Zach Smith was waived last year and went unclaimed.

He’s a fringe 4th line faceoff guy. I guess he’ll be good taking d-zone draws, but not much else.

See Zenon Konopka.
- ImThatGuy

Fans from other teams are welcome here to join the discussion - but not welcome to troll and you are posting like a fringe troll. He is far better than a fringe 4th liner.

Smith isn't the first productive player to go unclaimed on waivers and the fact he is overpaid at $3.2M and had 3 years left was the reason no team picked him up.

Smith had the 5th most TOI from among the Ottawa forwards. He had the 3rd most time on the PK from among the forwards and he picked up a shorthanded goal and 2 assists. He was 3rd in hits and 4th in takeaways. And he plays a gritty "hard to play against" game which Anisimov didn't do.

As a Hawks fan - I like the trade. As a Buffalo fan - does it really matter to you?

Should Dach make the team I expect he'll start as a winger.
- paulr

I disagree. He will be your 3c. What would be the rationale for Dach to ever move to wing? He played C his whole career. We drafted him to play C. You now have saad and shaw you can flank on his wings to "protect" him. He will be 3c and take up mins on PP2. Stan and co already came out talking about him being a C too

Still a better roster than last season.
- TommyHawk

I remember a lot of fans being upset that this team lacked a 2C for years, but it worked out okay. I think at the end of the day, we have more than enough players who can take faceoffs.

Toews, Strome, Smith (#3 in total face-offs for Ottawa last year), Kampf, Shaw, Carpenter, plus a list of other potentials from the young guys.

So far this summer, they added:

Zach Smith
Nylander
Shaw
De Haan
Saarela
Quenneville
Maatta

They subtracted:

Anisimov
Jokiharju
2020 2nd
2020 7th
2021 3rd
Forsberg
Forsling
Hayden
Kahun
2019 5th

The added cap costs are about $9.5 million.

I disagree. He will be your 3c. What would be the rationale for Dach to ever move to wing? He played C his whole career. We drafted him to play C. You now have saad and shaw you can flank on his wings to "protect" him. He will be 3c and take up mins on PP2. Stan and co already came out talking about him being a C too
- Bhawks35

Protect him from what?

Protect him from what?
- paulr

The grind of an nhl season for a 19year old kid?

Fans from other teams are welcome here to join the discussion - but not welcome to troll and you are posting like a fringe troll. He is far better than a fringe 4th liner.

Smith isn't the first productive player to go unclaimed on waivers and the fact he is overpaid at $3.2M and had 3 years left was the reason no team picked him up.

Smith had the 5th most TOI from among the Ottawa forwards. He had the 3rd most time on the PK from among the forwards and he picked up a shorthanded goal and 2 assists. He was 3rd in hits and 4th in takeaways. And he plays a gritty "hard to play against" game which Anisimov didn't do.

As a Hawks fan - I like the trade. As a Buffalo fan - does it really matter to you?
- EbonyRaptor

That is why he was waived. Not because he isn't an NHL caliber player anymore. Melnyk was dumping salary and long term commitments in a hurry once they knew the tear down was on. He clearly wanted to make Dorion see if anyone would take a near $10MM commitment off their hands for free

The grind of an nhl season for a 19year old kid?
- Bhawks35

Please explain how anyone, except the coach by managing his ice time, is going to do that?

I love the trade. The primary objective was cap savings and although I was hoping for more than $1.3M - it is not insignificant and therefore objective accomplished. Anisimov is better offensively but Smith is better defensively, plays with more grit, is better at faceoffs, hits more, is at least as good if not better on PK and ... wait for it ... Smith will battle for his team mates.

Going into this off season, there were several areas of need that needed to be improved for the Hawks to have a better team in 2019/20. Taking assessment on what has happened to meet those objectives:

Better PK - check.
Better defense - check.
More consistent goaltending - check.
Tougher to play against - check.
Better bottom-6 - check.

What's not to like?
- EbonyRaptor

Agree and if they sign perlini more depth which leads to players completing for roster spots. Do not think bowman is done. I think another move like joki for nylander trade. Still need a 3rd line center whether that's dach only time will tell. Maybe sign bassard to a one year deal or something along those lines.

Protects him from what?
- paulr

When I mention protects him , I say that in the form of assignments of who he would go up against and he has to proven veterans who can elevate his game by their specific roles and abilities

That’s my biggest problem with it...it didn’t gain enough cap space for it to be worth it.
- Ogilthorpe2

Unless it provides the space to resign Perlini and have a "normal" 14+7+2=23 man roster.

Kane-Toews-Saad-Shaw-Smith-Caggiula-Carpenter-Kampf-Strone-deBrincat-Perlini-Kubalik-Sikura-AnyonebutDach

Seabrook-Keith-DeHaan-Maatta-Murphy-Gustafsson-Koekkoek (or Dahlstrom)

Crawford-Lehner

That's a cap hit of just below $81,500,000.

