Decision #3: Can They Rely On Ty Smith?
The Devils decided to keep Damon Severson at the NHL Trade Deadline. We’ll get to that more in detail in a moment, but keeping all the team’s defensemen means that it’s going to be status quo for the rest of the season. Ty Smith is going to spend most of his time with P.K. Subban. They’ve had less success than some might desire, but they are the third pair. Only Damon Severson-Jonas Siegenthaler and Ryan Graves-Dougie Hamilton have played more minutes together than Subban and Smith.
While the minutes skew the number, it tells a story that Smith and Subban are the only players that are even when it comes to goals allowed and goals scored while on the ice at even strength. The Devils have given up 17 goals with Smith and Subban together. Smith has allowed 29 goals in a little over 400 minutes when he’s not paired with Subban. It’s a much different situation when they are not together.
This kind of consistency might be key to turning Smith’s terrible season around. It will take a lot of work, but it’s work Subban is willing to put in with the kid. Subban is almost definitely going to leave in the offseason, but if he can help fix Smith’s issues it could leave a great legacy for Subban in New Jersey.
If he doesn’t and Smith’s mistakes continue to outshine his offense, then Fitzgerald has a very hard decision to make in the offseason. After this season, Smith will no longer be eligible for the AHL. He would have to pass through waivers to get sent down. So, the Devils would be stuck with him on the roster or risk losing him. If the Devils think his value peaked his rookie year, then it might be worth selling him now on the thought of what he could be. However, it’s still selling him when his value is the lowest.