NHL.com Senior Fantasy Editor Pete Jensen has Smith ranked 236th in his top 250 for the 2017-18 season, though he'll likely
move up that list following the trade
.
The Coyotes ranked 27th last season with 2.33 goals per game, whereas the Flames were 16th at 2.71, and were missing left wing Johnny Gaudreau for 10 games. Arizona also was poor at limiting shots, allowing 34.1 per game, second-most in the League. As you may have guessed, Calgary was much better in this department as well, allowing 28.7 shots per game (23rd).
Smith had respectable numbers (15-13-2, 2.64 GAA, .916 SV% in 32 games) in 2015-16, but missed 50 games because of injury. In his best season in 2011-12, Smith finished 38-18-10 with a 2.21 GAA and .930 SV%, and was fourth in Vezina Trophy voting. In that season, Smith was first in goals saved above average (34.63) and goalie point shares (16.7), according to hockey-reference.com.
The Flames had a carousel at goalie for much of this season, with Johnson (36) and Brian Elliott (45) splitting starts. Elliott was shaky, finishing 26-18-3 but with his worst GAA (2.55) and SV% (.910) in a full NHL season since 2010-11. Johnson was only slightly worse, going 18-15-1 with a 2.59 GAA and .910 SV%. Neither solidify himself as the No. 1 goalie.
Behind Smith will likely be 23-year-old rookie Jon Gillies, who made his NHL debut this season. He made 27 saves in a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on April 6, his only game. Despite Gillies promise, Calgary will likely ease him into the backup role, giving him around 20-25 starts.
Plenty of fantasy owners were high on the Flames' tandem heading into drafts last offseason. That thinking shouldn't change with Smith considering he'll likely be available late in your draft and will be expected to start anywhere from 50-60 games if he can stay healthy.
Going from a team that finished 27th in the NHL standings to a team that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the tough Pacific Division could help revive Smith's career as a viable fantasy goaltender.
It's also worth noting the Coyotes' acquisition of Johnson, 31, who has played 81 games (76 starts) the past two season for the Flames and Buffalo Sabres. A career backup in the NHL, Johnson can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Should Arizona sign Johnson before then, he could compete for the No. 1 job with the Coyotes, though it's more likely he'd return to a similar time-share situation. This will depend on what Arizona thinks of Louis Domingue, and if general manager John Chayka decides to sign or trade for another goaltender.
