It was an interesting move the other day when the Buffalo Sabres gave Dalton Smith an NHL contract. The 27-year-old played his entire career in the AHL and was an unexpected call up for their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Smith only ended up getting a handful of shifts and playing 1:26 against the Lightning on Tuesday evening in the Sabres 6-4 loss. He got into a shoving matchup with Lightning defenseman Luke Schenn for his lone highlight of the evening.
Today, the Sabres placed Smith on waivers for the purpose of being reassigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Known for his toughness, it appears that the purpose of the call up was to add some sandpaper into the lineup for the matchup against the Lightning. If you recall, Vladimir Sobotka and Rasmus Dahlin were injured with cheap hits in their previous matchups this season.
The Sabres are back in action tonight when they host the Edmonton Oilers.