Predators trade Cole Smith to Golden Knights after three seconds of ice time

Things can change quickly during deadline week.

Nashville Predators forward Cole Smith started the night thinking he was going to play a game like usual.

But he ended up just playing three seconds in a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets before the team dealt him to the Vegas Golden Knights immediately after the game.

"I think it was just a little bit of a roster management thing," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said of Smith's ice time after the game. "Not sure what was going on. We just had to make sure we had enough guys to (play)."

The Predators agreed to trade Smith to the Golden Knights for a 2028 third-round pick and prospect Christoffer Sedoff, the teams announced Tuesday.

Smith, 30, is a bottom-six left winger who also kills penalties. Not known for his offence, Smith has six goals and 10 points in 43 games this season.

The move comes hours after the Predators traded depth forward Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild. While Nashville remains in the hunt for a playoff spot, Smith and McCarron were deemed to be expendable as both players will become unrestricted free agents this summer.

Sedoff, 24, comes back to Nashville as part of the deal. The Finnish defenceman has spent the past three seasons in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights.

This season, Sedoff has four assists and is a plus-5 over 38 AHL games.