Brendan Smith suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday's loss to the Blue Jackets. Smith was hit midway through the first period and left the game without returning. The Wings are already dealing with injuries to Carlo Colaiacovo and Ian White so this creates a potentially-serious issue in the short-term. Here's hoping Smith makes a speedy recovery.

Brendan Smith left Friday's game with a shoulder injury. Smith, who totaled 2:37 in ice time, was injured on a hit by the Blue Jackets' Derek McKenzie. The Red Wings are already without six players, two of which are defensemen in Ian White and Carlo Colaiacovo. "We're already on fumes, and then we lose him," coach Mike Babcock said. "We don't know how long he'll be out."

For rookie defenseman Brendan Smith, six years of college and minor league hockey finally will pay off tonight when he takes the ice for the Red Wings' season opener against the St. Louis Blues. "I'm just excited," Smith said. That excitement has been on hold since September. "It takes such a long time (to make the team)," he said. "Then all the sudden there's a lockout. It gets a little frustrating." Smith will will be paired with Kyle Quincey. "We complement each other," said Smith, 23. "He hits pretty hard and then lets me pick up the puck, so we get out of the zone real easy."

Brendan Smith's days with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins might be over. With the lockout ending, Smith has been told to find a long-term place to live in the Detroit area. Smith is expected to spend the entire season with Detroit after recording seven points in 14 games with them in 2011-12. He's worth keeping an eye on, although he might still be a couple seasons away from having any noteworthy fantasy value.

Brendan Smith found himself in a ticklish situation this week when his identification was found with Grand Rapids Griffins teammate Riley Sheahan, who was arrested on drunken driving charges Oct. 29 in downtown Grand Rapids. Smith has talked with Griffins and Detroit Red Wings officials about the incident but won't discuss it with the media. He will meet this weekend with Detroit general manager Ken Holland.

Brendan Smith has three goals and nine points in 14 AHL games this season. Smith would have began the 2012-13 campaign with the Detroit Red Wings if not for the lockout. His situation is drawing comparisons to Niklas Kronwall, who back in 2004-05 was still just a promising, but NHL-ready defenseman trapped in the AHL due to the lockout. Kronwall ended up with 53 points in 76 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins that season and of course eventually established himself as one of the Red Wings' top defensemen. "He's playing very, very well," Red Wings GM Ken Holland said of Smith. "Absolutely, there's a comparison there to Nik Kronwall. Smith is matching up against the other team's best players. He's a power-play guy. You need to learn those situations, and it's good to learn in the AHL. We think the time he's spending there is going to lessen the growing pains in the NHL."

Brendan Smith had a two-goal night in Grand Rapids' 5-3 win over Rockford on Friday. Smith is just biding his time in the AHL right now. The 23-year-old has the talent to eventually become a top-pairing defenseman with a well-rounded game with offensive instincts and physicality. He could get a look in a top-four role as it is with the Red Wings if and when there's a season. Smith has seven points on the year.

Brendan Smith has been sent down to the minors. An NHL lockout would provide Smith with some extra time to develop in the AHL. However, after a new CBA is agreed to, Smith will almost certainly be a part of the Detroit Red Wings' opening game roster.

Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith is looking to take on a bigger role with the club for the coming season. With the departure of Brad Stuart and the retirement oif Nicklas Lidstrom, there are vacancies along the Wings blue line that need to be filled and Smith stands to benefit. The former Wisconsin Badger amassed seven points in 14 games last season and could find himself in a top-four role should the team not acquire any other major contributors.

The Detroit Red Wings failed in their bid to obtain star defenseman Ryan Suter but one member of the team isn't too upset about it. When Suter joined the Minnesota Wild as a free agent, Brendan Smith immediately looked on the bright side for himself. "It would have been great to have him here, and it just shows how the organization wants to win every year," Smith said after a recent break from the Red Wings development camp. "He's obviously a great player. I still would have been around, but obviously I would have been dropped down (to a third pairing) and I wouldn't have had the ice time, or at least battle for more ice time. So it's unfortunate Suter didn't come here, but for me, there's kind of an upside." With a defense in transition - and in need of one more veteran defenseman - Smith could get top-four minutes as the Wings push the development of arguably their No. 1 prospect.