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Cole Smith

#22 · Right wing · Chicago Blackhawks

Born Oct 28, 1995 in Brainerd, Minnesota, USA (age 30) · 6'3", 195 lb · Shoots left

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2024-25. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Marat Khusnutdinov BOS · 12 P in 75 GP Noel Acciari PIT · 12 P in 79 GP Trevor Lewis LAK · 12 P in 60 GP Alexander Holtz VGK · 12 P in 53 GP Kevin Labanc CBJ · 12 P in 34 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.

051015202020-21: 0 points020-212021-22: 0 points021-222022-23: 17 points1722-232023-24: 23 points2323-242024-25: 12 points1224-252025-26: 12 points1225-262026-27: 1 points126-27

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2020-21 NSH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 $793K
2021-22 NSH 8 0 0 0 -3 0 3 21 0.00 $750K
2022-23 NSH 69 4 13 17 -3 60 64 198 0.25 $750K
2023-24 NSH 80 9 14 23 5 63 112 235 0.29 $775K
2024-25 NSH 71 4 8 12 -15 69 69 163 0.17 $1M
2025-26 NSH 42 6 4 10 -7 31 51 119 0.24 $1M
2025-26 VGK 21 2 0 2 0 9 18 54 0.10
2026-27 CHI 6 1 0 1 1 2 6 12 0.17 $3M
7 seasons Career 298 26 39 65 -22 234 324 802 0.22

Playoffs

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

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2023-24 NSH 5 0 0 0 -1 0 5 12 0.00
2025-26 VGK 22 3 3 6 3 24 14 100 0.27
2 seasons Playoffs 27 3 3 6 2 24 19 112 0.22

2024-25 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
71 4 8 12 -15 69 69 163 0.17 5.8 13:36

Contract

$1MCap hitends in 2026, then UFA
$83KCap dollars per point12 points in 71 games
$578KWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$422KValueworth 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. He rated at or below a spare-part player, so there is no cost per goal to show. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 698 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Nashville Predators on Jan 24, 2024, as an extension of the contract he was on: 2 years and $2M, beginning in 2024-25. It runs through 2025-26, 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
2024-25 $1M $1M $0 $1M
2025-26 $1M $1M $0 $1M

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
Jul 1, 2026 Chicago Blackhawks New contract 2026-27 to 2028-29 3 $9M $3M
Jan 24, 2024 Nashville Predators Extension 2024-25 to 2025-26 2 $2M $1M
Feb 6, 2023 Nashville Predators Extension 2023-24 to 2023-24 1 $775K $775K
Jul 14, 2022 Nashville Predators New contract 2022-23 to 2022-23 1 $750K $750K
Jul 15, 2021 Nashville Predators Extension 2021-22 to 2021-22 1 $750K $750K
Mar 19, 2020 Nashville Predators Entry-level 2020-21 to 2020-21 1 $925K $793K

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 2024-25 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.

2024-25 analytics

Rating

-0.2Goals above replacement545th of 698 skaters, 363rd of 456 forwards
0.0Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-2.9Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 456 ranked forwards: 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-4.1 7th percentileEven-strength defence+0.9 65th percentilePower play0.0 52nd percentilePenalty kill+0.1 70th percentilePenalties+0.2 51st 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 forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance.

-3-2-10122020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-27Goals 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

47.1Corsi for %674 attempts for, 757 against
-3.5CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
46.0Expected goals for %26.5 expected for, 31.1 against
-2.9xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
46.8Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
37.0Goals for %20 for, 34 against
97.1PDO6.2% shooting + 90.9% saves
119Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 598 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

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Colton Sissons · Michael McCarron · Cole Smith32150:0142.544.94-6
Michael McCarron · Cole Smith · Zachary L'Heureux29122:1944.440.06-4
Colton Sissons · Cole Smith · Zachary L'Heureux1663:3252.146.52-3
Michael McCarron · Kieffer Bellows · Cole Smith1145:3158.067.70-0

The lines 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 lines 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.

