Panthers Add Grit & Character With Jerred Smithson

Dale Tallon made his first trade deadline move early Friday evening by acquiring veteran forward Jerred Smithson from the Nashville Predators for a sixth round pick.  Hardly an earth shattering move, and certainly not the top six forward that we’ve all been salivating for, however Smithson brings a few things that this Florida Panther team needs.  Toughness, solid work ethic, sandpaper (otherwise known as grit), and he’s a good faceoff guy.  Here’s a comment from Dale that came from the official release by the club:

"“Jerred is a hard working, responsible, veteran player who plays well at both ends of the ice. He is a very good penalty killer, who has consistently ranked among his team’s leaders in face-off win percentage.”"

Smithson is 33 years old and has spent the bulk of his career with the Predators in clearly a defensive role.  His most productive season was in 2007-2008 when he compiled 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists) in 81 games.  Smithson will bring some snarl to Florida that will be needed especially with players like Matt Bradley and John Madden out with injuries.

Going forward from here till Monday will be interesting.  While Dale and his crew will be working the phones and attempting to swing a deal to improve the Panthers, we need to understand that it’s not as easy as we think.  Every team wants the same three or four things; a top six forward, a puck moving defenceman, a depth player, and for some ,a backup goaltender.  Problem is, with so many teams looking for virtually the same thing, it’s sometimes hard to compete.  Dale is smart, and he knows what he’s doing.  Let the chips fall where they may for now.  Sit tight and let things unfold.  Hypothesizing won’t help, and keep in mind……. anything he does has a purpose.

Thanks for reading.  We welcome your comments and opinions.

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