Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon has waded into the trade deadline pool by acquiring forward Jerred Smithson from Nashville in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2012.
“Jerred is a hard working, responsible, veteran player who plays well at both ends of the ice,” Tallon said. “He is a very good penalty killer, who has consistently ranked among his team’s leaders in face-off win percentage.”
Smithson, 33, has spent the majority of his career with the Predators, playing at least 64 games a year since the lockout. He’s a 6-foot-3, 210-pound checking forward with single-season highs of nine goals (2009-10) and 16 points (2007-08) and a fair bit of playoff experience (31 games).
He’s also sixth all time in games played for Nashville, which is...something.
It’s possible Smithson could jump right into Florida’s bottom six and get a chance to establish himself with John Madden (foot), Matt Bradley (concussion) and Marcel Goc (lower body) all on the limp.