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Brendan Smith

#7 · Defence · Free agent, last with the Columbus Blue Jackets

Born Feb 8, 1989 in Mimico, Ontario, CAN · 6'2", 200 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 27th overall in 2007 by DET (round 1)

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2019-20. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Dan Hamhuis NSH · 8 P in 60 GP Andrej Sekera DAL · 8 P in 57 GP Cody Ceci TOR · 8 P in 56 GP Joshua Brown FLA · 8 P in 56 GP Nick Jensen WSH · 8 P in 68 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0510152011-12: 7 points711-122012-13: 8 points82013-14: 19 points1913-142014-15: 13 points132015-16: 15 points1515-162016-17: 9 points92017-18: 8 points817-182018-19: 13 points132019-20: 8 points819-202020-21: 10 points102021-22: 8 points821-222022-23: 5 points52023-24: 15 points1523-242024-25: 6 points62025-26: 2 points225-26

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2011-12 DET 14 1 6 7 3 13 13 17 0.50 $875K
2012-13 DET 34 0 8 8 1 36 33 20 0.24 $875K
2013-14 DET 71 5 14 19 -2 68 90 57 0.27 $1.263M
2014-15 DET 76 4 9 13 -2 68 88 60 0.17 $1.263M
2015-16 DET 63 3 12 15 1 62 82 94 0.24 $2.75M
2016-17 DET 33 2 3 5 -1 34 39 43 0.15 $2.75M
2016-17 NYR 18 1 3 4 2 29 23 16 0.22
2017-18 NYR 44 1 7 8 2 69 66 58 0.18 $4.35M
2018-19 NYR 63 4 9 13 -7 71 66 100 0.21 $4.35M
2019-20 NYR 62 3 5 8 -12 71 45 90 0.13 $4.35M
2020-21 NYR 48 5 5 10 3 73 58 84 0.21 $4.35M
2021-22 CAR 45 4 4 8 6 36 63 73 0.18 $800K
2022-23 NJD 60 0 5 5 3 63 58 102 0.08 $1.1M
2023-24 NJD 63 5 10 15 -3 61 60 117 0.24 $1.1M
2024-25 DAL 32 1 5 6 -9 33 27 41 0.19 $1M
2025-26 CBJ 15 0 2 2 -1 11 10 12 0.13 $800K
15 seasons Career 741 39 107 146 -16 798 821 984 0.20

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2012-13 DET 14 2 3 5 -3 10 17 12 0.36
2013-14 DET 5 0 0 0 1 8 7 10 0.00
2014-15 DET 5 0 0 0 1 6 6 15 0.00
2015-16 DET 3 0 1 1 2 0 6 9 0.33
2016-17 NYR 12 0 4 4 8 20 11 25 0.33
2019-20 NYR 3 0 0 0 -1 4 3 16 0.00
2021-22 CAR 14 1 3 4 0 12 15 26 0.29
2022-23 NJD 3 0 1 1 3 12 2 9 0.33
8 seasons Playoffs 59 3 12 15 11 72 67 122 0.25

2019-20 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
62 3 5 8 -12 71 45 90 0.13 6.7 11:06

Contract

$4.35MCap hitends in 2021, then UFA
$544KCap dollars per point8 points in 62 games
$5.095MCap dollars per goal above replacement0.9 goals above replacement
$1.4MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$3MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 668 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the New York Rangers on Jun 28, 2017, as an extension of the contract he was on: 4 years and $17.4M, beginning in 2017-18. It runs through 2020-21, with 1 season left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2017-18 $4.35M $5M $0 $5M M-NTC
2018-19 $4.35M $4.525M $0 $4.525M M-NTC
2019-20 $4.35M $4.525M $0 $4.525M M-NTC
2020-21 $4.35M $2.35M $1M $3.35M M-NTC

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Nov 24, 2025 Columbus Blue Jackets New contract 2025-26 to 2025-26 1 $800K $800K
Jul 1, 2024 Dallas Stars New contract (35+) 2024-25 to 2024-25 1 $1M $1M
Jul 13, 2022 New Jersey Devils New contract 2022-23 to 2023-24 2 $2.2M $1.1M
Jul 29, 2021 Carolina Hurricanes New contract 2021-22 to 2021-22 1 $800K $800K
Jun 28, 2017 New York Rangers Extension 2017-18 to 2020-21 4 $17.4M $4.35M
Jun 30, 2015 Detroit Red Wings Extension 2015-16 to 2016-17 2 $5.5M $2.75M
Jul 17, 2013 Detroit Red Wings New contract 2013-14 to 2014-15 2 $2.525M $1.263M
May 28, 2010 Detroit Red Wings Entry-level 2010-11 to 2012-13 3 $2.625M $875K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2019-20 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2019-20 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+0.9Goals above replacement434th of 670 skaters, 127th of 231 defencemen
+0.1Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-1.4Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 231 ranked defencemen: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence-1.3 47th percentileEven-strength defence+0.0 55th percentilePower play0.0 42nd percentilePenalty kill-0.1 40th percentilePenalties-0.1 74th percentile

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among defencemen. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-202462011-122013-142015-162017-182019-202021-222023-242025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

