Craig
Smith
C · Balanced · Very poor
- PAL
- 9
- WAR
- 0.6
- PTS
- 2
2024-25№ 220 / 596
Craig Smith stats, profile and latest news: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats and headlines.
Craig Smith
Retired 2025#15C
HEIGHT : 185 cm · WEIGHT : 92 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : September 4, 1989 · Madison, United States
Drafted : 2009 · NSH · round 4, pick #98
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Detroit Red Wings | 19 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2024-25 | Chicago Blackhawks | 40 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 28 |
| 2023-24 | Dallas Stars | 75 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 33 |
| 2022-23 | Washington Capitals | 22 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | Boston Bruins | 42 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 14 |
| 2021-22 | Boston Bruins | 74 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 28 |
| 2020-21 | Boston Bruins | 54 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 18 |
| 2019-20 | Nashville Predators | 69 | 18 | 13 | 31 | 34 |
| 2018-19 | Nashville Predators | 76 | 21 | 17 | 38 | 20 |
| 2017-18 | Nashville Predators | 79 | 25 | 26 | 51 | 24 |
| 2016-17 | Nashville Predators | 78 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 30 |
| 2015-16 | Nashville Predators | 82 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 40 |
| 2014-15 | Nashville Predators | 82 | 23 | 21 | 44 | 44 |
| 2013-14 | Nashville Predators | 79 | 24 | 28 | 52 | 22 |
| 2012-13 | Nashville Predators | 44 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 20 |
| 2011-12 | Nashville Predators | 72 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 30 |
| NHL totals | 987 | 220 | 232 | 452 | 395 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Dallas Stars | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | Boston Bruins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020-21 | Boston Bruins | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | Nashville Predators | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | Nashville Predators | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | Nashville Predators | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | Nashville Predators | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2015-16 | Nashville Predators | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2014-15 | Nashville Predators | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | Nashville Predators | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Playoff totals | 83 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 20 | |
Craig Smith: our analysis
2024-25 season: 19 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS, -2 +/-, 10:40 TOI. WAR 0.6 (220th of 596) · PAL 9, very poor.
In 2024-25, Craig Smith, 37, posts a PAL Rating of 9 out of 100 (very poor), and his WAR of 0.6 ranks 220th among 596 regulars, in the top half.
On the other hand, discipline (4, among the weakest in the league) and defense (7, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV offense (+2.2); his biggest cost: EV defense (-1.6).
A marked decline: his PAL was 43 in 2023-24, against 9 now; his WAR, though, went from 0.5 to 0.6.
Craig Smith's story
Growing up in Madison, Craig Smith moved quickly from local youth rinks to higher levels of competition, standing out at La Follette High School before committing to the USHL. He spent three seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks, compiling steady scoring numbers and earning a spot on the USHL First All-Star Team for 2008–09.
Smith then played two seasons for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, serving as captain in 2010–11. Over 82 collegiate games he totaled 27 goals and 49 assists, a production that helped validate his selection in the fourth round, 98th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by Nashville.
He made his NHL debut on October 7, 2011, and scored his first NHL goal in that game against Columbus. Smith spent the bulk of his career with the Predators, with a temporary detour to KalPa in Finland during the 2012–13 lockout and a brief AHL stint with Milwaukee. In July 2015 he resolved an arbitration situation by signing a five-year contract worth $21.25 million. After leaving Nashville in 2020 he signed with Boston, where a highlight came on May 19, 2021, when he scored a double-overtime winner in Game 3 of the first round against Washington.
On February 23, 2023, he was traded to the Washington Capitals; he entered free agency after that season and joined the Dallas Stars for 2023–24. Smith signed with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2024, and on March 7, 2025, was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. Before that trade he had recorded nine goals and seven assists in 40 games with Chicago. Over a 14-season NHL career he also represented the United States at the 2011 IIHF World Championship.
