Smith will start Thursday's game against the Flames. With Devan Dubnyk having been traded to the Wild, Michael Lee is slated to serve as Smith's backup on Thursday. Per GM Don Maloney, one of the Coyotes' motivations for dealing Dubnyk was to reinforce the franchise's commitment to Smith as the team's No. 1 goalie. According to Maloney, the trade will "put Smith back in our net on a permanent basis to get him back to the level we know he can play at. We believe in Mike."