Blackhawks assign rookie Smith to Rockford

The

assigned forward

to Rockford of the

on Monday.

The 23-year-old rookie has one goal in seven games with the Hawks this season. Smith had one hit and no shots on goal in 5 minutes, 48 seconds of ice time during the Hawks' 3-2 overtime victory over the Sharks on Sunday night at the

.

At the time of his Nov. 17 recall, Smith was tied for fifth in the AHL with four power-play goals, ranked second on the

with six goals and had 10 points in nine games.

Smith's departure likely paves the way for veteran

to return to the lineup Wednesday night when the Hawks face the

in Minnesota. Bickell has been a healthy scratch for the last five games.