Trade Grades: Vegas Sends Reilly Smith To Pittsburgh
Another original misfit is gone and this one hurts. Reilly Smith has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2024 3rd round pick. The same pick Vegas gave up to acquire Teddy Blueger at the trade deadline. Was trading Smith really the right call for the VGK? I think we need to hand out some trade grades for this one.
Reilly Smith, acquired by PIT, is a well-rounded offensive winger who contributes off the rush and plays on both special teams. Not a particularly great finisher. #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/xxeY1nbZLk
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 28, 2023
Pittsburgh Acquires Reilly Smith
I’m not sure I totally love this move for the Penguins. Are we sure adding another player over the age of 30 is the move for the Penguins? The Penguins’ core is old and aging in dog years. Wasn’t this the type of move that backfired on Pittsburgh when they added Mikal Granlund? Smith, 32, still has some juice in the tank but had a bit of a rebound season in 2022-23 posting 56 points in 78 games. The year prior, Smith posted 38 points in 56 games. Smith is an all around solid player that defends his position but I’m not sure you’re getting a consistent 50-60 point guy at this stage of his career. I think we started to see his game slip two years ago.
Smith also played in 78 games last year which was the most since 2016. He’s battled through injuries and just went on an extensive Stanley Cup run. I really like the player but I just question the fit. The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years and just got older. Was this the right move for the new Kyle Dubas regime?
At the end of the day, the Penguins swapped expiring Blueger for Smith so that has to be viewed as a positive. We’ll see where Smith lines up but this could wind up being the Jason Zucker replacement. Smith is a better defender than Zucker but not as consistent shot maker. Overall, Pittsburgh is better and coughing up a 3rd round pick for a reasonable $5 million cap hit should be deemed as a good bit of business. Again, the only thing to really question is why the Penguins are tripling down on an old core that’s past its prime.
Grade: B
Vegas Acquires 2024 3rd Round Pick
An original Misfit. A leader on the ice and in our community. A Stanley Cup Champion.
— – Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 28, 2023
Thanks for the memories, Reilly. Vegas will always love you #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/JKoaPmNTDK
This sucks. Watching Smith go stinks. The positive is that you can’t take the Stanley Cup championship away and Smith got to hoist the Cup. Something the fans in Vegas will never forget.
Smith also provided this franchise so much surplus value from the moment Florida gave him away at the expansion draft. The gift of Dale Tallon gave this franchise a lot of gifts including the first ever championship in Las Vegas.
The fact remains that the Golden Knights were in cap jail and decided that parting with Smith was the best course of action. The return feels underwhelming and there is no way around that. Vegas really couldn’t get a second rounder from anybody? The $5 million AAV is more than reasonable too.
Running it back just made the most sense here. The depth of this team was overwhelming and they were a rightful champion that had a chance to repeat. On the surface, this trade doesn’t make a ton of sense unless another big fish is coming. With Vegas given their history, that part seems likely. Is this move just what was necessary to keep Ivan Barbashev?
Reilly Smith was a pro’s pro and it sucks to see him go. For now, this trade is a D with the obvious caveat that more moves are coming. For now, moving Smith doesn’t make a ton of sense until we see the next domino drop.
Grade: D
Update:
I think it’s fair to give Vegas a C as a new grade. The news of the Ivan Barbashev deal broke shortly after the Smith trade. It seems pretty obvious why Smith was dealt now. I still don’t like the trade but prioritizing Barbashev over Smith as probably the right call.