4Goalsnot counting empty-netters
7.4Expected goalsfrom 99 unblocked attempts
-3.4Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.46 expected goals per 60 minutes8th
Shot quality 7.4% chance per attempt40th
Finishing -3.4 goals above expected14thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 428 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

0246Game 20Game 40Game 60Expected 7.4Goals 4

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
Apr 16, 2025 vs DAL W 5-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 16:07
Apr 14, 2025 vs UTA L 3-7 0 0 0 -1 0 2 3 13:59
Apr 12, 2025 @ VGK L 3-5 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 14:24
Apr 10, 2025 @ UTA W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 15:05
Apr 8, 2025 vs NYI W 7-6 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 14:11
Apr 6, 2025 vs MTL L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 13:14
Apr 3, 2025 @ DAL L 1-5 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 15:19
Apr 1, 2025 @ CBJ L 4-8 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 16:55
Mar 31, 2025 @ PHI L 1-2 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 17:05
Mar 29, 2025 vs VGK L 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 13:46
Mar 27, 2025 vs STL L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 10:22
Mar 25, 2025 @ CAR W 3-1 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 15:23
Mar 23, 2025 @ STL L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 13:30
Mar 22, 2025 vs TOR W 5-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 5 13:46
Mar 20, 2025 vs ANA L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 13:11
Mar 18, 2025 vs STL L 1-4 0 0 0 0 7 0 1 11:55
Mar 15, 2025 @ LAK L 0-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15:07
Mar 14, 2025 @ ANA L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13:49
Mar 11, 2025 @ SJS W 3-2 0 0 0 0 5 1 5 17:31
Mar 8, 2025 vs CHI W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 15:58
Mar 6, 2025 vs SEA W 5-3 0 0 0 -1 0 4 2 13:48
Mar 4, 2025 @ BOS W 6-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 15:45
Mar 2, 2025 @ NYR L 0-4 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 15:16
Mar 1, 2025 @ NYI L 4-7 2 0 2 3 2 3 0 14:24
Feb 27, 2025 vs WPG W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 12:11
Feb 25, 2025 vs FLA L 1-4 0 1 1 1 7 0 1 11:21
Feb 23, 2025 vs NJD L 0-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 13:40
Feb 22, 2025 vs COL W 2-1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 11:19
Feb 8, 2025 vs BUF W 6-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 16:47
Feb 7, 2025 @ CHI L 2-6 0 1 1 1 2 2 5 15:38
Feb 3, 2025 vs OTT L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 16:41
Feb 1, 2025 @ PIT L 0-3 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 11:20
Jan 31, 2025 @ BUF L 3-4 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 12:52
Jan 29, 2025 vs VAN L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 3 4 14:12
Jan 25, 2025 @ ANA L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 14:22
Jan 23, 2025 @ SJS W 6-5 0 0 0 0 20 0 5 07:39
Jan 21, 2025 vs SJS W 7-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 4 14:19
Dec 21, 2024 vs LAK W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 15:37
Dec 19, 2024 vs PIT L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 11:49
Dec 17, 2024 vs NYR W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 15:13
Dec 14, 2024 @ COL L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 13:09
Dec 12, 2024 @ DAL W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 13:39
Dec 10, 2024 vs CGY L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 16:25
Dec 7, 2024 @ OTT L 1-3 0 0 0 0 5 2 1 13:10
Dec 5, 2024 @ MTL L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 12:27
Dec 4, 2024 @ TOR L 2-3 0 1 1 1 0 3 1 13:28
Nov 30, 2024 @ MIN L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 12:55
Nov 29, 2024 vs TBL L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 8 13:11
Nov 27, 2024 vs PHI L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 11:04
Nov 25, 2024 @ NJD L 2-5 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 12:39
Nov 23, 2024 vs WPG W 4-1 0 0 0 -1 2 1 1 14:55
Nov 20, 2024 @ SEA L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13:43
Nov 17, 2024 @ VAN W 5-3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 13:56
Nov 15, 2024 @ CGY L 0-2 0 0 0 -1 0 3 3 11:51
Nov 14, 2024 @ EDM L 2-3 (OT) 1 0 1 2 0 1 2 13:55
Nov 11, 2024 @ COL L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 13:59
Nov 9, 2024 vs UTA W 4-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11:36
Nov 7, 2024 @ FLA L 2-6 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:37
Nov 6, 2024 @ WSH L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 13:07
Nov 4, 2024 vs LAK L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 14:35
Nov 2, 2024 vs COL W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 14:11
Oct 31, 2024 vs EDM L 1-5 0 0 0 -3 5 0 4 10:14
Oct 28, 2024 @ TBL L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 14:53
Oct 26, 2024 vs CBJ W 4-3 (OT) 1 0 1 2 0 2 6 14:51
Oct 25, 2024 @ CHI W 3-2 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 12:51
Oct 22, 2024 vs BOS W 4-0 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 11:46
Oct 19, 2024 vs DET L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 2 1 2 09:29
Oct 17, 2024 vs EDM L 2-4 0 0 0 -3 2 2 2 10:56
Oct 15, 2024 vs SEA L 3-7 0 0 0 -2 0 1 3 12:22
Oct 12, 2024 @ DET L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:18
Oct 10, 2024 vs DAL L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 10:59