The Blue Jackets signed Brendan Smith earlier this season after he was initially invited to training camp on a tryout contract and appeared in 11 games with the Monsters in the AHL.
Smith stayed in the NHL from that point forward, playing in 15 games with Columbus before suffering a torn meniscus in a game against the Ottawa Senators on December 29th.
While he wasn't the most impactful on the box score, with only two assists in those 15 games, Smith played a reliable, physical game and brought some stability and poise to the third defensive pairing.
Although he was generally in the middle of the pack when looking at advanced metrics for Jackets defenders, Smith did allow the fewest high-danger chances against per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.
I do think that this statistic sums up Smith's short tenure in Columbus pretty well. Although he wasn't the most impactful player, he kept things simple and never really made a terrible mistake or bad play defensively.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defender wasn't afraid to play physical hockey, either, as his 12 hits, 11 blocked shots, and one fight added enough value, combined with his defense, to earn him consistent playing time.
With the 37-year-old having played in just 47 games over the last two seasons, it will be interesting to see if Brendan Smith looks to continue his playing career after working to come back from his surgery.
Whether he does or doesn't, it almost certainly won't be with the Blue Jackets. With himself, Erik Gudbranson, and Dysin Mayo all set to become unrestricted free agents, I wouldn't expect Don Waddell to bring back more than one of these depth defenders (if any), and despite the positive review, Smith would be my last pick out of the three.
At the end of the day, Brendan Smith is a name that will likely be long forgotten among Blue Jackets fans by the time next season rolls around. Regardless, his consistency and physicality were enough to impress me in a short amount of time, and I wish him success on whatever path he decides on next.
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