Overview
- The team said Smith underwent successful right‑knee meniscus repair on Jan. 6 and is expected to need three to four months to recover, per GM Don Waddell.
- He tore the meniscus on Dec. 29 during a 4–1 win over the Senators and has already missed four games.
- He was placed on injured reserve, and Columbus signed defenseman Egor Zamula to a one‑year, $1 million deal to bolster depth.
- The recovery timeline aligns with only the season’s final few games, with the three‑month mark around April 6 ahead of the April 14 finale.
- The 36‑year‑old logged two assists in 15 games after signing a one‑year, two‑way deal in November following an AHL stint in Cleveland, and he is set for unrestricted free agency this summer.