury isn't likely to help those stats going forward, as he didn't take many draws after his return.
FUTURE OUTLOOK
He is set to make $2M and $2.35M over the next 2 seasons and you have to wonder where he fits in going forward. With kids like Prince, Puempel and Robinson on the horizon who are all waiting their turn, Smith could see more press box than penalty box this coming season.
GRADE: Playing less than half of the games doesn't really provide a large sample size, but the fact that he played less than 10 minutes in 8 of his last 10 games shows how far he has fallen in the minds of the coaching staff D .
CHRIS NEIL
PRE-SEASON EXPECTATION
Another veteran forward, who continued to wear an "A" under Erik Karlsson, was expected to fill the role of checker and occasional pugilist.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
Like Smith, injuries caught up to Neil and he was held to just 38 games, and he also found himself as a healthy scratch on occasion. He did manage to score 4 times and recorded 7 points, but it is clear that the career Senator is on his last legs in the NHL and the game is passing him by.
He can be an effective too from time to time as he showed when he got into playoff action, but his days of being a presence in the lineup more than half of the time are behind him.
THE HARD STATS
THE FANCY STATS
Neil's role is going the way of the Dodo so much that I had a hard time even finding comparable roles. Guys that fill the forecheck role like Justin Abdelkader and Brad Marchand are now front line players who score regularly as well.
THE "KEY" STATS
Neil has been a warrior for 893 games in a Senators uniform, and whether you like him or not, his heart can never be questioned. He probably won't reach the 1,000 game mark but he has given his all to this franchise.
FUTURE OUTLOOK
He is entering the final year of his contract and Neil, at 35 years old and with a lot of hard games under his belt, is probably in his swan song and will have to be content with playing maybe 25-30 games, if that.
GRADE: The game is really passing him by and it is time to make way for some younger, swifter legs. D .
I don't think it is a coincidence that the team really turned things around when these two players were out of the lineup.
If you missed them, check out prior Report Cards: