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.
- EbonyRaptor

Anisimov was also a regular on the penalty kill and played in a shutdown role late in games, Smith did neither. If AA and Smith have the same cap hit do you think Bowman pursues this trade? I don't there is any chance. AA is the better and more valuable of the two players, and not by a little.

New asst. coach Marc Crawford raved about Zack Smith from his time Ottawa's interim coach and confirmed what #Blackhawks scouts already liked about him as a player. Bowman says they’ve had their eye on him for some time now.
- walleyeb1

Hmmm. Stan has had his eye on him for some time now...that sounds familiar!!!! Jurco....

Fixed
- SoftServe

Not fixed - changed.

There is a difference.

New asst. coach Marc Crawford raved about Zack Smith from his time Ottawa's interim coach and confirmed what #Blackhawks scouts already liked about him as a player. Bowman says they’ve had their eye on him for some time now.
- walleyeb1

Reminds me of what Stan said about Jurco. Lol.

I still believe Crawford brought in to influence more grit on the team, ie Shaw and Smith, to go against STL and other heavy teams.

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

Once again someone apparently convinced that taking face offs is the only thing that differentiates wingers from C’s.

Un(frank)ingbelievable.

Protects him from what?
- paulr

From being left on an island defensively by having line mates that won't leave it up to Dach to be the lone guy busting his tail to get back and play defense.

Hmmm. Stan has had his eye on him for some time now...that sounds familiar!!!! Jurco....
- glennjpawlak22

Yeah but in this case, I recall JJ saying the same thing a few years ago. Granted Smith was younger then but it might differ from the Jurco joke.

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.
- EbonyRaptor

Hmm okay but from The Point:

The #Blackhawks trade Artem Anisimov to the #GoSensGo for Zack Smith. This should clear up enough cap space to be able to sign Brendan Perlini but Smith's production last year was near the bottom of the league in most categories



Both Anisimov and Smith have been declining steadily over the last 2-3 years, but Smith's decline for play-driving has been sharper and he hit replacement level in many key areas. At least Anisimov could be a decent 3C whereas Smith struggled more playing center than wing over the last two seasons.

LMAO. Anisimov is traded and people act like when JR got moved. Goodness. That said, this was a pure salary cap move, not sure Smith is really much of an upgrade over our Line 4 options.

https://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/141048

The meathead in me likes this.

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....
- StLBravesFan

(frank) Perlini. Don’t want him.

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.
- Bhawks35

Anyone who wishes to run Dach will run Dach. Shaw and Saad being on the ice make absolutely no difference. Go watch the hit on Marc Savard by Matt Cooke, then look to see who was on the ice at the time and who was on the roster for the Bruins. Even the presense of the great Loooootch, Chara, Boychuck and Adam McQuaid wasn't able to stop Cooke from essentially ending Savard's career.

If the Hawks are concerned Dach isn't physically ready to play against men then he should be left in Junior because no one on the Hawks or in the NHL can protect another player from being run at.

Hmm okay but from The Point:

The #Blackhawks trade Artem Anisimov to the #GoSensGo for Zack Smith. This should clear up enough cap space to be able to sign Brendan Perlini but Smith's production last year was near the bottom of the league in most categories



Both Anisimov and Smith have been declining steadily over the last 2-3 years, but Smith's decline for play-driving has been sharper and he hit replacement level in many key areas. At least Anisimov could be a decent 3C whereas Smith struggled more playing center than wing over the last two seasons.
- L_B_R

Smith has played a really crappy teams especially last year whereas AA played on one of the top offensive teams last year. What might the scouts be seeing that doesn’t show up in the stat lones?

The gaping hole at 3C?
- Ogilthorpe2

This is the biggest issue to me, especially since Anisimov was playing 2C at the end of last season. People keep forgetting that for the last quarter of the season at least, Anisimov was getting higher 5v5 TOI and facing higher quality of competition than Strome. AA-Saad were the 2nd line and Strome-Debrincat were getting bumslaying assignments.

So does this mean they think Dach or Shaw can be a capable 3C with Strome fully taking over as 2C? I'd have preferred Shaw at wing because he's just better there. Kampf, Carpenter, and Smith are all best suited for the 4th line and the latter two are really wings anyway.

