Story by
Golden Knights bringing back key winger ahead of NHL free agency
- Story by
- Golden Knights bringing back key winger ahead of NHL free agency
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The post Golden Knights bringing back key winger ahead of NHL free agency appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Vegas Golden Knights have decided to retain one of the original "Misfits"—a player who was part of their inaugural 2017–18 team and later returned to the organization after a brief absence.
Advertisement
The Golden Knights have re-signed forward Reilly Smith to a one-year contract with a $2 million cap hit. Smith will be extending his stay with the Golden Knights after being re-acquired by the team from the New York Rangers in the 2024-25 season.
After being re-acquired by the Golden Knights , Smith explained that he felt like he immediately got his game back on track and there was no adjustment period needed.
"It may be the structure, it may be the familiarity of the players, but I felt like there's predictability in my game here that helps me play faster," Smith said, via Sin Bin Vegas. "Yeah, I mean I don't have the the exact perfect answer for (why I play better here), I think it's probably a combination of a lot of different things but I do think it brings a better brand of hockey out of me. I don't think the last two years have been kind of like the trajectory I wanted my game to go. But coming back here, I felt like I was able to get my footing pretty quickly and feel good about my game again."
Advertisement
Smith scored one of the most dramatic goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season with less than a second remaining in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinal against the Edmonton Oilers , which gave Vegas the win and halved what was a 2-0 Oilers series lead. Unfortunately for Vegas, it would prove to be their only win of the series.
Last season, which he split between the New York Rangers and Golden Knights, Smith scored 13 goals with 27 assists in 79 games.
Reilly Smith was an original Misfit on the Golden Knights
Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
The Golden Knights originally acquired Smith from the Florida Panthers just before their inaugural season in 2017. He would go on to play the next several seasons in Vegas, helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final in their first season and eventually winning the Stanley Cup in 2023.
Advertisement
Because of salary cap issues, the Golden Knights traded Smith to the Pittsburgh Penguins just weeks after winning the Stanley Cup. In his first and only season in Pittsburgh, Smith scored 13 goals and 27 assists in 76 games. He was then sent to the Rangers on July 1, 2024, where he played until March 6 of this year before he was traded back to the Golden Knights.
Smith has played in 919 career NHL games, scoring 226 goals with 327 assists. He's also added 29 goals and 54 assists in 117 career postseason games. Smith is also fifth overall in total points in Golden Knights history .
