Jeremy Smith

History

2006-07: Jeremy Smith only saw action in 35 games, posting a 2.59 GAA and a .923 for the OHL champion Plymouth Whalers. In addition, he was playing against lesser teams and behind a very talented, defensive-minded club that frequently overwhelmed its opposition. That being said, take nothing away from Smith’s performances as he held up well no matter what was thrown at him and he too is a steady, if unspectacular, goaltending prospect.

2007-08: Smith had a very good season last year playing for the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, posting a very impressive .921 GAA as well as a record of 23-13-4. He is a very athletic player who can make spectacular plays, but needs to rely less on that and more on positioning as he climbs the ladder to the NHL.

2008-09: Smith took a step back this season with the OHL Plymouth Whalers, posting a .873 save percentage and 4.79 GAA in 18 games. He lost his starting job to 2009-eligible Matt Hackett (MIN) and was subsequently traded to the Niagara IceDogs. There, Smith posted better numbers, .913 and 3.18, but still not as good as the two years prior.

2009-10: Smith appeared in 45 games in the ECHL with Cincinnati, finishing with a 23-15-2 record, 2.63 goals against average, .899 save percentage, and 2 shutouts. He was the main man for Cincinnati heading into the playoffs, but did split some time with rookie Robert Mayer. The duo were co-winners of the ECHL's Playoff MVP Award as the Cyclones clinched the Kelly Cup. Smith appeared in 17 playoff games during the team's run with a 9-7-1 record, 2.67 goals against average, and .907 save percentage. He also made a brief appearance in relief for the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, stopping the lone shot that he faced.

2010-11: Smith showed great progress in his second pro season with Milwaukee (AHL) – playing so well in tandem with veteran Mark Dekanich that former first round pick Chet Pickard was dispatched to the ECHL. With Dekanich injured, Smith started all 13 playoff games for Milwaukee. In 28 regular season games he was 16-10 with two of the losses in overtime. He had two shutouts with a 2.26 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Smith was 7-6 in the playoffs, with a 2.28 GAA and .931 save percentage as the West Division regular season champion Admirals reached the second round.

2011-12: Smith was among the top goalies in the AHL in his third pro season. With Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback established as the goalies in Nashville, he made the most of his opportunity with the Admirals. Smith tied Adirondack's Michael Leighton with a league-high 56 appearances and was 31-19-2 with 5 shutouts; posting a 2.17 goals against and .922 save percentage. The Admirals finished second in the North Division. Smith started all three playoff games as Milwaukee was swept by Abbotsford and had a 3.73 goals against and .866 save percentage. He was re-signed to a one year contract by Nashville in July 2012.

 

Talent Analysis

Smith is a small size goalie by the Predators standards. He has quick reflexes, is extremely agile and has excellent cross-crease lateral speed. The athletic netminder is very intelligent, hardworking but uses solid positioning to excel at stopping the puck. He needs to play aggressive due to his size and has to be out at the top of his crease to have success. The young goalie can be scored on when his timing going down in butterfly is off and he's not getting square to the shooter. Smith projects as a starter or a very good back-up in the NHL and can be a workhorse.

 

Future

Smith will return for his third year with the Admirals at the AHL level this season and should be the starter and an injury replacement for Nashville if the NHL lockout is settled. He's mostly likely not going to be a starter in the NHL for the Predators with Pekka Rinne signing to a long term deal.