Now, that leaves no room for emergency call-ups in the face of a couple of short-term injuries, but....

I remember a lot of fans being upset that this team lacked a 2C for years, but it worked out okay. I think at the end of the day, we have more than enough players who can take faceoffs.

Toews, Strome, Smith (#3 in total face-offs for Ottawa last year), Kampf, Shaw, Carpenter, plus a list of other potentials from the young guys.
- breadbag

Not commenting on whether or not I like the trade but what you stated about having more players who can take faceoffs (i.e. not just have strictly 4 centers and only they can take the draws) was an off-season goal that Bowman and Colliton spoke about earlier this summer.

Not only are those players you listed capable of taking a substantial amount of faceoffs but they also have positional flexibility in playing wing in addition to center.

Strictly centers: Toews, Strome
Can play C/W: Shaw, Kampf, Smith, Carpenter

If Dach makes the team, he's a 7th option. Even if this trade never happened, Anisimov would still be part of this group.

The gaping hole at 3C?
- Ogilthorpe2

Tanner was right all along. We are a lottery team and this move solidified it.

So far this summer, they added:

Zach Smith
Nylander
Shaw
De Haan
Saarela
Quenneville
Maatta

They subtracted:

Anisimov
Jokiharju
2020 2nd
2020 7th
2021 3rd
Forsberg
Forsling
Hayden
Kahun
2019 5th

The added cap costs are about $9.5 million.
- 333inthe3rd

I meant that's what they added in trades. The FA adds are Lehner and Carpenter, which adds $6 mill more in cap hit total.

Regarding cap space Hawks now have 3.34M with 20 players. Could add 3 F for a 23 man roster 13F, 8D, 2G.

Candidates for those 3 spots? Any 3 of the folliwing:

Dach 925K
Kubalik 925 K
Sikura 750K
Nylander 853K
Wedin 925K

Or if they can sign Perlini for 1.4M or less, he and two of the above could be on the team and the Hawks would be cap compliant.

I prefer Saad/Smith/Caggiula as the third line. Shaw at 2RW. Only holes left are 1LW and 4LW, with Carpenter and Kampf on 4th line.

I just think they cannot bring Dach in yet. And if they do, and their vision is for him to be a top six guy, you don't bring him in on the bottom six at all.
- Return of the Roar

Dach is a complete player, a 200-foot player that can do it all.. It's not like he's purely offense... He has a similar game to Toews, you can use Dach in any situation..

So yea, you can start him on the 3rd line but ideally you want to get him some time on offense too, but Dach is by far NOT one of those "top 6 or bust" type players..

I just hope he gets some time playing 1st line LW with Toews and Kane, or even occasionally put him on a line with Strome and Debrincat (we can call it "The Kid Line" lol)..

Dach reminds me of a hybrid between Toews and Joe Thornton.

You can bet Dach is being groomed to be Toews replacement, because by the time Dach hit's his prime - Toews will have regressed to the point where he will be an excellent 3rd line center - much like Bryan Trottier... When Dach is 25, Toews will be 37-38...

So in 5 years from now, if everything goes right and it all pans out our center depth will look like this:

Dach
Strome
Toews

Besides, I could see the Hawks running 3 scoring lines and one beast of a shutdown 4th line.... It's really hard for opponents to match up against teams that have 3 legitimate scoring lines....

Fans from other teams are welcome here to join the discussion - but not welcome to troll and you are posting like a fringe troll. He is far better than a fringe 4th liner.

Smith isn't the first productive player to go unclaimed on waivers and the fact he is overpaid at $3.2M and had 3 years left was the reason no team picked him up.

Smith had the 5th most TOI from among the Ottawa forwards. He had the 3rd most time on the PK from among the forwards and he picked up a shorthanded goal and 2 assists. He was 3rd in hits and 4th in takeaways. And he plays a gritty "hard to play against" game which Anisimov didn't do.

As a Hawks fan - I like the trade. As a Buffalo fan - does it really matter to you?
- EbonyRaptor

C'mon, man - he's making a point that you may not agree with, but is not a "troll-like" dig.

Smith averaged 16+ ATOI last season, and managed 9+19=28 in 70 games with 59% dzone starts with almost 50% FO wins - maybe a gritty fourth-liner with some PK skills - looks like an OK to pretty good fourth-liner to me.

The Hawks may have a lot of those.

