Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith has indeed been suspended for his hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Ben Smith. The suspension will keep him sidelined for the final three games of the preseason, as well as five regular season games.
Because Smith is not expected to start the season with the Red Wings, there have been questions about how he will serve his suspension. ESPN's Pierre LeBrun tweeted an explanation on Friday.
Re: Brendan Smith and suspension if Wings demote him. Whether suspension is honored in the AHL is up to the AHL. But he still has to miss NHL games when and if he is ever recalled. He also loses same amount of NHL salary for NHL games missed.
I suppose one way the Red Wings could take care of the suspension now is by keeping him on the active roster for the first five games of the season. They could then send him down to the AHL once the suspension has been served, allowing him to return without any issues later in the season.
If the Red Wings immediately send him down, he won't be available until after he has spent five games on the roster. That could be problematic if a situation came about where a couple of defensemen had to miss a game, so the best option might be to have him serve the suspension at the start of the season.