42.5Corsi for %412 attempts for, 558 against
-4.9CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
40.1Expected goals for %17.0 expected for, 25.3 against
-7.2xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
43.8Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
29.7Goals for %11 for, 26 against
95.8PDO4.9% shooting + 90.9% saves
79Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 583 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Brendan Smith · Jacob Trouba14112:1245.440.31-3
Brendan Smith · Tony DeAngelo1129:4054.244.20-0
Marc Staal · Brendan Smith1126:0338.844.30-0
Brendan Smith · Adam Fox88:4873.782.81-0

The pairs he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's pairs that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

2Goalsnot counting empty-netters
3.4Expected goalsfrom 63 unblocked attempts
-1.4Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.30 expected goals per 60 minutes87th
Shot quality 5.4% chance per attempt99th
Finishing -1.4 goals above expected21stOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 229 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

0123Game 20Game 40Game 60Expected 3.4Goals 2

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Mar 11, 2020 @ COL L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 4 0 3 18:44
Mar 10, 2020 @ DAL W 4-2 0 0 0 0 7 2 0 18:26
Mar 7, 2020 vs NJD L 4-6 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 15:14
Mar 5, 2020 vs WSH W 6-5 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 17:15
Mar 3, 2020 vs STL L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 17:56
Mar 1, 2020 vs PHI L 3-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 15:43
Feb 28, 2020 @ PHI L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 17:46
Feb 27, 2020 @ MTL W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 15:34
Feb 25, 2020 @ NYI W 4-3 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 18:25
Feb 16, 2020 vs BOS L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:27
Feb 14, 2020 @ CBJ W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 12:44
Feb 13, 2020 @ MIN W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 17:55
Feb 3, 2020 vs DAL L 3-5 0 0 0 -1 2 1 1 05:38
Feb 1, 2020 @ DET W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 07:47
Jan 31, 2020 vs DET W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 09:05
Jan 21, 2020 vs NYI L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 04:26
Jan 19, 2020 vs CBJ L 1-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 09:17
Jan 16, 2020 @ NYI W 3-2 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 06:03
Jan 13, 2020 vs NYI W 6-2 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 00:29
Jan 11, 2020 @ STL L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 10 0 3 09:50
Jan 9, 2020 vs NJD W 6-3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 09:55
Jan 7, 2020 vs COL W 5-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12:14
Jan 4, 2020 @ VAN L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 05:44
Jan 2, 2020 @ CGY L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 07:13
Dec 31, 2019 @ EDM L 5-7 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 10:08
Dec 27, 2019 vs CAR W 5-3 0 0 0 -2 0 1 1 09:58
Dec 23, 2019 @ PHI L 1-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 05:47
Dec 22, 2019 vs ANA W 5-1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 10:12
Dec 20, 2019 vs TOR L 3-6 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 06:29
Dec 16, 2019 vs NSH L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 08:22
Dec 14, 2019 @ ANA L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 12:38
Dec 12, 2019 @ SJS W 6-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 12:24
Dec 10, 2019 @ LAK L 1-3 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 07:32
Dec 8, 2019 @ VGK W 5-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 12:34
Dec 6, 2019 vs MTL L 1-2 1 0 1 0 0 1 3 11:33
Dec 5, 2019 @ CBJ W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10:38
Dec 2, 2019 vs VGK L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 07:19
Nov 30, 2019 @ NJD W 4-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14:04
Nov 29, 2019 @ BOS L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 7 1 1 10:01
Nov 27, 2019 vs CAR W 3-2 1 0 1 1 0 1 3 10:57
Nov 25, 2019 vs MIN W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 08:20
Nov 23, 2019 @ MTL W 6-5 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 11:02
Nov 22, 2019 @ OTT L 1-4 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 12:51
Nov 20, 2019 vs WSH W 4-1 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 11:45
Nov 16, 2019 @ FLA L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 06:04
Nov 14, 2019 @ TBL L 3-9 0 0 0 -3 0 0 3 13:34
Nov 12, 2019 vs PIT W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 08:51
Nov 10, 2019 vs FLA L 5-6 (SO) 0 0 0 -2 2 1 2 07:23
Nov 7, 2019 @ CAR W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 11:22
Nov 6, 2019 vs DET W 5-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 09:11
Nov 4, 2019 vs OTT L 2-6 0 0 0 -2 0 1 1 11:06
Nov 2, 2019 @ NSH W 2-1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 13:10
Oct 29, 2019 vs TBL W 4-1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 09:45
Oct 27, 2019 vs BOS L 4-7 0 1 1 1 0 2 3 15:10
Oct 24, 2019 vs BUF W 6-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10:03
Oct 22, 2019 vs ARI L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 11:46
Oct 20, 2019 vs VAN L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 4 10:28
Oct 18, 2019 @ WSH L 2-5 0 0 0 0 7 0 2 13:47
Oct 17, 2019 @ NJD L 2-5 0 1 1 -2 0 0 3 13:43
Oct 12, 2019 vs EDM L 1-4 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 09:42
Oct 5, 2019 @ OTT W 4-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 3 14:47
Oct 3, 2019 vs WPG W 6-4 1 0 1 0 0 1 3 09:02