With the Bruins currently operating with just over $33,000 in cap space, the team is placing another veteran on waivers in search of some fiscal (and roster) flexibility.
After a slow start to the season in which he found himself on the outside looking in at steady minutes in Boston’s lineup, Craig Smith was placed on waivers Sunday afternoon — with teams now having 24 hours to claim the shot-first winger.
If a team claims Smith between now and 2 p.m. on Monday, Smith’s entire $3.1 million cap hit will be taken off of Boston’s books, giving them some breathing room when it comes to their cap capabilities.
If Smith does clear waivers, the Bruins could assign the forward down to Providence, which would shave a little over a million off of Boston’s books. However, they can also opt to keep him on the NHL roster for 10 games or 30 days without having to clear waivers again.
Had you mentioned Smith as a potential cap casualty or waiver-wire candidate before the 2022-23 season commenced, you likely would have been the target of some sharp derision.
Even with a lackluster showing in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs (zero points in seven games), Smith’s track record of consistent O-zone production (15+ goals in seven seasons) and fair cap hit made him a trusted asset in Boston’s middle-six corps.
But whether it be injuries, his shot-first mentality not meshing with Jim Montgomery’s systems or the inevitable impact of Father Time, Smith just hasn’t put it together this season — scoring one goal and posting four points over 17 games while averaging just 9:51 of ice time, almost five minutes below his career average.
While it did seem like the Bruins wanted to give Smith a bit more rope to try to find his game, slotting him down on the fourth line with limited minutes and heaps of D-zone starts wasn’t going to play to the 34-year-old forward’s strengths. And with Boston in need of some cap relief, Smith made the most sense as the odd man out.