Preds Craig Smith to Test Free Agency, Identifies 8-10 Potential Teams

31-year-old Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith is unlikely to be back with the Predators organization next season. According to his agent Kevin Magnuson, the winger/center plans to test free agency, likely knowing he wasn’t about to get anywhere near what he believed he was worth with his current team.

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As per a report by  Adam Vingan of The Athletic (subscription required), Smith will hit the open market in October and look for a contract in a market that might be less-than ideal for a depth forward whose production has dipped in the past two seasons. Smith scored 31 points in 69 games for the Predators in 2019-20 and 38 points in 76 games the season prior. Both were considerable trends downward from the 2017-18 campaign where he had 51 points in 79 games.

But, he’s still a capable forward with strong underlying numbers that might get some attention by analytic-happy organizations.

“A three-year deal is our goal,” Magnuson said. He added that they’ve identified eight to 10 teams that could have the cap space needed to fit in a salary like Smith’s and while neither he nor his client are looking for any sort of blockbuster deal, Magnuson notes, “… at the same time, he’s going to be in the market or a little bit above it, I think.”

Smith has spent his entire career with the Predators so the change will be a major shift for the versatile forward. But, his 661 games over nine seasons should get him some interest from GMs looking to boost their depth. And, if a deal isn’t out there, Smith re-signing with the Predators isn’t completely off the table.

What Is Smith Worth?

Projections for what he might earn on the open market will see Smith take a bit of a hit. Typically, players will get a decent bump when they come into free agency, especially if they are regular 20-goal scorers. For Smith, he’s not looking at much more than the $4.25 million per season he was currently being paid. Evolving Hockey projects he’ll receive a $4.422 million cap hit on a three-year deal.

But, that number isn’t really an option for the Preds who have only $8.5 million in cap space to sign a number of players or grab their own free agents.

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