Ben Smith Traded To San Jose For Desjardins
Sad, sad day at my computer. I loved Ben Smith. That wasn’t exactly a secret. Here’s the deal though…when the Blackhawks acquired Vermette they no longer needed Ben Smith’s ability to kill PK’s because Vermette can slide into that role. Smith has really struggled offensively this year as well. Once Kane comes back in the playoffs I think we will see Shaw moved down to the 4th line wing spot and in the meantime the 4th line will use Nordstrom and all of his speed to fill Smith’s spot.
Also, Smith had another year on his contract at $1.5M and Desjardins is a UFA this summer while only making $750K this year. San Jose is reportedly picking up half of Desjardin’s salary for the duration of the year. As we’ve talked about at length, every penny counts when you’re as close to the Cap ceiling as the Hawks. This is just another creative cap maneuver by Stan Bowman. Ben Smith is the first victim of the Hawks coming cap crunch
Desjardins plays with a mean streak. Something that the Hawks could certainly use in their bottom 6. Who knows how often he will get into the lineup, but it’s never bad to add a little toughness down the stretch when the Hawks could play St Louis/LA/Winnipeg/Anaheim/Nashville in the playoffs.
So goodbye to Big Game Benny Smith. San Jose got themselves a class act and a guy who will never stop working for them. Miss you already, and good luck.
PS: I’m not in the mood for cheap jokes, but Desjardins has worn #69
