Smith, who played in five games with the Wings earlier this season, has already tied his point total from his rookie season with 13 points (4-9-13) but in 22 games for the Griffins as opposed to last season's 64.
"I've heard he's been their best forward on a pretty consistent basis," Blashill said. "He does it his way. He's a big, strong guy that can win puck battles. He's got an NHL body. He can go head to head with other guys physically and win that battle. There's other good players down there for sure. But he's got that NHL body. He competes hard, he goes to the net, he's hard to play against. He's another guy who's probably got a little more skill than he's given credit for. I think he had to learn how to use that skill. He's done a way better job of that. When he first came, he would spend way too much time stick-handling and turning pucks over.
"Now I think he's learned to use his best asset and that's his strength down low and his strength around the net. He'll get a chance to play, get some good opportunity and probably see him on the power play. He's a really, really good net-front guy because he's a big body."
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound power forward had a big learning curve in his first year in the AHL but has blossomed in his second campaign.
"When we talk about development, especially down there, it's always they gotta play, they gotta play, they gotta play," Blashill said. "Well, sometimes they have to sit and realize they have to change their game. He's changed his game. He was, I would say, in love a little bit with stick-handling and doing some of those types of things and not understanding what makes his special. Over time, (Griffins coach) Ben Simon did a great job with him.
"Over time, he's learned what makes him special. What makes him special is putting pucks behind people, forechecking hard, being super physical, holding onto the puck down low, getting it low to high and going to the net. He's really, I think, grown to understand what makes him special."