Barring any last-minute additions to the Chicago Blackhawks as the 2024-25 season approaches, this will be our final installment to our summer series, “Meet the New Blackhawks”. While electing not to re-sign numerous players whose contracts were up at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, the Blackhawks added eight new faces via trade and free agency, including five forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender.
Veteran journeyman Craig Smith was one of those five forwards, signing a one-year contract with a $1 million cap hit. Smith brings a lot of experience to the table, having played with four different teams in his 13-year NHL career. So what makes Smith tick, and how can he help the Blackhawks? Let’s find out.
Wisconsin Roots & Hard Work
First and foremost, it should be noted that Smith hails from Madison, WI and spent two seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Madison playing for the Wisconsin Badgers. With Chicago just a few hours south, the 34-year-old (he turns 35 on Sept. 5) will be close to home.
But before we get to the here and now, let’s look back at a much younger man, well before he started his NHL career. When Smith was just 16 years old, his old high-school hockey coach, Chad Stauffacher, and his brother Luke owned a construction company. They were building a hotel and asked Smith if he wanted to work for them over the summer.
Besides his hockey training, Smith didn’t have a whole lot going on, so he embraced the idea of making some extra money. It turns out he absolutely loved the job, because it was honest labor and it taught him the value of money.
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Smith worked alongside another local hockey player, Kevin Ulanski, who eventually went on to win two championships with the University of Denver. His bosses played back in the day as well (Chad for the University of Wisconsin and brother Luke for Minnesota-Duluth). Said Smith, “At that time, I wasn’t in junior hockey yet, but I was on my way. Being around those guys and seeing how they worked – it was a great experience. We would go to work and then train after. It was a cool summer.”
Fast forward to Smith’s first year at UW-Madison. The school newspaper did a feature on him as a newcomer to the hockey program, highlighting some of his likes and dislikes. He was 20 years old at the time, after playing three seasons with the USHL Waterloo Black Hawks. He had also just been drafted 98th overall (fourth round) in the 2009 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators.
Smith stated some things you would expect, saying he chose the University of Wisconsin for the great education and the great hockey program. He also said he hoped he’d be playing in the NHL as his goal for 10 years in the future (we all know that came true!).
The hockey player went on to say some of his hobbies and interests were fishing, camping and ping pong, and that his childhood hero was his dad (aww!).
Smith’s favorite band? “Red Hot Chili Peppers”. His favorite TV show? “Friends”. Favorite movie? “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. Hey, I love that movie too; I think I’m starting to like this guy!
Smith’s Heyday With the Predators
But let’s get back to the hockey aspect of this new Blackhawk. Smith’s NHL career got off to a fast and furious start. At 22 years old, he transitioned straight into the NHL after his time at UW-Madison. On Oct. 7, 2011, Smith scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game, against goaltender Steve Mason and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He went on to tally 14 goals and 36 points in 72 games during his rookie season. My THW colleague, who recently ranked Smith as No. 15 among all-time Predators, described Smith very favorably.
(Smith was) the definition of consistency. He had three consecutive 20-goal seasons and hit that total five times with the organization. He was known for his quick hands, shot, grittiness, and speed, which showed on the stat sheet.
Smith’s nine-season run with the Predators brought goal-scoring, consistency, and grit. Breaking the 20-goal mark five times and 50 points twice shows the depth he added to the organization. While he was never a superstar, let alone an All-Star, he was a staple in the team’s middle-six and left it all out on the ice every game.
Unfortunately, all good things always come to an end. The Predators and Smith chose to part ways ahead of the 2020-21 season, after his third contract with the club (a five-year deal with a $4.25 million cap hit), was up. Instead, he inked a three-year deal with the Boston Bruins, with an annual cap hit of $3.1 million.
Boston Connection With Taylor Hall
For two-and-a-half seasons, Smith enjoyed mid-range success with the Bruins. He accumulated 32 points in the 2020-21 season and 36 points in 2021-22. By the way, this is also where he developed chemistry with Taylor Hall, whom he will now re-connect with in Chicago.
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Hall joined the Bruins at the 2021 trade deadline, and formed a formidable second line alongside Smith and David Krejci. Here’s a peek at their chemistry in the video below.
I just love the way Smith hustled to the net on that play. Hall spoke highly of his teammate Smith, commending his speed and physicality, as well as his personality.
I think he tilts the ice with his wall play in his end and his speed through the neutral zone. The ability to create turnovers in the offensive zone right away was something that caught my eye when we started playing together. That’s one of my favorite things to do is create offense off the turnovers. … (He’s) probably one of the most well-liked guys I’ve played with as a teammate. I’m just really happy for him tonight.
Could Smith and Hall rekindle some of this chemistry with the Blackhawks? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Stops in Washington & Dallas for Smith
The Bruins traded Smith and three quality draft picks to the Washington Capitals at the 2023 trade deadline, in exchange for Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway. The then-33-year-old was really just a throw-in, as the trade was much more about the other pieces going to both sides.
Smith participated in 22 regular season games (accumulating five goals and six points) before the Capitals let him walk in free agency. For the 2023-24 season, he was picked up on a one-year contract by the Dallas Stars. This was his last stop before Chicago.
I reached out to my THW colleague, Justin Giampietro, for some insight into Smith’s time with the Stars.
Smith often won his minutes on a very good fourth line with the Stars. He wasn’t much danger offensively like in his prime, but he was great defensively and had a lot of puck possession. I’m not positive how much credit Smith can get individually (especially since Chicago is on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to winning shifts). But I’d still say he’s definitely one of the better fourth-liners in the league.
Hey, the Blackhawks could certainly use one of the best fourth-liners in the league! Smith suited up for 75 games with the Stars, accumulating 11 goals and 20 points while averaging 10:13 minutes of ice time. Those are pretty good stats for a fourth line player. His Corsi For number was 55.6%, indicating he did indeed have strong puck possession.
What Smith Brings to the Blackhawks
There hasn’t been a whole lot of hype around Smith joining the Blackhawks. People are much more excited about the acquisitions of more high-profile players such as forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen, or even defenseman Alec Martinez.
But you can’t deny this 34-year-old brings a ton of experience from his 13 seasons in the NHL. Let’s also not forget he’s participated in 10 playoff runs in his career, totaling 83 games, nine goals and 23 points.
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Smith brings his connection with Taylor Hall from the Bruins, and he played with Nick Foligno there as well. While he’s not the player he used to be, the 6-foot-1, 203-pound winger still brings grit and speed to his game. He can be a solid bottom-six player that will help the younger depth players along. And if the Blackhawks want to see what they have in some of the youngsters, it’s no big dilemma for the veteran Smith to sit out some games.
Remember when the UW-Madison newspaper interviewed Smith way back before he started his NHL career? They asked him to give a creative title for a personal business card for himself. His response was, “Can’t stop, won’t stop.”
Let’s hope Smith brings that same mindset with him to the Blackhawks.
