 In his first and only season in Philadelphia, Smith captained a rebuilt Flyers squad to an Eastern Conference showdown against their inter-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.Despite the fact that the Penguins won the series, the Flyers' turnaround from the worst team in the NHL to their status in 2007–08 was a testament to Smith's leadership abilities.In the 2008–09 season, Smith played his last year in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators before retiring from professional hockey on September 2, 2009.