Smith, 26 (10/28/95), skated in eight NHL games for the Predators in 2021-22, dishing out 21 hits while averaging 8:50 of ice time. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound forward spent the majority of last season with the Milwaukee Admirals, where he appeared in 59 games and posted 41 points (21g-20a), the fourth-most on his team. It was a 31-point improvement from his rookie AHL campaign (2020-21), when he tallied five goals and five assists in 23 contests for the Chicago Wolves. Smith made his NHL debut with the Predators on the opening night of the 2020-21 season.
Undrafted, Smith owns 51 points (26g-25a) in 82 career AHL games with Milwaukee and Chicago; he's also suited up in five career ECHL games with Florida. He signed as a free agent in March 2020 following a four-year career at the University of North Dakota, where he posted 51 points (24g-27a) in 137 games. In his final season with the Fighting Hawks, he contributed a career-high 18 points (11g-7a) en route to winning the NCHC's regular-season title. The Brainerd, Minn., native earned multiple team awards while at North Dakota, including the Cliff "Fido" Purpur Award in 2018-19, given to the Fighting Hawks player who exemplifies hard work and determination, and the Most Improved Player Award following his sophomore season.
