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Reilly Smith

Snapshots: Granlund, Wheeler, Canadiens

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Taylor Haase of DKPittsburghSports is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to buyout Mikael Granlund before the 5pm buyout window later today. Granlund has had his name thrown around for weeks as a player that was likely to bought out, but it appears he will remain with the Penguins barring a trade, or a buyout in the second buyout window should one open for Pittsburgh.

Granlund was acquired on trade deadline day by previous Penguins general manager Ron Hextall and did not fit in well with the club. After posting 36 points in 58 games with the Nashville Predators, Granlund was traded to Pittsburgh for a second-round pick and put up just a goal and four assists in 21 games as the Penguins failed to qualify for the playoffs. If he does remain with the Penguins, it’ll be interesting to see how head coach Mike Sullivan deploys the 31-year-old as he was not a fit in the Penguins bottom-6 and the recently acquired Reilly Smith is expected to take their vacant left-wing spot on the second line.

Some more snapshots from around the league:

  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweeted that recent buyout recipient Blake Wheeler would prefer to play for an Eastern Conference team to have a new experience and less travel. The news comes from Wheeler’s agent Matt Keator and it makes sense given Wheeler’s age and his family considerations. The former Winnipeg Jets captain is a free agent for the first time and should have several teams to consider given that is coming off a season in which he posted 16 goals and 39 assists in 72 games.
  • Eric Engels of Sportsnet is reporting that he expects the Montreal Canadiens to be quiet in free agency as the team has a lot of players that they would like to move to open roster spots for their younger prospects. While Engels jokes about Canadiens’ general manager Kent Hughes putting his phone on silent, he does concede that the Canadiens could add a player if they fit into both the short-term and long-term parts of their rebuild plan. He mentions Mike Hoffman, Joel Edmundson, and Christian Dvorak as players Montreal would like to move on from and given that all three are veterans on expensive cap hits it does seem unlikely for the Canadiens to acquire more of that through free agency.

Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Reilly Smith

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Just days after winning the Stanley Cup, the Vegas Golden Knights are moving on from original expansion draft acquisition Reilly Smith. He’s been dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2024 third-round pick, one the Penguins acquired from Vegas just a few months ago in exchange for center Teddy Blueger.

To say this move is a shock to most fans is an understatement. While cap-clearing moves have become commonplace in recent history, especially in Vegas, Smith had a spectacular postseason run for the Knights with four goals and 14 points in 22 games. At the time of the trade, he was second in franchise history in goals (124) and third in points (286), joined in the top three by longtime linemates Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson.

Smith, 32, has two seasons remaining on his contract at a $5MM cap hit. Of note, this is the first trade completed by Kyle Dubas as interim general manager of the Penguins.

Parting ways with that $5MM, as tough as it may be, gives Vegas significant flexibility into an offseason clouded by uncertainty over the playing future of goaltender Robin Lehner, who missed the entire 2022-23 season recovering from double hip surgery and is under contract, as Smith is, for $5MM per season until 2025. With netminder Adin Hill expected to sign a two-year extension in the neighborhood of $4.9MM per season, clearing Smith’s cap hit leaves the Knights with about $3.5-$4MM in space should Lehner be healthy next season.

In Smith, Pittsburgh may not be getting any younger, but they are getting a spectacularly consistent winger with good ability on both the power play and penalty kill. A well-rounded talent, his 26 goals this season were one short of his career high, set with Vegas in the 2019-20 season. He could very well slot in on Pittsburgh’s second line with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell.

With the Smith acquisition, it seems improbable that Pittsburgh will extend Jason Zucker, who held the top-six spot in the lineup Smith is expected to replace. The 31-year-old will be one of the better options on the UFA market among left wingers after recording 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games this year.

What exactly Vegas does with its newfound cap space remains to be seen. If they learn Lehner could be an LTIR candidate next season in the near future, they’d likely have enough flexibility to get a deal done to retain winger Ivan Barbashev. There’s no telling how long it will take to glean clarity into Lehner’s playing future, though, and Vegas will be forced to operate under the expectation they won’t have his LTIR relief until proven otherwise. If that’s the case, they could still sign a middle-six winger on the free agent market who’d command around the $2MM mark.

It’s still a bittersweet day for Knights fans, who have now lost fan favorites Smith, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Max Pacioretty to similar salary-dump moves in each of the last three offseasons.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was first to report the trade.

Dallas Stars Announce Seven More Black Aces

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Dallas Stars radio announcer Bruce LeVine tweeted this afternoon that the club has announced seven more Black Aces that will join the club for the remainder of their playoff run. The Stars already announced this morning that they would be recalling Mavrik Bourque and Rhett Gardner from the Texas Stars, now they will have seven additional teammates joining them with the big club. Texas was eliminated from the AHL playoffs this past Sunday night by the Milwaukee Admirals.

Joining the Stars from the AHL will be forwards Oskar Back, Matej Blumel, Marián Studenič, and Riley Tufte. Defensemen Alexander Petrovic, and Ryan Shea will also join the fray, as well as goaltender Matt Murray. The Black Aces generally don’t dress for games; however, they do stay ready for action just in case. They will also practice with the club as well as soaking in the experience of being around the NHL playoff atmosphere.

