Future Watch Rookie of the Month: Ty Smith Hockey Cards, New Jersey Devils – Ty Smith was drafted 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2018 NHL Draft. That Draft was loaded with terrific defenseman, but Smith wasn’t being mentioned with many of them because he was thought to be a solid two-way defenseman with some offensive upside. Now that he’s made the Devils team and has been on display for this month, all of that has changed.
Smith has been playing up to 20 minutes a game and has been paired with a veteran in Matt Tennyson. When recently signed Sami Vatanen gets in the lineup that will change and it’s possible Smith gets paired with P.K. Subban. No matter what, the rookie has been noticeable in every game and his speed up the ice and ability to make good, smart passes have kept him on the scoresheet.
During his time with the Spokane Chiefs, this blueliner had 235 points in 240 games. Those are tremendous offensive numbers. His +91 for his junior career is nothing to sneeze at. For his last two years there and for two different tournaments with Team Canada (U17s and U18s) he was a captain. Smith doesn’t get rattled. This Canadian is cool under pressure and wants to be in a game with everything on the line. In 2018-19, Smith was voted CHL Defenseman of the Year and had the most assists as a WHL defenseman with 62. There were a few more accolades but at that point, it was becoming clear that Smith was right when he told me pre-draft that his offense was as good as any defenseman in the class.
Smith scored five points in his first five games, becoming just the sixth rookie rearguard to accomplish that. At that point he tied Hap Day, Harry Cameron, Larry Murphy, and Cale Makar. Marek Zidlicky, incidentally, has the record at six. He’s off to a flying start and the folks in Newark are thrilled.
Among those points was Smith’s first NHL goal.
The season outlook for Smith may be around 35-40 points. In a 56-game season that would be a good start in what will be a fantastic career. There will be ups and downs but as far as collectors are concerned, get his 2020 Upper Deck Team Canada Juniors cards to start, and his cards go back to his 2018-19 Upper Deck CHL too. Look for him in Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey. His Young Guns card could be a hot commodity.
Future Watch Rookie of the Month: Ty Smith Hockey Cards, New Jersey Devils – Stats
| Scoring | Goals | Assists | Shots | Ice Time | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | EV | PP | SH | GW | EV | PP | SH | S | S% | TSA | TOI | ATOI | FOW | FOL | FO% | BLK | HIT | TK | GV | Awards |
| 2020-21 | 20 | NJD | NHL | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 10.0 | 18 | 99 | 16:25 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Career | 1 yr | NHL | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 10.0 | 18 | 99 | 16:25 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | |||
Future Watch Rookie of the Month: Ty Smith Hockey Cards, New Jersey Devils – Other Resources
Future Watch Rookie of the Month: Ty Smith Hockey Cards, New Jersey Devils – Image Gallery
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