Detroit Red Wings grab Gemel Smith off waivers from Lightning
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Red Wings have made a light roster move that brings a new set of brothers to the organization. According to Elliotte Friedman’s report, the Red Wings claimed Gemel Smith off the waiver wire on Wednesday.
The Detroit Red Wings have reunited Gemel Smith and Givani Smith with this move, bringing the brothers together once again. It’ll be great for the Smith family and allow Gemel a chance to try and crack the roster.
Gemel has been in and around the league for the last six seasons with the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and Tampa Bay Lightning. While he has never played more than 20 games besides one season with the Stars, he’s been bouncing around.
It may not be some major acquisition or a significant roster move. However, the Red Wings were able to bring in some forward depth and reunite two brothers in the process. Gemel has not logged time in 2021-22 due to a lower-body injury he suffered before the season started.
The Detroit Red Wings claimed Gemel Smith off of waivers to reunite brothers.
It’s a nice gesture to bring these two brothers together, though it’s yet to be seen where Gemel will slot in, likely a depth role. Givani Smith has been a familiar face in the Red Wings bottom-six and is a quality enforcer when he’s on the ice.
He’s dropped the glove numerous times and been a physical presence the Red Wings have relied on. Gemel is not in the penalty box as much as his brother but certainly has the physicality that his brother has.
Looking at Smith’s career, his best performance was over 46 games with the Stars in 2017-18, where he had six goals and five assists for 11 total points. All-in-all on the career, he has logged 88 games over five seasons where he’s seen the ice for a total of 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 total points.
While Givani has become a mainstay in the Red Wings lineup throughout the 2021-22 season, his brother will likely be looking to get some playing time. Gemel is another option for the Red Wings to plug in during the Red Wings bottom-six as he returns.
He’s signed through the 2022-23 season with a $750,000 cap hit on next year’s books. So it seems like the Red Wings view Smith as someone who will be a consistent depth option and addition to the roster.
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The biggest question will be where and how often Gemel winds up playing.