The element of internal competition is nothing new; in many ways it resembles the atmosphere that was established in Rochester last season.
"You've got to come in every day and take advantage of your opportunity when it's given," Smith said. "Just play to your ability and not try to do too much, but obviously you want to do something to just help yourself stand out too.
"You're trying to find a nice line between trying to stand out and not trying to do too much and overcomplicate the game."
Smith led the Amerks with 30 points in his first 34 games last season, which earned him an All-Star nod as a rookie. He seemed positioned to earn a late recall, but an ankle injury in mid-February sidelined him for more than a month.
"It was pretty tough timing with the injury, a little frustrating for me personally," he said. "As for my game, when I got back I just wasn't able to get back to 100 percent so it kind of hurt me at the end of the year. But I was able to recover, and I had a good summer and I really like where I'm at right now."
Smith tweaked his summer routine after his introduction to the grind of a professional season. He never had to play more than 41 games in a season during his collegiate career at UMass-Lowell; the Amerks played 79 games last season between the regular season and playoffs. He incorporated flexibility and mobility training into his workouts to lower the risk of injury.
The rest of the grind, he learned, is mental.
"You've got to be able to learn how to play tired," he said. "You're not going to be there physically for every game, but you've got to mentally push through it. You've got to be able to help the team out … so you just keep it simple, and when you are tired just being able to mentally push through it I think is pretty important."
Smith will play his third preseason game on Tuesday, when the Sabres visit Clinton, N.Y. to play the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL's Kraft Hockeyville USA game. That's one more chance to make an impression as entering the final week of exhibition play.
"I think I've done a pretty good job so far," he said. "I've been able to just come in every day, been able to just push myself and try to get better. Just trying, like I said, pushing the pace and playing fast, playing hard.
"Just taking it one day at a time has kind of been my mindset and whatever happens, happens. Just take advantage of opportunities when they're given."
