After the NHL completed the COVID bubble in the fall of 2020, free agency opened in October, and Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made a splash, signing forward Craig Smith. he was able to slide up and down the lineup for Boston and provide depth scoring.
At the trade deadline in 2023, Sweeney sent him as part of the trade package with the Washington Capitals that acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway during Boston's historic regular season. After moving around the next two years, the 36-year-old announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday after 14 seasons.