Smitt's condition has improved to a point where Lawton won't go looking at free agents. "We feel 100 percent comfortable with him. He's going to be ready. He's on track."
Let's start with this: Mike Smith, almost five months after being diagnosed with post*concussion syndrome, still has not gotten on the ice.
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The circumstances are that Smith, despite pushing his heart rate during workouts to 175 — "Pretty close to his max training capacity," Lightning trainer Tommy Mulligan said — still has occasional bouts of fogginess and sometimes has "issues with little black dots in my vision."
"It's little things where I know I'm not right yet," Smith said. "But I'm moving in the right direction. I've felt better and progressed every day I've been to the gym, so it's definitely exciting."
And enough of an assurance that, pending an upcoming checkup by Tampa Bay's medical staff, general manger Brian Lawton said he will not look for goaltending help in free agency.
"Honestly, we feel 100 percent comfortable with him," Lawton said. "He's going to be ready. He's on track."
Asked if he will be ready for the start of training camp on Sept. 12, Smith said, "Absolutely."
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Next is getting Smith on skates, something he said likely will happen in mid July, a bit earlier than his usual offseason workout schedule.
"The way we judge whether he should be on the ice or not, he's met those criteria." Mulligan said. "There's just no reason at this point to push him more than we need to."
Smith agreed: "It's more important to get a good base in the gym, feel strong and then be ready to go.
"If a month from now I feel as good as I do now, with improvement down the road, I'll be back to the Smitty we all know."
"Mike is 100-percent healthy and we're excited about that," Lawton said. "We did draft a couple of goalies, but I don't think Smitty should be too worried about that. We're expecting him to be 100-percent healthy at the start of the season. He's been working out at 100-percent full speed."
I'm still not going to be comfortable until we have a veteran backing him up...It doesn't matter how good he feels going into the season, it just takes one hit to end it.
.....and a vet that can stop pucks in the shootouts!...
Hi Guys. I want ask you on Mike Smith.
How dou you see him? Will he be your 1st goaltender in future (4-5 years) too (or do you think Helenius and Tokarski will be better)? Do you want re-sign him or not? And what do you think about his health? Is he so as good as last year? Thank you very much. I hope that you understand me a little at least
Hi Guys. I want ask you on Mike Smith.
How dou you see him? Will he be your 1st goaltender in future (4-5 years) too (or do you think Helenius and Tokarski will be better)? Do you want re-sign him or not? And what do you think about his health? Is he so as good as last year? Thank you very much. I hope that you understand me a little at least
Lawton says he is completely healthy, but I really can't tell until we see him playing again. If he is all recovered he should be as good as last year, if not better with our new defense. I do see him staying as our #1 goalie for years to come hopefully. Right now nobody is in a position to challenge him, but even in the near future if one of our prospects get real good, I don't see him being replaced as long as he continues to play well.
I must know it because I offer Trevor Lewis and 22nd overall pick in this year´s draft for him in Fantasy NHL. Is it corresponding price or is it too much? What do you think?
I must know it because I offer Trevor Lewis and 22nd overall pick in this year´s draft for him in Fantasy NHL. Is it corresponding price or is it too much? What do you think?
Well I don't like fantasy hockey but if Lawton traded Smith for Lewis and the 22nd overall pick I would be very upset.
“Turning my head, it was like my vision was a half-second behind,” he explained, easing his six-foot-four frame into the tan leather coach inside the cozy loft constructed over top the garage. The main house is a 2010 project.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it, I couldn’t pick up the puck,” Smith added. “Put it this way: For an NHL goalie to be seeing little black spots, it’s not good.”
At his off-season home in Minnesota, Bolts forward Ryan Malone, the Verona puck-stopper’s pal, inferred Smitty had it wrong.
“We kept telling him the black dots were really the 55 shots he was seeing every game,” he said.
Ahahahaha.
I thought they said he was 100%...
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“I’m about 85% now,” he said. “I’m not there yet, but I’m close. I’ll be ready.”
A bit of good news for the Tampa Bay Lightning as goaltender Mike Smith is back on the ice for the first time since Jan. 30...
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"Smitty skated this week and did as well as expected being off the ice for six months," Lightning trainer Tommy Mulligan said in a text message. "He will continue to progress for the rest of the summer, and we will continue to closely monitor him. Overall, a good first week back on the ice."
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Smith skated this week in Toronto at a camp run by his personal goaltending coach, Jon Elkin. Mulligan said Smith saw shots.
goaltender Mike Smith, wearing his helmet and mask while practicing in Toronto, was hit in the head with a shot.
"Thank God," Lawton said, "it was from a 14-year-old."
In that sense, there was more relief in Lawton's voice than anything else. No kidding. Smith, the Lightning's No. 1 goalie, has been on the ice only about a week since spending six months recovering from post-concussion syndrome that had kept him sidelined since Jan. 30.
Smith is skating at a camp run by his personal coach, Jon Elkin, and has been taking shots from some of the campers. Apparently one got a wrist shot a little bit too high. But Lawton said there did not appear to be any damage done.
"He did get hit in the head," Lawton said, but added, "there were no effects from it."
Lawton also goes on to say that everyone one else's injuries are healing nicely and should be ready for camp, and he expects to sign in the up coming weeks Mike Lundin,Matt Lashoff, and Martins Karsums.
