25 Chicago Blackhawks In 25 Days: Day 15 Zack Smith

For Day 15 of 25 Chicago Blackhawks in 25 Days, we focus on newcomer Zack Smith.

In 15 days, a casual fan might see little difference to number 15 on the Chicago Blackhawks. However, the rest of us know differently.

This past offseason, Artem Anisimov was traded to the Ottawa Senators for Zack Smith, who also wears number 15.

Player Spotlight: Zack Smith

Zack Smith is a versatile player. Obviously, all players have their ideal playing position, but Smith can play either wing or center.

Chicago addressed some different positions of need this offseason, including defense and center depth. Smith checks off both boxes.

Chicago added Andrew Shaw, Ryan Carpenter, and Zack Smith. These 3 players will factor into the Blackhawks’ depth at the center position. Smith played in 70 games last season. Check out his stats from last year.

Zack Smith has a better face-off percentage than the player he was traded for and he isn’t afraid to throw around his body.

Smith put up 136 hits last season. Adding that kind of playing style will be big for the Blackhawks this year.

Up to this point, Smith played his entire career in Ottawa, so this will be an adjustment for the 30-year-old forward.

More from Blackhawk Up

• Blackhawks: Three Noticeable Improvements in Comeback Win vs Blues
• Blackhawks: Key Takeaways from 3-2 win over the Blues
• Blackhawks: Grading Connor Murphy and a position comparison
• Blackhawks: Shuffling the lines to try and spark offense at 5 on 5
• These Lineup Changes could Solve the Blackhawks’ Scoring Problem

Drafted in the third round in 2008, Smith has played in 612 games during his NHL career, including some playoff games.

In 2017, Smith and the Ottawa Senators made it all the way to the conference finals, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7. He did register a goal that year in the playoffs.

Smith has not been to the playoffs since 2017, like the Chicago Blackhawks, so hopefully, he can help push the Blackhawks to a playoff run this spring.

Zack Smith is a player any teammate would be lucky to have. He will battle every night and is not afraid to stand up for his teammates.

With just 15 days to go until the 2019-20 season begins, only time will tell where Zack Smith is at in the Blackhawks’ lineup.