A month or two ago, with his junior season at University of Wisconsin on the horizon, forward Craig Smith was positive he’d be returning to school. Instead, he went through a tough decision process that ultimately led him to changing his mind and turning pro.“It definitely wasn’t an overnight decision,” Smith said Tuesday on a conference call. “I sat down a bunch of times with my folks and got out a pen and paper to write down pros and cons, what (Wisconsin has) for next year. At that time, which was a week and a half ago, I felt it was time to move on with my life and start my journey to try to play in the NHL.”It was announced on Tuesday that the Predators had signed Smith to a two-year entry-level contract.The fourth-round pick from 2009 had two standout seasons at Wisconsin. In 82 games between his freshman and sophomore years, Smith tallied 76 points. He was in line to be a co-captain with the Badgers this upcoming season.“There were so many things that went into (the deci...
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