The biggest trade at the 2024 NHL trade deadline was the Jake Guentzel deal, which sent the star scorer from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Carolina Hurricanes with multiple players and future assets moved in the process. The part of the deal that flew under the radar was defenseman Ty Smith moving to the Hurricanes along with Guentzel.
Smith hasn’t had the ideal start to his NHL career, playing for three NHL organizations in three seasons. However, he’s an X-factor in the trade and could be a valuable defenseman for the Hurricanes in the future. Smith’s proved he can make an impact at the NHL level and become a reliable two-way player, and now it’s about finding a team that sees him as one as well.
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He assisted on four goals in the 6-3 Wilkes-Barre Scranton win over the Bridgeport Islanders on April 6. For Smith, the game is putting a bow on an impressive regular season in the American Hockey League (AHL) and an interesting one, to say the least.
The Trade & He Stays Put
Instead of being asked to pack his bags after learning he was traded, Smith was asked to remain with the Penguins, the team that moved on from him. This makes for an uncomfortable situation, but the past few seasons have prepared him for these uneasy times.
Smith was a first-round selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils and made his NHL debut in the 2020-21 season with the hopes of being the young defenseman to lead the team out of the rebuild. In the next few drafts, the Devils selected Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Seamus Casey, a sign that his days were numbered with the team. It also didn’t help that they signed Dougie Hamilton in the 2021 offseason, leaving few spots for a defenseman still developing. Thus came the John Marino trade that moved Smith to the Penguins.
The Penguins seemed like an ideal team for him to join as a young two-way player who would play on the same unit as Kris Letang. Then came the Erik Karlsson trade, leaving him with no spot on the NHL roster and as the odd skater out as the 2024 trade deadline approached. Now, he’s looking to earn a place on the Hurricanes roster while playing on the Penguins AHL team.
The Hurricanes don’t have an AHL affiliate this season, and it’s commonplace for them to have prospects scattered around the AHL. Smith is one of the few they’ll keep a close eye on, considering how he’s played and the role he could have on their defense.
Smith’s Passing Makes Him a Valuable Asset
He has 34 assists this season and has been a key component of the Penguins offense. He creates scoring chances with outlet passes while also opening things up at the point. He doesn’t stand out when he’s on the ice. Instead, he’s good at all the minor details. He knows who will be open in the offensive zone and where the best scoring chance will be. Against the Islanders, he connected multiple times with forward Austin Rueschhoff on stretch passes to allow the forward to register a hat trick in a decisive victory.
He’s a pass-first player, but Smith gets the puck on the net when needed. He’s scored nine goals this season largely because of his ability to zip the puck through traffic and take a shot from the blue line if it’s the best option. Smith’s offensive play makes him seem like a one-dimensional defenseman who doesn’t make an impact on both ends of the ice. That’s not the case. However, a few things are preventing him from taking that next step and joining the NHL roster.
What Smith Must Work On
Smith’s skill sets make it easy to criticize his play on the defensive end of the ice. He’s not a hard-hitter or a shot-blocker and won’t limit teams from finding effective shots on the net. At 5-foot-11 and weighing only 180 pounds, he’s a smaller skater, which makes speed skating his best attribute on the defensive end of the ice. His closing speed and ability to cut down angles make him a reliable defenseman and one built to stop the speed and skill of the modern game.
The problem with Smith is his consistency. It’s easy to be impressed by his four-assist game, but the bursts overshadow the times he’s disappeared. In the previous five games, he only had two assists, and his game on March 22 against the Syracuse Crunch was a disaster as he was on the ice for four of the five goals scored by the opposition, resulting in a 5-2 loss. Smith has shown plenty of flashes, but that’s not what the Hurricanes or any NHL team are looking for at this point in his career. They are looking for a defenseman who can consistently make an impact game in and game out.
Smith Is a Hurricane-type of Defenseman
The Hurricanes love defensemen who can skate well and make an impact at the point. Their defensive unit has no shortage of them. Jaccob Slavin has embodied what the team is looking for at the position, while Brent Burns and Brady Skjei have become core parts of the unit as skaters who can turn defense into instant offense. Smith has the same traits and would fit right in on the second or third pairing.
The stacked defense leaves few if any, spots available for Smith. However, at 24 years old, he’s an ideal replacement for the 39-year-old Burns someday. He’s made his mark as a puck-handler, and the Hurricanes will keep that in mind as he becomes a restricted free agent (RFA) this offseason. He can sign with another team, but there is an avenue for him to join the Hurricanes’ roster and become a key part of a perennial contender.
