Last season Cole Smith post his best NHL markers in all of his offensive categories, as well as ice time, hits, blocks, takeaways, and games played. He became part of a bottom six group that proved to not only be defensively responsible in all situations, but increasingly offensively adept.
The question facing Cole Smith is, can he do even more?
Last Season
Last year Smith was a permanent fixture in the lineup, playing in 80 out of 82 games. He also appeared in 5 playoff games. In this time he put up 23 points to the tune of 9 goals and 14 assists. They aren't eye popping numbers, but when you tack on some of Smith's other stats, you see that him being in the 20 to 25 point range is gravy.
Over the course of the year Smith doled out 235 hits, good for 2nd on the team. He brought a much needed physical element on the offensive end. He's got over 100 more hits than the next closest forward still on the team (Kiefer Sherwood and Yakov Trenin were close, but aren't Predators anymore) and more than anyone who isn't NHL single season record holder Jeremy Lauzon.
His ice time increased and so have his advanced stats. He averaged around 13:41 per game and his Corsi for % marched closer and closer to that magical 50% marker that indicated whether or not a team controls the puck more or less when a certain player is on the ice. Smith's moved up to 48.0 which for a player most often deployed in defensive situations, is pretty good.
Can Smith Improve?
There isn't a simple answer to this frankly because he doesn't need to. Smith provides exactly what you need from a 4th line or bottom six type player. If his luck is good he can probably surpass his previous totals without changing anything in his game.
Now a lot of what this boils down to for Smith will be ice time and linemates. If he's playing mostly fourth line defensive minutes then he'll need to be more luck than good to reach his previous totals. If he gets third line time, or the addition of some top end talent pushes some more down the lineup, Smith has a chance to produce even better numbers.
Last season, Smith was 8th on the team in shots. He was a reliable trigger man and when he had a lane he was ripping the puck on net. His shooting % was 8, the 2nd lowest of any regular forward on the team. He can probably improve on that number and score more, and if he plays with an adept passer he might be presented with even more chances to shoot.
Smith's Standing
Right now, Cole Smith is in an enviable position. He's secured a place on one of the league's most exciting teams, and he has a clear path forward for keeping himself in the lineup and maintaining his ice time. Chances are he'll be able to do that moving forward in 2024-2025.