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New Jersey Devils: Ty Smith’s Fantastic Season In Spokane

By Vincent Parise

KELOWNA, BC - JANUARY 31: Ty Smith #24 of the Spokane Chiefs warms up on the ice with the puck against the Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place on January 31, 2020 in Kelowna, Canada. Smith was selected in the first round of the 2018 NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)
KELOWNA, BC - JANUARY 31: Ty Smith #24 of the Spokane Chiefs warms up on the ice with the puck against the Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place on January 31, 2020 in Kelowna, Canada. Smith was selected in the first round of the 2018 NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils sent Ty Smith back to juniors. He’s having a really good season away from all the negativity of the .

The New Jersey Devils have had an awful season up to this point. There have been some good moments, but based on their expectations, the Devils have fallen well below expectations. One player that we thought would be a part of this team before training camp started was Ty Smith. He didn’t make the team out of camp and that is probably a good thing now in hindsight.

If Ty Smith came to this team and was a part of the struggle, there would have been plenty of people saying he doesn’t belong or that he is a bust despite the fact that he would have just been a young defenseman trying to find his way. That is why one more year with the Spokane Chiefs is good for him and his development.

As mentioned before, he went back to the Spokane Chiefs and had an outstanding season. In 46 games he has 19 goals and 40 assists for 59 points. He is fourth in scoring for a defenseman, but everyone ahead of him has played 14 or more games. His points per game are significantly better than the three defensemen ahead of him. There is an argument to be made that he has been the best defenseman in the WHL this season. That is the league that top prospect Bowen Byram plays in and we all know how good he is.

Smith was taken by the Devils in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He fell to them in that one year that they made the playoffs. It looks like it might have been a smart pick with the way things are going. The Devils hope that he is able to get things going in the NHL next season. Hopefully, he can help the team be much better in all areas of the ice. We do have to remember, however, that he will still only be 20 years old with lots of development left to go.

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We don’t know if those will be his final statistics as the WHL has suspended its play along with the rest of the CHL leagues. The NHL is suspended as well as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak so there is a chance that the next time that Ty Smith plays a hockey game that counts, it is for the New Jersey Devils. There is still a lot to be decided in the current events of the world but we know that Ty Smith has a bright future.

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