UPDATE: In case you arrived to this story looking for the latest on Craig Smith, here it is.

The Boston Bruins are exposing one of their recent regulars in the forward lineup to waivers.

Craig Smith has been waived as of Sunday, according to Elliotte Friedman. Every other NHL team now has the opportunity to claim Smith off waivers, in which case they would assume his entire $3.1 million cap hit. Smith is in the final year of a three-year deal with the Bruins.

The decision comes amid a tough season for Smith, who has just one goal and three assists in 17 games so far in 2022-23. Off-season trade addition Pavel Zacha and fifth-year forward Trent Frederic have emerged as more productive and dependable options among Boston’s middle-six forwards, making Smith expendable.

If Smith passes through waivers, the Bruins can assign him to Providence in the AHL, but they could also opt to keep him on the NHL roster. The B’s are facing a real cap crunch for the remainder of the regular season, with only $33,693 in current space, according to CapFriendly. Removing a player’s cap hit from the NHL roster is likely to be a necessity at some point.

We’ll keep you updated on what happens next with Smith and the Bruins’ cap situation. In the meantime, the team is getting ready for a Monday night game against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden. Click here for complete Boston Bruins coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.