At a rangy 6-foot-2, Smith has an appetite for contact, can play center or wing and is effective on the penalty kill.

Born and raised in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, near the province's western border with Alberta, Smith spent four seasons playing for Swift Current of the Western Hockey League. His production peaked in his final season there, when he had 22 goals and 69 points.

The Ottawa Senators selected Smith in the third round (No. 79) of the 2008 NHL Draft. He spent most of the next two seasons with Binghamton of the American Hockey League after being the last player cut in his first training camp with Ottawa.

Smith made his NHL debut on Nov. 29, 2008 against the New York Islanders, but that was his only League appearance that season. He played 15 games with the Senators in 2009-10, getting his first NHL point on Jan. 16, 2010, with a shorthanded goal against the Montreal Canadiens.

In 2011-12, Smith became an everyday NHL player; he appeared in 81 games that season, finishing seventh on the Senators with 14 goals and fifth in shooting percentage (10.4 percent).

Smith was limited to 37 games in 2014-15 because of a wrist injury sustained in a collision with Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand, but said he was able to use the recovery time to improve his skating.

Smith played 612 games in 11 seasons with Ottawa, scoring 193 points (94 goals, 99 assists) before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on July 16, 2019.