Currently on a six-game road trip, Smith returned to Arizona to be evaluated by team doctors. The 34-year-old missed 40 games last season after undergoing core muscle surgery.
In Smith's absence, the Coyotes turn to Louis Domingue, who has struggled to start the season, going winless in three games. The team has also recalled veteran netminder Justin Peters from the AHL.
A quick calculation of Mike Babcock's math has the Toronto Maple Leafs making the postseason.
Following Saturday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Maple Leafs bench boss said, "Our goal is to always get six points in every five game segment here, and we've come up one short."
Should the team meet that goal, it works out to 98 points. Last season, three Eastern teams qualified for the playoffs with fewer than 98 points. The year prior, the Pittsburgh Penguins grabbed the last spot with 98 points.
The Maple Leafs have posted a 1-1-3 record this season, good for five points, with their lone win coming against the Boston Bruins.
As for the coach's goal, 98 points would mark a 29-point improvement over last year, and the team's best finish since a franchise-record 103 points in 2003-04.
"We've played one at home and four on the road, if I'm not mistaken," Babcock added. "We've managed to get points on the road. We could've won every game we've played in."
The Maple Leafs last qualified for the playoffs in 2013, their first appearance since 2004.
The team's next five-game segment begins Tuesday as the Maple Leafs take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.
Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Sunday, October 23:
Triple Threat
LW Milan Lucic (51K), C Connor McDavid (89K), RW Jordan Eberle (59K), Oilers (at Jets): The average total goal count of the past three outdoor NHL games has been seven. There should be some offense between the Oilers and Jets on a tolerable mid-fall afternoon in Winnipeg. The Oilers' top line is the most likely source for the majority of those seven goals.
LW Nick Ritchie (30K), C Ryan Kesler (51K), RW Corey Perry (93K), Ducks (vs. Canucks): Even with Ritchie's low salary it is impossible to include C Ryan Getzlaf in a stack of the Ducks' top line. Kesler replaces Getzlaf among the Ducks' top two stars, while Ritchie offers some exposure to the second power-play unit.
LW Jimmy Vesey (33K), C Derek Stepan (45K), RW Kevin Hayes (43K), Rangers (vs. Coyotes): Vesey and LW Rick Nash are listed at the same position in Squad Up. Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault's recent line juggling has Nash on the right side of the two cheaper players in this stack. Luckily, Hayes joins all three on the second power-play squad.
Bargain Plays
LW Kyle Connor (25K), Jets (vs. Oilers): With the high projected goal total in Sunday's Heritage Classic, Connor offers some-low risk exposure to the home team. He plays on the third line at 5v5, but he has a spot on the second power-play unit with LW Patrik Laine and C Mathieu Perreault. He has one assist and six shots on goal while averaging 15:27 in ice time.
C Mikael Granlund (34K), Wild (at Islanders): Granlund has just one assist but eight SOG through the Wild's opening five games. He is averaging more ice time per game than he has over any full season in his career, including a season-high 20:29 in Saturday's loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Islanders are allowing 2.80 goals per game.
D Johnny Boychuk (29K), Islanders (vs. Wild): Boychuk scored his first goal of the season in Friday's game, against the Arizona Coyotes. The injury to D Ryan Pulock will open up more power-play ice time, likely promoting Boychuk from the second unit. He already plays his 5v5 minutes with the first line and C John Tavares.
Top Fades
G Connor Hellebuyck (96K), Jets (vs. Oilers): The Oilers are tied for the league lead in averaging 4.00 goals per game through their first five contests. They rank only 21st in average SOG per game, offering opposing goalies limited save potential, while having elite finishing ability. Hellebuyck has allowed seven goals on just 51 shots in two starts.
C Ryan Getzlaf (84K), Ducks (vs. Canucks): While Getzlaf has five points in his first five games, his lofty salary can be avoided in favor of Kesler. Perry is the premier goal scorer on the Ducks' top line, and Kesler joins the two with the man advantage. With Getzlaf playing the distributor role, side with the goal-scoring potential of the cheaper Kesler.
RW Jakob Silfverberg (46K), Ducks (vs. Canucks): After a strong preseason, Silfverberg's offense has disappeared to open the regular season. He is still playing on the second line at 5v5 and on the second power play unit, but he has registered just a single SOG in each of his past two outings.
