Ottawa owner Eugene Melynk gets no benefit of the doubt, so this is likely yet another salary dump by the cheapskate.

That said, Smith hasn't looked very good in preseason and doesn't play the edgy physical game that he did when he was younger. His 25 goal season was a fluke and he was signed to a dumb contract based on it.

If it wasn't that it was Melnyk/Dorion making this move I would actually be ok with it.

I think the only question here is; Which team is better? Team Grit or Team Grind?!
- TheSabresTaco

#TeamGritty

Dorio is the best at mismanagement. I dont think the Sens will miss his on ice contibutions. But who knows , i would have given him at least until Dec 01. All this talk about building a character team locker room. Then obviously Stone and Duchene thought he was a big part of that.

Why does this crap have to continue

Yes they mean things to me and are always trying to hurt my feelings.
- spatso

Matt Duchene says Zack Smith being waived today "is a kick in the balls for us in this locker room"

They’ll use a “peel off” bikini pic of hoffman’s Fiancé as motivation.
- sensarmy_11

My question is.....:with pages I put for most of the year and brown already sent down, if you waive smith and he’s either claimed or sent down, who the hell is the 4th center?

Locks are probably:

Duchene
Tierney
White

Do they move chaplik to centre as a rookie? Might not be the best idea for development.....figured they’ve give him some time at wing to ease him in

With this never ending tire fire of an NHL team, they should just rename the town 'Springfield'.

Uuuuuughhhh...

Agree. Leafs fans like trolling other fan bases but start crying if you post a simple hello in their team blog
- kaptaan

Hilarious coming from a Canucks fan. The guys in your blog are the biggest bunch of vag’s I’ve ever seen

First he loses his assistant coaching gig at Ohio State, and now this. It has been a tough 2018 for Zach Smith.

This is great, but too bad we couldnt trade him.

i get the point of cost cutting but stripping the roster down and having an empty building is a ploy to lure prospective buyers? as opposed to a winning team with playoff revenue and sell outs?

spatso is just reaching and spewing his usual nonsensical drivel.
- systemtool

Maybe he's trimming the roster to get the payroll to the floor so that he maximizes his profit for a few years then sells the team when they have to start paying players? I dunno, just an uneducated guess. I'm trying to see a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere.

I'm trying to see a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere.
- randybobandy

The more of these 'brilliant moves' I see from this organization, the more I think the light you're seeing in that tunnel is a freight train called 'Reality Express' coming down the tracks.

The more of these 'brilliant moves' I see from this organization, the more I think the light you're seeing in that tunnel is a freight train called 'Reality Express' coming down the tracks.
- Panzer_IVA

LOL! Very true. Melnyk/Dorion can't even good player trades for assets. How in the f#ck are we supposed to have "faith" in the rebuild when they haven't made one good trade? (except for getting good return for Brassard, but that's IT!)

They talk about character in the dressing room, yet they get rid of a character guy in the dressing room. Smith is a 4th liner, but having him around for the young kids would help their development I would think? Now the Sens are just going to put a rookie in his spot with little ice time and with little chance to develop.

There was a point they just made on the radio. If the team didn't want to trade Hoffman for draft picks, because they needed certain veterans on the team to help transition the young prospects, why are they waiving zack smith?

I realize they didn't want to trade within the division.

But, they were saying they could have traded Hoffman for picks, and then kept Smith, to do what Boedker had done.

More and more it seems there is either no direction in this plan, or the only direction is being predicated by the bottom line exclusively.

Matt Duchene says Zack Smith being waived today "is a kick in the balls for us in this locker room"
- systemtool

Duchene just needs to put on his jock. He'll be fine.

Duchene just needs to put on his jock. He'll be fine.
- SensFan25

when he plays for a playoff team he might be.

when he plays for a playoff team he might be.
- systemtool

I can see that my comment went straight over your head...

I put the odds of Duchene playing on a playoff team this year at about 80%.

There was a point they just made on the radio. If the team didn't want to trade Hoffman for draft picks, because they needed certain veterans on the team to help transition the young prospects, why are they waiving zack smith?

I realize they didn't want to trade within the division.

But, they were saying they could have traded Hoffman for picks, and then kept Smith, to do what Boedker had done.