Yup. Back when I was running some of the local youth and a Highschool club, finding open ice was always a challenge. The going rate for an hour of ice at the Edge, Seven bridges or some of the other “nicer” facilities was running $325-400. I could consistently get ice blocks that were give backs to the edge by the Steel or whomever, and they would let them go for $200/hr as some rental fees were better than $0. I would call Downers and they would have huge blocks of unused ice, but he would ask $325/hr for that dump and wouldn’t budge. He would rather make $0 then lower his price and get something.
- TheTrob

I remember when Seven Bridges was built one of the local papers interviewed Glassford about having to compete with a new and much nicer facility. He laughed and said "they have to compete with me" meaning he could undercut the ice price. But he used the competing prices to elevate his. And in your case he didn't undercut enough. Hard headed pig head for sure. He even refused to use hot water in the Zam which caused de-lamination of the layers of ice. Hot water makes a better bond with an existing surface. Nobody could talk him into using hot water.
Hockey is a costly sport and that means the parents make a good living. And most of those surburban parents are going to want to sit and hang around in a nicer facility than IceArena. Back in the day ice was all that mattered. But with more supply (rinks) value becomes a consideration.

Please explain how anyone, except the coach by managing his ice time, is going to do that?
- paulr

How about not subjecting an 18 year old (until next January) to the NHL grind until he has learned how to be a pro in a lower league.

Unless it provides the space to resign Perlini and have a "normal" 14+7+2=23 man roster.

Kane-Toews-Saad-Shaw-Smith-Caggiula-Carpenter-Kampf-Strome-DeBrincat-Perlini-Kubalik-Nylander-Dach

Seabrook-Keith-DeHaan-Maatta-Murphy-Gustafsson-Koekkoek (or Dahlstrom)

Crawford-Lehner

That's a cap hit of just below $81,500,000.

Now, that leaves no room for emergency call-ups in the face of a couple of short-term injuries, but....
- StLBravesFan

Fixed

Not because of Smith.
- paulr

Anisimov had 9 more points in 78 games last season than Smith had in 70 games. BIG WHOOP! I think the gritty game Smith will bring to the team will more than offset the 9 points of offense we're losing.

I'm not an Anisimov basher and would have been fine if Stan didn't trade him from an on-ice perspective. But I've also liked Smith for many years and I don't think the Hawks lose anything from an overall on-ice perspective and they get that for $1.3M less.

I'm in the camp of getting Perlini on a minimal 2 way deal or letting him walk.

Holy cow, love the amount of "compete" in the pieces that they added. If you look at every NHL player they added (excluding Saarela and Quennville), everyone they added is responsible in their own end and can take a hit to get the puck out. No more friggin 45 second shifts in the d zone because they are getting mushed along the boards or can't "see puck, strip puck".

Nothing that is a "wow", but cumulative big overall shift in philosophy. Now you can really let certain guys do what they do best (can really shelter Gus or other O only players"

Please explain how anyone, except the coach by managing his ice time, is going to do that?
- paulr

Idk if youre joking or what...but theres a big difference having linemates out there like nylander and Perlini than shaw and saad. Dont you think other teams Dmen and players would run Dach if they know they wont have to answer for it?
Both saad and Shaw will create some room for him every shift.
Its literally a recipe coaches have been using through out the history of the Nhl.

Dach is a complete player, a 200-foot player that can do it all.. It's not like he's purely offense... He has a similar game to Toews, you can use Dach in any situation..

So yea, you can start him on the 3rd line but ideally you want to get him some time on offense too, but Dach is by far NOT one of those "top 6 or bust" type players..

I just hope he gets some time playing 1st line LW with Toews and Kane, or even occasionally put him on a line with Strome and Debrincat (we can call it "The Kid Line" lol)..

Dach reminds me of a hybrid between Toews and Joe Thornton.

You can bet Dach is being groomed to be Toews replacement, because by the time Dach hit's his prime - Toews will have regressed to the point where he will be an excellent 3rd line center - much like Bryan Trottier... When Dach is 25, Toews will be 37-38...

So in 5 years from now, if everything goes right and it all pans out our center depth will look like this:

Dach
Strome
Toews

Besides, I could see the Hawks running 3 scoring lines and one beast of a shutdown 4th line.... It's really hard for opponents to match up against teams that have 3 legitimate scoring lines....
- Savard2Secord

He may become a complete player in the NHL - he was in Saskatoon - he hasn't shown that he is now for the Show - let's not hurt his career by promoting him too soon.

Altho I guess it's either Chicago or Saskatoon - this rule limiting where 18 year olds can play is, to me, worse than the one allowing four-year college players to become UFAs.

So far this summer, they added:

Zach Smith
Nylander
Shaw
De Haan
Saarela
Quenneville
Maatta

They subtracted:

Anisimov
Jokiharju
2020 2nd
2020 7th
2021 3rd
Forsberg
Forsling
Hayden
Kahun
2019 5th

The added cap costs are about $9.5 million.
- 333inthe3rd

Chemistry means so much...

Different situation from the return from the holdout in 2005, but the large amount of changes remind me of when Tallon brought in:

Khabby
Aucoin
Cullimore
Brown
LaPointe
Barnaby

Mind you Kane, Toews, Dkat, Strome and Keith are substantial upgrades over Calder, Bell, Arneson, Sharp and Vrbata but the chemistry just didn't mesh it was a disaster...