Contrarian Options
RW Drew Stafford (31K), Jets (vs. Oilers): Stafford tallied his first assist of the season in Wednesday's win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he registered just one SOG once again. He hasn't notched multiple shots in any of his first four games, but he remains on the top line at 5v5 and on the top power play unit. His opportunities will come.
C Charlie Coyle (37K), Wild (at Islanders): Coyle went point-less for the first time this season in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Devils and G Cory Schneider. The Islanders' goaltending poses less of a threat to the Wild's offense. Coyle still managed three shots on goal in Saturday's loss, his fourth straight game with two or more.
LW Rick Nash (58K), Rangers (vs. Coyotes): Nash had his first multi-point game of the season in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. His slow start to the season may be corrected by a reunion with Stepan. With Rangers Ws Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello having higher salaries, Nash offers a quality pivot.
Outdoor game fatigue. It's a condition that afflicts many, because there can be too much of a good thing.
By the time March rolls along, 15 regular-season games will have been played outside since Jan. 1, 2014. About 10 too many. Winter Classics. Heritage Classics. The Stadium Series. Even a Centennial Classic. What was once an occasion has become commonplace. What was once special has become routine.
One outdoor game per season is enough.
New Year's Day Tradition
The NHL got the Winter Classic right. Nailed it, in fact.
The first edition was played Jan. 1, 2008, five years after the league experimented with an outdoor game - the first Heritage Classic - in frigid Edmonton.
The next three outdoor games were also played Jan. 1, at iconic Wrigley Field in 2009, legendary baseball cathedral Fenway Park in 2010, and Heinz Field in 2011.
Tradition was born. On Jan. 1, to ring in the new year, you watch hockey while nursing a hangover.
Overload
The NHL got outdoors-happy in 2014. After the Winter Classic, the Stadium Series saw three outdoor games played in five days in January, with another two - the latter another Heritage Classic - on March 1 and 2. Six outdoor games in 61 days. Novelty over.
Two more in 2015, three more in 2016 (including Sunday's Heritage Classic), and another three in 2017. When stadiums are hosting their second outdoor contest - Heinz Field will Feb. 25, 2017 - we've reached Peak Outdoor Games.
Rinse, Repeat
The league's desire to tap into this well is understandable. The games generate publicity, which the NHL needs in an ever-crowded sports market. Outdoor game uniforms, alumni games, time-lapse videos of baseball and football stadiums being turned into hockey rinks - it's fun. That over 105,000 people filled The Big House in Michigan for the 2014 Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs was unbelievable to be a part of and see on television.
Moving forward, though, these games need to be saved for special occasions, and special occasions only. The Winter Classic, as noted, is tradition. It should stand apart. And the Centennial Classic in Toronto is the perfect way to celebrate 100 years of Maple Leafs hockey. Use the outdoor games to celebrate hockey, not shove it down people's throats.
Each Original Six franchise has played outdoors. The Penguins - and Crosby - and Chicago Blackhawks will endure the elements in 2017 for the fourth and fifth time, respectively. Alex Ovechkin's played in two. Once Sunday's game is in the books, and the Winnipeg Jets get their dance, each Canadian team will have played at least one game outside.
Mission accomplished. It's time to scale back and make the outdoor game one to look forward to again.
Richard Panik kept his superb start going Saturday night, scoring the tying goal with less than two minutes left in the Chicago Blackhawks' shootout victory over his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Panik has more than delivered after being given a golden opportunity with the Blackhawks playing alongside Jonathan Toews on the top line.
He was acquired from the Leafs in January for forward Jeremy Morin. Panik potted 25 points in 33 games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies before being dealt.
Scott Wilson scored in the opening minute of the game for Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury gave up the five goals on 23 shots through the first two periods before being replaced by Mike Condon, who stopped all seven shots he faced in the third.
Arvidsson tied the score on the power play at 3:08 of the first period, and Fiala beat Fleury with a wrister to start a four-goal second with his first of the season at 2:26.
Jarnkrok's wrister made it 3-1 just past midway through the period with his first point of the season, and Fiala got his second goal about a minute later for his first career multi-goal game.
Arvidsson's second of the game and third of the season, into the top right corner of the net, capped the scoring with 36 second left in the second.
