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Flames Need to Consider Claiming Penguins’ Ty Smith Off Waivers

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated 9/29/23

The Calgary Flames don’t need any defencemen at this time. Even with the uncertainty regarding Oliver Kylington, they have six capable NHLers on the back end in MacKenzie Weegar, Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, and Jordan Oesterle. Dennis Gilbert also remains under contract but will likely only be called upon in the case of injury.

With that said, that gives the Flames six reliable NHL defencemen on the books, though Oesterle is not much more than a six or seventh on many teams. The point is, while this team doesn’t technically need any additional blueliners, adding another wouldn’t hurt. It is easier said than done, given their tight cap situation, but as luck would have it, a young, promising, and inexpensive blueliner was made available earlier today.

Ty Smith Placed on Waivers

On Sept. 28, the Pittsburgh Penguins surprised many when they announced that they placed defenceman Ty Smith on waivers. The 23-year-old was given a one-year, one-way extension with them this offseason on a deal that carries a cap hit of just $775,000.

Smith, fans may recall, was acquired by the old Penguins regime from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenceman John Marino. The now 23-year-old showed plenty of promise in his rookie season with the Devils in 2020-21, scoring two goals and 23 points in 48 games. Despite regressing the next year, the Penguins clearly still thought highly of him, as they moved a top-four defenceman in Marino in order to get him.

Smith, who was drafted 17^th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, has long been viewed as an offensive talent who struggles at times in his own end of the ice. His 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame indicates he will never be an elite shutdown blueliner, though with his offensive skill, there is the potential for him to still turn into a very good NHL player.

Interestingly enough, Smith would actually be able to step in and act as a replacement for Kylington, as the two have very similar abilities. Neither is particularly strong in the defensive zone and has the occasional blunder, but both are elite skaters who are fantastic at moving the puck up ice. If paired with a defensive-minded partner such as Tanev, there is plenty of reason to believe Smith would fit in well with the Flames.

Smith Remains Under Team Control at Season’s End

As mentioned, Smith is on a one-year deal, but Flames fans wouldn’t need to worry about him departing at season’s end. This fanbase is all too familiar with what can happen in that situation, as Johnny Gaudreau walked last offseason with nothing coming back in return. Many fear the same could happen with several Flames entering the final season of their respective deals. While it may be a concern for some, however, Smith will be a restricted free agent once 2023-24 has wrapped up. If he works out, Conroy can choose to retain him. If he struggles, it was an experiment that didn’t work out and wasn’t costly.

There is no real downside in taking a chance on Smith if you are the Flames. If he struggles early on, they can either look to find a trading partner for him or attempt to send him to the American Hockey League. There is a chance, however, that he finally lives up to the hype that surrounded him on his draft day and early into his NHL career and blossoms into a legitimate top-four defenceman for the Flames. It isn’t every day that a player with his potential comes across the waiver wire, and for a team that doesn’t have cap space to do much else at the moment, it is an idea worth pursuing.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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