Odd time to retire don't you think? I'm assuming he has been training all summer.

I know his game has deteriorated drastically since 07, but 2.6M is alot to walk away from.

Makes you wonder if the Sens threatened to make him the 7th D-man or send him to the minors this year.

It's just frustrating when other teams can get out from under bad contracts and the Oilers keep adding more.

Oh there has to be some kind of deal there. No way he walks away from 2.5 mil this late in his career. I bet they told him that if he retires they will still give him the full salary, no cap hit to the team so they can fit Heatley in and still have room for a 1.3 Mike Comrie…. hmmm. This definitely stinks.

Jason Smith… miss him already. Was kind of hoping he'd come back before retirement a la Kevin Lowe.

Just by the way he played the game it wouldnt bother me to see his number retired. One of the toughest defenseman in the league for years.

This reminds me of what happens at a funeral. All of the sudden people are talking about Joe Deadguy like he was a hero instead of a pain in the ass.

Jason Smith played hard, but com'n, the guy really was a #3 or 4defensman in this league and was often responsible for goals against (moreso than most folks).

He was a hero here because of his lunchbox attitude (in that he would knock your teeth out with a lunchbox if he had one), but retiring his number….what are you talking about?

Jason Smith as an Oiler was a hero.

Curious about the retirement as well with one year left. I wonder if he would like a role like Mike Keane, playing as an AHL veteran with an AHL contract, he could be useful in that role providing leadership and stability for Springfield.

LT, sorry to thread jack. Timo Seppa from Puck Prospectus has recently sent me some data regarding Oilers player rankings by ESTR. I've presented this data with my analysis, here: hhttp://tiny.cc/ESTR850

On the topic of Smith and jersey retirements, I'll say no, but I will immediately follow it up by saying this: if he had played his entire career for the Oilers (a la Ken Daneyko for the Devils), it would have been an absolute slam dunk.

My guess and hope is that if one of Horcoff, Pisani or Hemsky retires an Oiler, having never played anywhere else, they'll receive this honor (an even greater likelihood if the team wins a Stanley during that time period).

I'm against all jersey retirements. They're all dumb.

Smith was a heck of an Oiler. A personal favourite of mine.

That's cool with me, as long as Lowe himself is hanging up there next to it.

/black humour

Buchberger was here for 11 years. Jason Smith only 8.

If you start handing out jersey retirements, Buchy is in line before Smith.

Speaking of which, when will Smith go from beloved Oiler role player to oft maligned Oiler coach? That will happen, won't it?

—

My favorite Smith moment was whenever he would reach out with one arm and strong arm a guy trying to go around him into the boards. He was great at that and made a lot of guys like weak on their skates. Fun player.

I think they should name the new arena after him and then melt down the Gretzky statue and recast it as a Jason Smith statue.

I like Jason Smith, he was a great team player and did a lot for the Oilers. In terms of 'Oilerishness', I would say he is one of the top 25 or so Oilers that have played here. In terms of actual contribution, maybe top 40 or so. I think that we need to watch the hyperbole…

I loved his strong masculine jaw and steely-eyed gaze. Sorry, just getting into the spirit of it.

I think he lost a lot of his innocence during his time at Shawshank. You could see it in the eyes and the way he avoided the laundry room.