The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Givani Smith to a one-year, two-way contract, according to an announcement by General Manager Eric Tulsky. The agreement will pay Smith $775,000 if he plays in the NHL or $140,000 at the AHL level, with a guaranteed minimum of $250,000.
“Givani came to camp as a PTO and proved that he deserved a role in the organization,” said Tulsky. “His size and physicality make him a good fit to add depth to our forward group.”
Smith, 27, participated in four preseason games for the Hurricanes. During these appearances, he tied for second on the team in goals scored with two and was third in points with three. He also led the team with 28 penalty minutes. Last season, Smith played both in the NHL and AHL—appearing in 13 NHL games for San Jose and Colorado and playing 16 AHL games with the Colorado Eagles and Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Drafted by Detroit as the 46th overall pick in 2016, Smith has played 168 career NHL games across several teams: Detroit, Florida, San Jose, and Colorado. Over his career so far, he has totaled nine goals and thirteen assists for twenty-two points along with 268 penalty minutes.
A comment from Walt Ruff highlighted Smith’s performance during training camp: “As far as PTOs go, I’m not sure how much better of a showing you can ask for. #42 has made an impact every single game he’s appeared in.”
