Mike Smith was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday from the Dallas Stars. There were two other players (Halpern and Jokinen) included in the deal that brought star forward Brad Richards to Dallas, but addressing Tampa's goaltending woes was the focal point of the trade. The second year NHLer is the man who the Lightning see as the answer to their struggles in goal.
The youngster from Kingston, Onatario, Canada will finally get a chance at being a number one goalie in the National Hockey League after apprenticing for the last season and a half under All Star Marty Turco.
It has been a long road for "Smitty" since his first OHL season when he played behind Andrew Raycroft receiving only five starts the whole season. He since went on to being a starter in the OHL, getting drafted in the 5th round by Dallas and playing four years in the minors until last season's full-time assignment with the Stars.
Smith has exceptional puck-handling skills, superior rebound control and a fierce competitive instinct. The well-regarded prospect has been covetted in NHL circles for some time and the Lightning are happy to have him on board.
To read more about the trade: Click here