It only took 52 seconds for Saros to give up his first goal in his first NHL start of the season. Wilson skated in to beat Saros to his glove side with a wrist shot.
Saros was an emergency call-up. Pekka Rinne, Mike Fisher, Craig Smith and Colton Sissons were all sidelined dealing with the after effects of food poisoning that has affected several Nashville players over the last two games.
Saros was one of five players recalled from Milwaukee. The others were forwards Frederick Gaudreau, Trevor Smith, Austin Watson, and Harry Zolnierczyk.
NOTES: Nashville's Yannick Weber and Saros each earned their first assists of the season. ... The five goals were the most allowed by Fleury in a game this season. ... Nashville placed Cody Bass on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. ... Saros made his second NHL start, having started a game last season, a 3-2 loss to Buffalo. ... Nashville set a franchise record with the power-play goal, the ninth of the season in the first five games, beating the previous record of seven set in 2005-06 and 2002-03. ... Pittsburgh's Matt Cullen, who played two seasons for the Predators, became the 59th player in NHL history to play in 1,300 games. ... Gaudreau made his NHL debut for Nashville.
The dynamic forward started an end-to-end rush, got the puck back from Adam Henrique, and beat Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk 29 seconds into overtime to give the Devils a 2-1 victory Saturday night.
Hall has three goals in his first five regular-season games with New Jersey.
The 2010 first overall pick was traded to the Devils in the controversial offseason deal that sent defenseman Adam Larsson to the Edmonton Oilers.
CHICAGO - Jonathan Toews and Artemi Panarin scored in the shootout to give the Blackhawks a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night after Chicago came back with two late goals to force overtime.
Artem Anisimov scored his second goal of the game on a rebound with 2:28 left to cut it to 4-3, then Richard Panik knocked in a loose puck in front of the goal 60 seconds later.
Anisimov connected as Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling was heading to the bench for an extra attacker. Darling was on the bench when Panik tied it.
Toronto rookie William Nylander scored twice for his first multi-goal game, with his second goal putting the Maple Leafs ahead 4-2 early in the third. But Toronto blew a lead in the final period for the third straight game and failed again to win at Chicago for the first time since February 2003.
James van Riemsdyk scored a tie-breaking goal late in the second period and Tyler Bozak also connected for Toronto. Rookie Auston Matthews, the NHL's top 2016 draft pick, set up both of Nylander's goals and had the lone Toronto goal in the shootout.
Rookie Tyler Motte also scored for Chicago. Motte connected for the second straight game after getting his first NHL goal in a 3-2 loss at Columbus on Friday.
Toronto's Frederik Andersen made 31 saves through overtime. Darling blocked 30 shots.
Chicago forward Marian Hossa returned to the lineup after missing Friday's game. He scored his 500th NHL goal in a 7-4 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday, but left in the third period after blocking a shot.
Anisimov opened the scoring 3:36 in, completing a 2-on-1 break created when Panarin beat Nazem Kadri with a nifty move after entering the Toronto zone. Panarin drew several Leafs defenders to him, then dished to Anisimov who one-timed a shot from the right circle.
Bozak tied it 1-1 with 14 seconds left in the first on a deflection from the slot despite being covered. Jake Gardiner's low shot ticked off Bozak's stick.
Nylander's power-play goal at 9:28 second put Toronto ahead 2-1.
Motte tied it 2-all 1:40 later. Andersen stopped Motte's initial deflection of Campbell's shot, but Motte batted in the rebound.
Van Riemsdyk made it 3-2 with 1:44 left in the second when he swept in a loose rebound from the edge of the crease.
Nylander connected again 4:46 into the third period, firing into a half-open net from the slot after taking Matthews' slick feed to make it 4-2.
NOTES: Blackhawks D Trevor van Riemsdyk, James' brother, will miss about a month with an upper-body injury, coach Joel Quenneville said before the game. The defenseman left Friday's game in Columbus in the second period, holding his right arm after crashing into the net. He appeared in 82 games last season, but van Riemsdyk was a healthy scratch for three games following Chicago's season opener and returned to the lineup against the Blue Jackets. ... Quenneville said there's no change in F Andrew Desjardins' (lower-body) status and doesn't know when he'll resume skating. ... Toronto D Martin Marincin (lower body) missed his second game.
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: Return home to face Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
