From Always On The Road, Smyth interviewed on radio.
"I'm no pushover, I have been for many years . . . I think they may be taking on the past." (The latter bit was not entirely clear to me, but it was in reference to the question "Do you think you may be at a bit of a disadvantage since your parents are just an hour down the road and everybody knows how much you like it here" - not exact quote, but along those lines.) He also said something about there's always UFA, and named some ex-Oilers who'd gone elsewhere to win Cups: Arnott, DeVries, Weight... all guys he played with during the Dallas/Colorado Colorado/Dallas series of the late 90s.
Haven't done the math lately, but there can't be a lot left for Smyth, even if the Oilers spend to a raised cap for next season.
Smyth's sounding like a man who feels he's been left out in the cold a bit and taken advantage of in the past - he's laid it on the line for the team before, and now he wants his payday in shinier financial times.
Good for him. I love him as an Oiler, but if Lowe and company continue to balk, I'd have no problems if he walked. A little piece of me would walk out the door with him though.