Bruins sign Craig Smith to 3-year, $9.3M pact

The Boston Bruins signed forward Craig Smith to a three-year deal worth $9.3 million, the team announced Saturday.

Smith, 31, has spent his entire nine-year career with the Nashville Predators since being selected by the club in the 2009 NHL Draft.

The 6-foot-1 winger can play up and down the Bruins' lineup and adds a needed element of depth scoring to the team.

Smith was on pace to hit the 20-goal mark for the sixth time over his previous seven full campaigns before the pause, finishing with 18 goals and 31 points through 69 games with the Predators last season.

The Wisconsin native consistently drives offense at an impressive rate and is also responsible in his own end, according to HockeyViz's isolated impact (red is good in the offensive zone, blue is good in the defensive zone):

Smith is also a strong possession player, boasting a Corsi For of 55.18% and an expected goals for rate of 56.91% at five-on-five with Nashville last season.

The Bruins have $12.3 million in projected cap space with a roster of 20.