Brendan Smith had knee surgery and is expected to be out 3-4 months for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 36-year-old defenseman was injured in a 4-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 29 and was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 2.
Smith, who signed a one-year contract with the Blue Jackets on Nov. 24, has two assists in 15 games with them this season.
Selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round (No. 27) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Smith has 146 points (39 goals, 107 assists) in 741 regular-season games for the Red Wings, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars and Blue Jackets and 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 59 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Blue Jackets (18-17-7), who are last in the Eastern Conference, play at the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, SCRIPPS, SNP, SNO, SN1, TVAS).
