Brendan Smith will play in his first NHL game on Thursday in San Jose. He will be paired with Niklas Kronwall at even strength and see time with Nicklas Lidstrom on the power play. "We think he's an NHL player," coach Mike Babcock said. "He's got to play, and we've got to find out. There's no better place than here. It's always a good building to play in. They're a good team. You play against real players." Mike Commodore will be a healthy scratch to make room for Smith's debut.