Smith's game can be summed up plainly: a forward who produces goals and secondary assists, able to finish plays and to chip in with timely scoring. He retired from professional hockey on December 8, 2025.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 11:20
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:44
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:02
- Pts/GP
- 0.31
- EV points
- 16
- Hits
- 56
- Blocks
- 31
- Takeaways
- 16
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 45.2 %
- Off. zone starts
- 29.1 %
- Faceoffs
- 34.8 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
Player ratings, 2024-25
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 67 %
61
Depth
- SK
- Skating
- 78
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 80
- Confidence 72 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 57
- Confidence 75 %
- DU
- Durability
- 72
- Confidence 73 %
- CK
- Checking
- 77
- Confidence 72 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 76
- Confidence 55 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 48
- Confidence 72 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 71
- Confidence 67 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 75
- Confidence 67 %
- DF
- Defense
- 64
- Confidence 63 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 61
- Confidence 14 %
- EX
- Experience
- 93
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating78
- Top speed (35 %)36.2 · 76
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)6.205 · 76
- Distance /60 (20 %)16.8 · 82
- Speed consistency (15 %)35.6 · 77
ST — Strength80
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)4.772 · 78
- Body mass (50 %)0.028 · 78
EN — Endurance57
- Ice time per game (45 %)11.9 · 56
- Total ice time (20 %)610 · 60
- Shift length (15 %)43.7 · 70
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)11 · 55
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.029 · 50
DU — Durability72
- Share of games played (100 %)0.803 · 72
CK — Checking77
- Hits /60 (70 %)4.693 · 77
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)4.113 · 77
- Season volume (10 %)4.025 · 73
FG — Fighting76
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.824 · 76
DI — Discipline48
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.053 · 48
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.923 · 60
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.615 · 67
PA — Passing71
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.563 · 69
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.383 · 67
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.148 · 83
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.236 · 70
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.2 · 47
SC — Scoring75
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.875 · 77
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.796 · 76
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.241 · 79
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.086 · 70
- xG per shot (10 %)0.076 · 53
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)15.2 · 83
DF — Defense64
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)-0.086 · 62
- Relative xG against (20 %)0.15 · 63
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.752 · 66
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.012 · 76
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.13 · 70
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)59.5 · 72
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)2.749 · 75
PS — Penalty shot61
- Shootouts (60 %)31.1 · 60
- Penalty shots (40 %)29.3 · 76
EX — Experience93
- Career regular-season games (65 %)97
- Career playoff games (25 %)84
- NHL seasons (10 %)92
OV — Overall61
- SC · Scoring (20 %)75
- PA · Passing (20 %)71
- DF · Defense (20 %)64
- SK · Skating (12 %)78
- EN · Endurance (8 %)57
- DI · Discipline (5 %)48
- ST · Strength (3 %)80
- CK · Checking (2 %)77
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 61 | 78 | 75 | 64 |
| 2023-24 | 70 | 80 | 76 | 77 |
| 2022-23 | 66 | 78 | 78 | 64 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2024-25
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
0.6
wins above replacement
220 of 596
PAL Rating
9/ 100
Performance · Very poor
408 of 451 at the position
Value Rating
—/ 100
Season cap hit unknown
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 45
- Defense
- 7
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 55
- Creation
- 55
- Shooting
- 47
- Possession
- 20
- Defense
- 7
- Discipline
- 4
- Power play
- 44
- Penalty kill
- 22
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | DET | 0.6 | 9 | — | — |
| 2023-24 | DAL | 0.5 | 43 | — | — |
| 2022-23 | WSH | -0.0 | 12 | — | — |
WAR, 2024-25
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.6
wins above replacement
-0.4 to 1.8 — 90% interval
220 of 596 forwards
+2.8 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +2.2
- EV defense
- -1.6
- Power play
- +0.1
- Penalty kill
- 0.0
- Shooting
- +1.6
- Penalties
- -1.1
- Average → replacement
- +1.6
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | DET | 55 | 0.6 | -0.4 to 1.8 | 220/596 |
| 2023-24 | DAL | 75 | 0.5 | -0.5 to 1.4 | 227/608 |
| 2022-23 | WSH | 64 | -0.0 | -0.7 to 1.1 | 425/617 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 147.0 km/h85th percentileleague avg. 135.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 35.6 km/h43rd percentileleague avg. 35.7 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 5949th percentileleague avg. 76
- Offensive zone time
- 39.2 %15th percentileleague avg. 42.3 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 179.3 km41st percentileleague avg. 204.5 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.07 km31st percentileleague avg. 4.67 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 38.3 %4th percentileleague avg. 41.3 %
- Neutral zone time
- 18.3 %79th percentileleague avg. 17.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 42.5 %19th percentileleague avg. 39.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 9054th percentile | 951st percentile | 10.0 %18th percentile |
| High danger | 1838th percentile | 444th percentile | 22.2 %58th percentile |
| Mid range | 3060th percentile | 464th percentile | 13.3 %58th percentile |
| Long range | 1683rd percentile | 00th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2024-2025 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Last 5 games
| Date | Opponent | G | A | PTS | +/- | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2025 | @ TOR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:39 |
| April 16, 2025 | @ NJD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:17 |
| April 14, 2025 | vs DAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:52 |
| April 11, 2025 | @ TBL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:02 |
| April 10, 2025 | @ FLA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:49 |
Craig Smith: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Craig Smith have in 2024-25?
Craig Smith has 9 goals and 18 points (9 assists) in 59 games in 2024-25.
How old is Craig Smith?
Craig Smith is 37 years old: he was born on September 5, 1989.
How tall is Craig Smith, and how much does he weigh?
Craig Smith is 6'1" (185 cm) and weighs 203 lb (92 kg).
Where is Craig Smith from?
United States: Craig Smith was born in Madison, Wisconsin, United States.
How good is Craig Smith?
Craig Smith produced 0.6 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2024-25, 220th of 596 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 9 out of 100: very poor for his position.
Is Craig Smith a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 220th of 596 players at his position in the NHL in 2024-25. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Craig Smith getting better?
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 43 in 2023-24 to 9 in 2024-25 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
What are Craig Smith's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Craig Smith has 987 games, 220 goals, 232 assists and 452 points. His best season: 2013-14, with 52 points in 79 games.
Where was Craig Smith drafted?
Craig Smith was drafted 98th overall (round 4) by Nashville Predators in 2009.
How does Craig Smith perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Craig Smith has 83 games and 23 points in his career. His pace (0.28 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.46).
What is Craig Smith's nationality?
Craig Smith is American. Internationally: United States — participated at the 2011 IIHF World Championship.
What awards has Craig Smith won?
Named to the USHL First All-Star Team (2008–09 season).
Where did Craig Smith play before turning pro?
Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL), 2006/07–2008/09; University of Wisconsin–Madison (NCAA), 2009/10–2010/11.
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)