Jeremy Smith re-signed Wednesday with the Bruins on a one-year, two-way contract.

Smith re-signed Wednesday with the Bruins on a one-year, two-way contract.

Analysis:

Smith has played exclusively in the AHL ranks for the last five seasons, but this might represent his best opportunity to claim a backup role in the NHL. The Bruins watched Niklas Svedberg depart for the KHL and the recently acquired Martin Jones get traded Monday, leaving the team with a vacancy behind Tuukka Rask on the depth chart. The organization may prefer top netminding prospect Malcolm Subban to play everyday in the minors, and if that's the case, Smith would be the leading candidate to back up Rask.