Granted it was by game 59, but Eaves managed a very strong market for a UFA without much of a history to support it and that was after a similarly disappointing season to what Smith just had.
30 games might not be enough, and 3 years remaining makes taking a risk a bit tougher but I think if Smith shows last year being an aberration, people will be willing to take on his contract. At 3.25, if he proves to be a gritty 3rd liner that can win faceoffs and chip in 30-35 pts, teams will be intrigued. If he's put up 20 pts by the 30 game mark, I think teams will see him as a decent option, though most teams aren't shopping at game 30 so that was an odd mark to set.