Patrice Bergeron Reflects On Craig Smith’s Time With Bruins After Trade

Craig Smith made quite the impression on the Bruins in his two-plus seasons in Boston.

The forward was traded to the Washington Capitals on Thursday night along with draft picks for Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov. The two former Caps players undoubtedly make the Bruins a better team and will add reinforcement in time for the playoffs.

Smith was a good locker room guy for the Bruins and even though his production dropped off this season, Patrice Bergeron reflected on the person Smith was day in and day out.

“I went to see him in his room for a little bit and had a conversation,” Bergeron told reporters after the Bruins’ thrilling 6-5 win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. A guy we really liked. He’s a great team guy, locker room guy and a great friend. It’s obviously the sad part of this business losing those guys, those friends and guys you create a bond with. So I wish him all the best for him and his wife in Washington, and I think he’s going to do great over there.”

Smith was playing on the top line with Bergeron and Brad Marchand while Jake DeBrusk was recovering from hand and leg injuries, and while he never was a bad player for the Bruins by any means, trading him in order to make the team deeper and tougher was the right move.

The Bruins and Capitals will meet April 11 for the final time in the regular season at TD Garden.