Oilers look to re-sign Smith

Netminder, 39, has competitive spirit and the fitness level of a player a decade younger

No goalie helps out his defencemen like Mike Smith, who loves to play pucks, but it's also about bucks for the Edmonton Oilers unrestricted free agent who could be getting a two-year deal — a nice score for a 39-year-old.

“I just have to find a solution that I'm happy with and Mike's happy with,” said Oilers GM Ken Holland, who still has to talk before Friday's amateur draft to agent Kurt Overhardt to finalize a deal for Smith, who played lights-out as a starter last season.

Smith, who played 32 of the last 45 games after missing the first month with a leg injury, would like to be paid more than last season's $1.6 million, which included games played bonuses. His base was $1.5 million and he got an extra $50,000 for each of 25 and 30 games. Maybe, he will sign for $2.5 million for this season and $1.5 million in 2022-23, when he could be the backup.

“He brings a lot of dimensions to our team,” said Holland. “He's like a third defenceman with his ability to move the puck.”

Maybe Smith could play 50 of 82 games this season, and 25 as a No. 2 if he gets the two-year deal at a lower cap number.

“I don't believe he can play as much (75 per cent of the starts from February on) as he did last season,” said Holland, who had the Oilers in the All-canadian division in the COVID season, where teams would play miniseries in a city. “Our road trips were two-game sets in the same city. You fly into Winnipeg and play, then a day off, and you play again. This year, we'll fly in (day before) to most places, play a game, then fly out and play the next night. Even goalies in their `20s don't usually play back-to-back.”

Smith had a 2.31 average and .923 save percentage in 32 games last season. Was that an anomaly at his age, or can he put up terrific numbers once again? His birth certificate says 39, but he's one of the fittest guys in hockey.

Smith's teammates love him. He's brash, but he backs it up. He's a leader without a letter on his jersey. He wants to play every game, he gets mad when he loses. He's competitive as all hell.

So, Holland wants him to return; there's no goalie out there and available (free-agent) or in a trade, who would have the same impact with his teammates as Smith today. Holland feels Smith has game left on a twoyear deal.

He has long felt older players can impact a team, going back to his Detroit days. He had Dominik Hasek at 41. He sees Shea Weber and Corey Perry, Ryan Mcdonagh in Tampa, Pat Maroon productive in their own way, and feels Smith can easily do the same.

The question is who Smith plays with.

If they go to free-agency, Buffalo's Linus Ullmark, who turns 28 July 31 and has played 111 games, could be the No. 1 target. They've been shopping Mikko Koskinen, now 33, with no takers at his $4.5 million, even if the Oilers were to eat a portion of the one year he has left.

On the surface, having Koskinen in Nashville after fellow Finn Pekke Rinne just retired, to be an older goalie with Juuse Saros, makes some sense. But, right now the market for Koskinen seems non-existent.

There are no immediate plans to buy him out; they will do so with winger James Neal but two buyouts in one off-season may be too much unless the GM can find a $3-million goalie somewhere and needs the cap money to sign him. If Koskinen, available in the expansion draft but passed on by Seattle as they signed Adam Larsson, was making $2 million less, the Oilers would be fine with that.

In Holland's world, the goaltending should add up to around $6 million on the team cap. But at $4.5 million, Koskinen's hit eats up far too much as a backup.

Realistically Holland needs a goalie in the 26- to 28-year-old range to play with Smith, then take over. That would likely come in free-agency, although he could try and trade for Tristan Jarry ($3.5 million) in Pittsburgh or Joonas Korpisalo ($2.8 million) in Columbus.

There are lots of free-agent options — Ullmark, Petr Mrazek in Carolina, Frederik Andersen in Toronto. Chris Driedger was one in Florida, but he signed for $3.5 million for three years in Seattle, and Holland was lukewarm on him because he's only played 41 NHL games.

Ullmark might be the best bet. He has had ankle issues but over his last 54 games over two seasons in Buffalo he has a .916 save percentage on a poor team.