Smith (knee) has effectively been ruled out for Tuesday's home game against the Devils. Ansar Khan of MLive.com relayed from coach Jeff Blashill that the defenseman is expected to return at some point this weekend.

EDGE Analysis

The struggling Wings will welcome the Islanders to Joe Louis Arena on Friday and then travel to Nashville for Saturday's tilt against the Predators -- based on the latest comments from the bench boss, it appears that Smith could be in the mix for at least one of those games. It seems like eons ago that Detroit had everyone healthy on the blue line at the same time, but that could very well be the case once Smith is fit to return. With that said, GM Ken Holland may be forced trim the fat to stay within the 23-man roster limit.