Panthers Acquire Jerred Smithson from Predators

The Florida Panthers announced on Monday that they have acquired center Jerred Smithson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft. He still has one more year remaining on his current contract. In 53 games so far this season, he has one goal and four assists for five points. Not a bad pick-up for the Panthers, as Smithson will bring plenty of defensive skill and grit to the forward lines. He's also a hard working forward on the ice and is versatile enough to play on the wing, so he should be a good addition to Florida's checking lines. Predators fans will likely be disappointed to see Smithson go, as he was a mainstay on their checking lines since the 2005-06 season. One has to wonder, though, if the Predators made this move to clear a little bit of space to make another trade over the next couple of days.