Observations:

March 2015 – Even though he just has one point in six games with the Canadiens, Smith-Pelly has fit in well with his new club. He has been throwing a lot of hits and has seen time in the top-six as well as on the second power play unit. The goal is for him to become a net presence similar to the smaller Brendan Gallagher. With that said, there have been concerns expressed recently by coach Michel Therrien about Smith-Pelly’s conditioning. This certainly bears watching as his response to the criticism will impact his role with the Canadiens down the stretch and in the playoffs. Eric Daoust

February 2015 – The Montreal Canadiens have acquired 2010 2nd round pick, Devante Smith-Pelly, in exchange for forward Jiri Sekac. With Smith-Pelly, Montreal will get a middle-six physical winger who can also chip in offensively once in a while. For a team looking to get bigger and adding some grit, Smith-Pelly is an excellent edition and should quickly become a fan favourite. In 49 games with the Ducks, DSP scored five goals and 16 points, adding 10 minutes in the sin bin as well. The industrial forward bounced up-and-down in Anaheim’s lineup landing alongside Getzlaf and Perry on some nights and Kesler’s and Cogliano’s on other nights. In Montreal, he may have more of a chance to solidify a top-six position if he can replace Sekac on Plekanec’s wing. Brendan Ross

September 2014 – Devante Smith-Pelly signed a two year contract with the Anaheim Ducks, with an average annual value of 800,000. It’s important to note that this is a one-way deal, so Smith-Pelly has an inside track on sticking with the team for good this year after his impressive playoff run. Kevin Won

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May 2014 – Smith-Pelly led the Ducks in goal scoring in the playoffs with five in 12 games along with 24 penalty minutes. He was able to step into a top six role and occasionally saw time on the top line with Getzlaf and Perry. Look for him to take a big step forward in his development next season. Kevin Won

April 2014 – Smith-Pelly ended the 2013-2014 on a very strong note, with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in only 19 games with the Ducks and 43 points (27 goals, 16 assists) in 55 games with the Admirals. He continues to provide steady production along with his tough, gritty style of play. Most of his points with the Ducks were whilst on the top line with Getzlaf and Perry. It will be interesting to see if they carry this on in the playoffs. Kevin Won

November, 2013 – Since being called up on October 15th, the hard-working Devante Smith-Pelly has posted five points (one goal, four assists) along with a plus-6 in only seven games. He’s currently seeing time on the third and fourth lines, but Boudreau wasn’t afraid to let Smith-Pelly see some secondary powerplay time as well. Once the Ducks recover from the myriad of injuries their team has, expect Smith-Pelly to get sent back down. However, this is quite promising for fantasy owners as most believe he can only fit into the NHL as a checking foward. –Kevin Won

March 2013 – Pelly is spending much needed development time at the AHL level this season. He has chipped in 20 points in 50 games, thus far but this pace needs to improve for him to get back into a long term NHL role. His excellent skating skills should create more problems for minor league defensemen than it has, and his minus -20 rating leads the Norfolk Admirals, both are reasons for concern to current and prospective owners. He is still only 20 years old and has a promising future but much growth in his game is needed. Anaheim’s current team layout and management could cause force some prospects to be rushed or lower end players to be trust into roles they are not capable of, hopefully Pelly’s potential is not hindered due to short term roster needs. Jason Banks

May 2012- About a year ago Smith-Pelly was competing with the best in junior hockey for the Memorial Cup, with the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors (OHL). This year Smith-Pelly has found himself on the third line of the Ducks as well as playing for Canada at the World Juniors. Unfortunately, his WJC was cut short due to a foot injury. He is very physical and plays well in his role as a third line energy player. He loves to use his solid frame to go for the big hit and he’s not afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice. He has a great shot, and with a little more speed, he may be able to rip that shot more often. Nonetheless, he has the potential to be a third line energy player that’s capable of bringing offense from the bottom six and, if needed, he can play a top six role. Also a great leader on and off the ice, Smith-Pelly is very good on the penalty kill and could be a good asset on the powerplay in the future. –Justin Shemie

Fantasy Outlook: B+

Needs to improve stride and control his emotions on the ice, but he has second-line upside. He could complement stars on the first line if given prolonged opportunity.

Footage:

Smith-Pelly taps a nice feed from Getzlaf on the penalty kill.

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