Breaking: Golden Knights Trade Reilly Smith to Pittsburgh

The Vegas Golden Knights traded Reilly Smith to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2024 third-round draft pick. Smith, an original day-one misfit, appeared in a total of 487 regular season and playoff games for the Golden Knights.

Smith was acquired from the Florida Panthers via trade during the 2017 expansion draft. The Golden Knights selected Jonathan Marchessault from the Panthers in the expansion draft and were “given” Smith as an offering to protect Nick Bjugstad, Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic. Players that within two years were no longer with the Panthers.  The Panthers were desperate to get rid of Smith’s cap hit after Smith a down year. Smith had just signed a five year extension worth $25 million with the Panthers after just putting up 37 points in 80 games. Panthers general manager Dale Tallon was happy to lose Smith’s contract at the time.

A pillar in the community, Smith hosts the annual Battle For Vegas Charity Softball game which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. The initial event raised over $550,000. The next Battle For Vegas Softball Game is scheduled for July 22 at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Featuring active and alumni from the Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Raiders along with local celebrities and athletes, the Battle for Vegas Softball Game is an entertaining event for a great cause.

Smith logged 399 regular season games and 88 playoff games for the Golden Knights. Most of those points came as a member of the “Misfit Line” which featured Smith, Marchessault, and William Karlsson. The “Misfit Line” carried the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in the 2017-18 inaugural season. Coach Bruce Cassidy paid homage to the “Misfit Line” by reuniting them to start game five of the Stanley Cup Final.

A great two-way player, but Smith could also score in the biggest of moments as he netted the game winner of the Stanley Cup clinching game for the Golden Knights. Smith logged 124 goals and 162 assists in 399 career games for the Golden Knights. In 82 playoff games for the Golden Knights, Smith had 20 goals and 41 assists.

It is hard to imagine a Golden Knights team without Smith on the roster. Just five original misfits remain; Karlsson, Marchessault, William Carrier, Brayden McNabb, and Shea Theodore.

Trading Smith allowed general manager Kelly McCrimmon the necessary cap space to extend Ivan Barbashev for five years at yearly cap hit of $5 million. Barbashev had immediate chemistry on the top line with Jack Eichel and Marchessault.