Mike Smith just turned 39 in March but if he wants to return for another NHL season, his general manager is open to a reunion.
Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland was asked about the veteran goaltender during his end-of-season media availability Wednesday and said he would be open to re-signing the pending unrestricted free agent.
“Yes, I do want to re-sign Mike Smith,” Holland said, adding the two will connect in a couple of weeks after both are settled in their B.C. summer homes.
Smith and the Oilers were in a similar situation last season and after Holland missed out on adding a different goaltender in the off-season, Smith was brought back on a one-year, $1.5-million contract. While that reunion was viewed as a disappointment by some, Smith responded by putting together one of the best seasons of his career and could get Vezina Trophy votes as a result.
Smith finished the season with a 21-6-2 record with a .923 save percentage, 2.31 goals-against average and three shutouts. His save percentage was the second-best mark of his 16-year career. In the playoffs, his numbers only dipped slightly with a .912 save percentage in a sweep at the hands of the Jets, who needed overtime to win three of those four games.
If Smith does not return, the Oilers have Mikko Koskinen under contract for one more year and prospects Stuart Skinner and Olivier Rodrigue waiting in the wings.
[relatedlinks]
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.