More and more it seems there is either no direction in this plan, or the only direction is being predicated by the bottom line exclusively.
- david22

If you look at the past 15 months with a view to trying to explain what has happened from a player perspective, nothing makes any sense. Methot was merely the tip of the spear. Vegas offered to pass on Methot if Ottawa gave up a 2nd round pick. The Sens willingly gave away Methot.

Turris, Brassard, Phaneuf, Hoffman and Karlsson followed.

None of it makes any sense until you view the entire exercise (starting with Methot) as a financial exercise with a very clear strategy to achieve maximum player salary reductions.

Smith is as good as gone and there really is no future here for Stone or Duchene.

It is difficult if you are a fan caught in the middle of this meltdown. However, from a long term asset management strategy it is a pretty powerful approach.

LOL! Very true. Melnyk/Dorion can't even good player trades for assets. How in the f#ck are we supposed to have "faith" in the rebuild when they haven't made one good trade? (except for getting good return for Brassard, but that's IT!)

They talk about character in the dressing room, yet they get rid of a character guy in the dressing room. Smith is a 4th liner, but having him around for the young kids would help their development I would think? Now the Sens are just going to put a rookie in his spot with little ice time and with little chance to develop.
- randybobandy

Very seldom do you see a team landing the definitive franchise player in the first year of a bottoming out process. Guys like Crosby, Toews, Kane, Laine and McDavid came in the 2nd or 3rd phase of teams bottoming out.

The frst phase is simply putting together a strong base (mass) of prospects. Ottawa has some very good young prospects. They are going to hit their target of 10 entry level players this year and up to 16 next year. They are acquiring picks and prospects. This is a comprehensive rebuild.

There was a point they just made on the radio. If the team didn't want to trade Hoffman for draft picks, because they needed certain veterans on the team to help transition the young prospects, why are they waiving zack smith?

I realize they didn't want to trade within the division.

But, they were saying they could have traded Hoffman for picks, and then kept Smith, to do what Boedker had done.

More and more it seems there is either no direction in this plan, or the only direction is being predicated by the bottom line exclusively.
- david22

i heard that also and its very good question.
But the Bottom line is PD is just winging it and fighting fires he starts himself...gives out lame made up answers to try to explain away bad trades.

they trade Hoffman for a poor return and probably were forced to take Boedker, but after SJ flipped him (for a better return) they had to make up something. Oh we wanted Boedker..we need Leaders in the room. Now waive Smith...a clear favorite.

Now we see they could have gotten better futures while spending basically the same $$.

i heard that also and its very good question.
But the Bottom line is PD is just winging it and fighting fires he starts himself...gives out lame made up answers to try to explain away bad trades.

they trade Hoffman for a poor return and probably were forced to take Boedker, but after SJ flipped him (for a better return) they had to make up something. Oh we wanted Boedker..we need Leaders in the room. Now waive Smith...a clear favorite.

Now we see they could have gotten better futures while spending basically the same $$.
- senstroll

Right now I don't think any of this matters. This is about moving out maximum salary.

Right now I don't think any of this matters. This is about moving out maximum salary.
- spatso

Unless i misunderstood the waiver process, don't they still need to pay Smith's full salary in the AHL? So they'll be paying that, plus the NHL salary of who ever will fill in for him in Ottawa?

Let's be realistic, no one is likely to claim Smith at his salary.

Right now I don't think any of this matters. This is about moving out maximum salary.
- spatso

It does matter because they could have better returns while still spending the same $$

i think you mean none of that matters to spatso because he is on his own planet anyways

Unless i misunderstood the waiver process, don't they still need to pay Smith's full salary in the AHL? So they'll be paying that, plus the NHL salary of who ever will fill in for him in Ottawa?

Let's be realistic, no one is likely to claim Smith at his salary.
- david22

Incorrect. His salary will be reduced by approximately 1/3 from $3.25M to $2.25M.

The article Mr. Shackles wrote and that you are commenting on covered that.

Incorrect. His salary will be reduced by approximately 1/3 from $3.25M to $2.25M.

The article Mr. Shackles wrote and that you are commenting on covered that.
- HoweHatrick

Is it an actual drop in salary or saving on the cap hit?

I know that the next window to buy out Smith is June 2019.