Ottawa Senators Centre Zack Smith: Looking Like a Grade A in O-Town

Maple Creek Saskatchewan native Zack Smith has certainly impressed the Ottawa brass, media, and fans, but outside of the little circle that is O-Town the Maple Leafs, Sabres, Bruins, and Canadians have certainly become onlookers.

He definitely has NHL size at 6'2", 210 pounds, and he likes to use it.

After a couple stints with the big club last season, including a first round six game playoff series against the Penguins (Ottawa lost 4-2), he seems to understand what his role is and what it’s going to take from him to be part of this team.

In his last season with the Swift Current Bronco’s of the WHL in 72 games he scored 22 goals adding 47 assists while collecting 131 penalty minutes.

He continued the same style of play producing similar numbers in the AHL with the Binghamton Senators.

He’s played in four of five preseason games for this year and though not registering any points he's made his presence felt.

Against the Leafs in the first preseason game he played a total of 14:41 including a look on the power play (1:17) and in a penalty killing role (3:43) while dropping the gloves with Leafs tough guy Jay Rosehill (5Pims 3SOG).

In back to back nights and again against the Leafs in the second preseason game he got more ice-time and a more prominent role in the game.

(16:52 TOI, 5:02 PP, 3:03 PK, 7 Pims 1 SOG)

Rested when Ottawa traveled to play Montreal third preseason game.

In the line up again against Montreal back at home.

(14:20 TOI, 0:57 PP, 2:34 PK)

In his fourth (of five the Sens have played) game of the preseason against Buffalo he was commended on his work ethic and physical skills along with his hockey intelligence by the commentators (including James Cybulski and Pierre McGuire) every period, and deserved every moment of praise.

Obviously the Senators are looking long hard at this kid and he may have tipped the scales in his favor or he wouldn't have received this much playing time and would most likely have been sent back to Binghamton by now, as many teams have cut the majority of their rosters down substantially.

This guy should be penciled in on the final roster for an Ottawa Senator team that is growing a little longer in the tooth and are looking to their youth to start making bids to become future heads of the pride.

We, closely watching the Northeastern Conference of the NHL will be seeing Zack Smith, along with Cody Bass, Peter Regin, Nick Foligno, Josh Bailey, and Jared Cowan as they begin to etch their names into the Ottawa granite of Northern Ontario.