Anisimov was also a regular on the penalty kill and played in a shutdown role late in games, Smith did neither. If AA and Smith have the same cap hit do you think Bowman pursues this trade? I don't there is any chance. AA is the better and more valuable of the two players, and not by a little.
- paulr

Ugh. This is what I meant when I said the guys on here who hate this trade literally no nothing about Smith and never seen him play. Smith played PK1 and was the most used Senator F on the PK. He played 78.95% on the PK among Sens Forwards. 64% with Paajarvi and the rest with stone.

He is quicker, more physical and better defensively than AA.

(frank) Perlini. Don’t want him.
- Ogilthorpe2

You're not the boss of me...uhhhh, them....

Hmm okay but from The Point:

The #Blackhawks trade Artem Anisimov to the #GoSensGo for Zack Smith. This should clear up enough cap space to be able to sign Brendan Perlini but Smith's production last year was near the bottom of the league in most categories



Both Anisimov and Smith have been declining steadily over the last 2-3 years, but Smith's decline for play-driving has been sharper and he hit replacement level in many key areas. At least Anisimov could be a decent 3C whereas Smith struggled more playing center than wing over the last two seasons.
- L_B_R

L_B_R, do you have any defensive stat comparisons?

Ugh. This is what I meant when I said the guys on here who hate this trade literally no nothing about Smith and never seen him play. Smith played PK1 and was the most used Senator F on the PK. He played 78.95% on the PK among Sens Forwards. 64% with Paajarvi and the rest with stone.

He is quicker, more physical and better defensively than AA.
- Bhawks35

The fact that was all they got for Anisimov should tell you what the guy is really worth. ie, not much. I knew the Hawks would get very little for him. I am shocked his value was so useless the Hawks had to take back a good chunk of salary for a player they really didn't need.

At least this saga is over.

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.
- EbonyRaptor

Yes, some of that offset is the difference in PP time vs PK time too. Hawks got a guy who plays more PK and moved a guy who gets some PP time. Someone else will benefit from the PP minutes AA was getting.

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"
- phantasmo

No need to let him walk, I’m not sure they sign him at this point. They might see what they can get in trade for his rights. If they do sign him I’d say one year at the league minimum!

Smith has played a really crappy teams especially last year whereas AA played on one of the top offensive teams last year. What might the scouts be seeing that doesn’t show up in the stat lones?
- Assman22

Quality of teammate can impact stats of course but it alone doesn't drop a player down to near bottom of the league, especially when some of his most common linemates on the Sens were just fine in these categories - i.e. he was bad on a bad team, but other players were good/average. QOT also tends to reflect more in high level stats like shot/chance % and less so in micro numbers.

Also what did the scouts see in Manning or Kunitz last year? It feels like they're looking at the player Smith was 4-5 years ago vs what he has become which is replacement level in most ways.

The fact that was all they got for Anisimov should tell you what the guy is really worth. ie, not much. I knew the Hawks would get very little for him. I am shocked his value was so useless the Hawks had to take back a good chunk of salary for a player they really didn't need.

At least this saga is over.
- kwolf68

Just like last week's Joki-Nylander trade, this too will blow over in a few days.

Yes, some of that offset is the difference in PP time vs PK time too. Hawks got a guy who plays more PK and moved a guy who gets some PP time. Someone else will benefit from the PP minutes AA was getting.
- breadbag

Yep. And with the addition of Shaw, AA was going to lose a lot of his PP time. Also, if Dach makes the team than he was never seeing PP time.

People are looking at AA like the AA that played with Kane two seasons ago. He was not going to put up many pts centering our 3c this season and losing most/if not all of his PP time.

So anybody have any comments about day 2 of prospect camp?

Smith has played a really crappy teams especially last year whereas AA played on one of the top offensive teams last year. What might the scouts be seeing that doesn’t show up in the stat lones?
- Assman22

Nothing. He sucks. Smith was waived last year and nobody picked him up. The only reason he ended up in the NHL was because they had a mini revolt amongst players when they tried sending him down.