The Buffalo Sabres have announced the recall of CJ Smith from the Rochester Americans. The star left wing has scored 41 points (18G, 23A) in 41 AHL games this season.
The move comes after Buffalo waived forward Remi Elie on February 2. It was anticipated that the team would be reaching down to Rochester to fill the roster spot.
We’ve recalled forward CJ Smith from @AmerksHockey. pic.twitter.com/c5T3E66KUu
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 4, 2019
Smith was called to the roster earlier this season after an injury to Jack Eichel. He played in four NHL games this season, scoring his first NHL goal on January 8. The Des Moines, Iowa native became the first person from his state to score a goal in the NHL.
Smith will likely find himself in the lineup for Tuesday’s matchup against the Minnesota Wild. Smith’s dynamic scoring touch will be a welcome injection into the forward lines. He comes to the team fresh off of a two-goal night against Hartford on February 2.
If Smith’s AHL production can translate to points in the NHL, there is a good chance he’ll be in Buffalo for the remainder of the season, particularly considering the roster move that made space for him. It would be good to see Smith get quality ice time with the third line to see if he can spark some depth scoring.