The San Jose Sharks have signed enforcer Givani Smith to a two-year contract worth $1.6MM, or $800K per season, the team announced. They’ve also signed forward Ryan Carpenter to a cheap one-year, two-way contract as well.
Unqualified by the Florida Panthers, the Sharks should know exactly what they’re getting in Smith. One of the most underrated enforcers in the game, Smith has always shown an ability to lay some heavy hits and drop the mitts as well. As San Jose starts employing younger talent on the ice, Smith will provide some extra safety for those players.
Beginning last season with the team that drafted him, Smith was traded to the Panthers from the Detroit Red Wings in a three-team swap also including the Anaheim Ducks. His ice time was significantly decreased in Florida, but Smith still added a powerful presence to the team’s bottom six. In 34 games for the Panthers, Smith scored one goal and three assists, racking up 63 hits and 72 penalty minutes.
Carpenter is a well-traveled bottom-sixer who has largely played in the NHL over the past few seasons save for last year, when he played mostly in the AHL. Carpenter scored 21 goals and 44 points in 51 AHL games and provides defensively sound bottom-six play when in the NHL.
He has some playoff experience and actually began his career with the Sharks, meaning with this deal he returns to San Jose after a half-decade playing elsewhere.
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