"It's going to be a really good opportunity for him to show what he can do and what he is," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. "We've seen him the last two days in practice, the last two practices. He's got some speed and jump to his game, agility. I think we've really kind of noted his puck skills and his tenaciousness on the puck.
"He's not a big guy and he's not going to be fooling anyone out there with his size but I've liked the way in the practices he's competed on pucks and been tenacious on pucks and think that's going to be a big part of his game."
Smith is listed at 5-feet-11-inches tall and 185 pounds, but describes his style of play as "blue collar." He scored 125 points in 120 NCAA games at UMass Lowell, but his willingness to battle is as much a part of his game as his scoring touch.
"I like to just play a tenacious game," Smith said. "Whatever happens, I'm just going to go out there and compete and play hard."
Rasmus Ristolainen is also set to return from his three-game suspension. Brian Duff has more on that and Smith's debut: