The Chicago Blackhawks continue to add depth to their roster with their latest free-agent signing, Cole Smith. Smith is getting a three-year deal with a $3 million cap hit.
Smith is 30 years old, and he spent the first 6 years of his NHL career with the Nashville Predators before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2025-26 season.
Advertisement
Of course, the Golden Knights went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in the spring, and Smith was a part of it as a member of their 4th line. In 22 playoff games, he had 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points.
During the regular season, Smith had 8 goals and 4 assists for 12 points in 63 games played. There isn’t much offense there, but it is his physical presence and defensive play that will make the Blackhawks a bit harder to play against.
On the penalty kill, Smith will be one of the forwards who replace Ilya Mikheyev. At even strength, he won’t produce nearly as much offense; the Hawks will have to find that elsewhere.
Advertisement
With Jordan Greenway also coming in via the Bowen Byram trade, the Hawks have a couple of guys who bring a different style of game to their bottom six than their opponents have had to deal with in recent years.
Image
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
Read the full article here