The Nashville Predators have sent disappointing sophomore forward Craig Smith off to Milwaukee, in the hopes that he can get his game together:
Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has assigned forward Craig Smith to Milwaukee (AHL) on a conditioning assignment. Smith remains on Nashville’s active roster during the conditioning stint.
Smith, 23 (9/5/89), has nine points (3g-9a) in 30 games this season for Nashville, with all but one of those points (an assist) coming in his last 15 games. The Madison, Wis., native has played in 102 career NHL contests, but has yet to appear in an American Hockey League game.
Smith leads all Nashville forwards with 58 shots on goal, but in the defensive and neutral zones he’s been a bit of a mess this year. When you combine lousy puck-possession metrics with awful puck-luck, you might as well do something to hit the reset button and try to get his game back in order.
It’s interesting to see how the Predators are using the Conditioning Assignment to such an extent this year. Typically, it’s for guys who need playing time to get in shape, but that hasn’t been the case this season. Brian McGrattan was sent down shortly before being traded, while Matt Halischuk went to Milwaukee, played well for the Admirals, and has stayed in the Predators’ lineup ever since.
Which way will Smith’s season head?