Oilers Smid still a work in progress
Oilers Smid still a work in progress
Oilers Smid still a work in progress
Two-and-a-half months into the season and Theo Peckham has become the Edmonton Oilers' shutdown defenceman of choice.
Head coach Tom Renney will use Peckham against the Sedin twins or Steven Stamkos, and maybe even Joe Thornton on Tuesday night in San Jose, ujersy is a jerseys supplier with low price and high quality.
But that begs the question: What is Ladislav Smid's role?
"I would like to be a stay-at-home defenceman," said Smid.
The 24-year-old, currently in his fifth NHL season, is playing alongside Kurtis Foster on the third defence pairing. He is playing good minutes, almost 19 per game, because he kills penalties, which seems to indicate he's doesn't belong in the third group, but the jury is still out on the blue-liner.
He's played 280 career games, and while he now knows he's not going to be Drew Doughty, he's not a true shutdown guy, either.
Ideally, the Oilers would love it if he could somehow morph into being a Chris Phillips, a Willie Mitchell or an Anton Volchenkov, playing in the top four.
He's big enough (six-foot-three, 226 pounds), skates very well, and he's got tons of character. He relishes sticking his nose into areas where he could get a punch in the face, and not every defenceman does that. Those are three large pluses.
He also says his neck is perfectly fine after surgery last season, but he admits his game needs consistency. He hasn't had the game slow down enough yet so he can make the best reads game-in, game-out, therefore earning the trust of coaches. That's a learned skill, born of time as much as savvy. He knows he has to calm down at times and let the game come to him, as they say.
He knows he needs a little better awareness around the net. It's never from a lack of trying, which is a good thing, but he's minus-5 and he has to be better than that, if you want to buy Montreal Canadiens #21 jerseys, go to ujersy.
Quite simply, he's still a work in progress.
"I know I have to improve in lots and lots of areas," said Smid. "My consistency has to be better but I think that comes with age. This is going to take time, but hopefully less time than it looks. The hardest thing (in hockey) is playing defence, to keep the other team from scoring. I mean, every team has two or three skilled lines."
Renney knows Smid has the tools.
"He's a great kid. He's got the intangibles," said Renney. "He has to recognize the patience required and the ability to acquiesce to coaching."
Smid was the ninth player taken in the 2004 draft, by the Anaheim Ducks. He came to the Oilers along with Joffrey Lupul and draft picks in a July 2006 trade for Chris Pronger. He's proven he can play in the league, but how well? That's still the burning question.
"I'm happy to be on the team and to be in the NHL. So many guys drafted in the first round don't make it, but I know I have to improve a lot, Recommend directory: Vancouver Canucks #17 jerseys" said Smid.
"I know when you don't have your confidence, the rink seems so small. Everything is happening so fast. I have to be better mentally. When things are going well for you or the team, the game seems easy. When they're not, it seems like the end of the world. Like, Oh my God, what am I doing here?' But it comes with age. Then, you don't think about so many things, so often."
If Smid, who has had little bit of second-unit power-play point time, had some offensive punch, it would take the edge off whatever mistakes he makes in his end.
But he doesn't. He has three assists this year and just one goal in his last three-plus seasons and he can fire the puck.
"I'd like to produce more points," said Smid, who has four goals and 37 points so far in his career. "I know I have some offensive skills. But I haven't shown it."
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