Before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ty Smith was one of the most promising young defensemen on the New Jersey Devils roster.
When Smith arrived in Pittsburgh, he quickly became one of the Penguins top offensive blue liners, but his spot in the lineup wasn’t guaranteed.
Through his first two season of professional hockey, Smith had never seen playing time at the AHL level.
Smith made his debut with the Penguins’ organization as a member of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
It was a step down for Smith after a promising training camp, but he made the most of it and when given the opportunity, he made the most of it.
Smith played in nine games at the NHL level with the Penguins and was forced to quarterback the top power play unit.
In those nine games, Smith recorded four points and showed he is one of the best young defenders in the Penguins’ organization.
Smith impressed in his time and the Penguins showed their faith in him with a contract extension for the 2023-24 season.
It may have only been a season, but Smith has another chance to get his career back on track and stick as an NHL regular.
Another Penguins training camp is closing in and Smith will surely continue to impress, but there will be a lot of surplus to fight through.
Smith’s spot in the roster isn’t set in stone, but the 2023-24 season will be huge for the young blue liner and building for his future.
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