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.

Predators Sign Jerred Smithson to Two-Year Extension

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have signed center Jerred Smithson to a two-year contract extension worth $1.6 million. The deal averages out to $800,000 per season. He would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. In 42 games so far this season, he has four goals and four assists for eight points. In 434 career NHL games with the Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators, he has 34 goals and 45 assists for 79 points. Not a bad depth signing for the Predators, as Smithson brings plenty of defensive skill and versatility to the forward lines. He has good size, plays with plenty of grit, is good on faceoffs, and is great on the penalty kill, making him a very effective checking line and special teams forward for the Predators.