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The Detroit Red Wings have cut ties with a 14-year NHL veteran in surprising fashion
Photo credit: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press
GM Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings have cut ties with veteran forward Craig Smith, who was acquired in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Detroit Red Wings acquired both Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith in trade from their original-six brethren, the Chicago Blackhawks, near the end of the year.
They'd only send Joe Veleno in return, in the hopes that Mrazek and Smith could bolster their depth for a playoff run. A run that never came, and an extension that would never happen either, for Smith.
The Detroit Red Wings and GM Steve Yzerman have let Craig Smith, a depth forward who was selected 98th overall in the 4th-round of the 2009 NHL Draft, find a new home.
The former Detroit Red Wing will have to find a new home as a hired gun and possibly take a league minimum deal in order to keep playing.
This season, he scored 18 points (9-9) in 59 games split between the Blackhawks and Red Wings.
His 1-year, $1-million contract signed with the Blackhawks expired at the end of the year, rendering him a UFA.
Smith has played a total of 987 NHL games during his career and scored 452 points (220-232).
Coincidentally, he made his Stanley Cup playoff debut against the Red Wings:
Smith made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut April 20, 2012, against the Detroit Red Wings and got his first NHL playoff point with an assist April 27, 2012, against the Phoenix Coyotes. He played for the United States at the 2012 IIHF World Championship and had two assists.
He has played for the Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings. An NHL journeyman.
Where will he land next?
Previously on Red Wings Insider
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 15 | 91 ANSWERS The Detroit Red Wings have cut ties with a 14-year NHL veteran in surprising fashion Do you think forward Craig Smith, a former Detroit Red Wing, will find a new home for the 2025-26 season? | ||
| Yes | 34 | 37.4 % |
| No | 26 | 28.6 % |
| He'll have to take a PTO | 31 | 34.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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