The addition of Petrovic is an interesting coincidence given that in the 2017 Vegas Golden Nights expansion draft the Florida Panthers gift wrapped Jonathan Marchessault along with Reilly Smith to Vegas so they could protect Petrovic and three other defensemen. Marchessault has gone on to become the Golden Knights all-time scoring leader while Petrovic struggled to stay in the NHL and has spent the past four seasons in the AHL.

These Black Aces could have a short stay with the big club as Dallas can be eliminated as early as this evening should they drop game 4 to the Golden Knights.

West Injury Notes: Smith, Kaprizov, Edler

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The Vegas Golden Knights got some good news today as forward Reilly Smith practiced in a full-contact jersey, with head coach Bruce Cassidy indicating he’s on track to play in tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Smith had been sidelined with a lower-body injury since March 24, but he has been making progress in his recovery and is now ready to return to action.

Smith, 32, has again been one of the Golden Knights’ top offensive contributors, with 24 goals and 27 assists in 72 games played. His return to the lineup should give the team a boost as they try to maintain their position atop the Pacific Division standings. He’s projected to make his return alongside William Karlsson, his center for the better part of six seasons in Vegas, and Nicolas Roy, who will see an increased role as youngsters Paul Cotter and Pavel Dorofeyev are scratched.

  • While his recovery has been slightly slower than expected, Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov skated for the first time today since sustaining a leg injury in early March, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith. He’s been sidelined for 11 games already and was originally expected to only miss four weeks. With that deadline looming this weekend, however, it’s unlikely he’ll make an on-time return to the lineup. The team has been able to find consistency in his absence, however, going 7-2-2 without Kaprizov in the lineup.
  • The Los Angeles Kings suffered a setback in their game against the Vancouver Canucks last night as defenseman Alex Edler left the game due to an upper-body injury, per the team. Edler, who was acquired by the Kings as a free agent in 2021, has provided an experienced presence to the team’s bottom pairing. There is no word yet on the severity of Edler’s injury or how long he may be out of the lineup, and he’ll likely be replaced in the lineup by 21-year-old Tobias Bjornfot for the time being.

Injury Notes: Thompson, Lindgren, Golden Knights

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Bleacher Report contributor Joe Yerdon reports Tage Thompson will miss today’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He also mentions it is an upper-body injury and Thompson has been dealing with it for the team’s past two games, but batted through. The Sabres are off for three days after tonight’s contest so it is hoped he will be recovered in time to face the New York Rangers on Thursday.

The 25-year-old forward is having a terrific season, leading the Sabres in scoring with 44 goals and 89 points in 72 games. He was hit awkwardly as he skated out of his zone on Friday night and appeared to be favoring his right side. He was able to finish that game and played the next night as well but will get some additional rest tonight.

  • Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports Ryan Lindgren was a full participant at practice today. Lindgren missed a month earlier this season with an upper-body injury before returning on March 21. He played just one game and has missed the Rangers past two contests after re-aggravating the same injury. It sounds like he could be ready to go tomorrow night when the Rangers face the Columbus Blue Jackets.
  • Per SinBin.vegas, the Golden Knights will be without a couple of key players for a while. Reilly Smith missed the team’s most recent game against the Edmonton Oilers and Logan Thompson has only played one game since February 9. Both players have lower-body injuries and head coach Bruce Cassidy said he does not expect either of them to play this week. The Golden Knights play the Oilers again on Tuesday and face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

Vegas Golden Knights Issue Injury Updates

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The Vegas Golden Knights will be without a trio of key players in a pivotal divisional matchup tomorrow against the Edmonton Oilers. The team announced that forward Reilly Smith and goalie Logan Thompson have left their road trip and returned to Vegas to be evaluated for injuries, while defenseman Alec Martinez has returned to Vegas for personal reasons.

Both Smith and Thompson left last night’s win against the Calgary Flames with injuries. Smith did not return to the game after taking a hit along the boards from Flames forward Walker Duehr, while Thompson left late in the third period with a lower-body injury, potentially reaggravating the ailment that had kept him out for almost 20 games. It’s not a good sign for either that they needed to depart the road trip early to receive evaluations.

They’ll also be without Martinez for an unknown length of time, which is no small absence. Martinez has been critical this season, recording 13 points in 67 games and leading the team with a +21 rating on the top pairing alongside Alex Pietrangelo. Smith has again been one of Vegas’ most consistent scorers, tallying 51 points in 71 games.

Vegas has a tough schedule ahead of them, with four of their next five games against the red-hot Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild. They’ll need netminders Jonathan Quick and Laurent Brossoit, who’ve both been good for Vegas in limited samples this year, to carry their weight to keep Vegas’ cushion atop the Pacific Division.

Vegas Golden Knights Re-Sign Reilly Smith

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July 13: After clearing enough cap space with the Max Pacioretty trade, the Golden Knights have officially re-signed Smith to a three-year, $15MM contract.

June 23: The Vegas Golden Knights are keeping one of the original misfits around. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the team has reached an agreement with Reilly Smith on a contract extension, though notes it may not be immediately announced due to cap considerations. The deal is expected to be “in the neighborhood” of three years and $15MM. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweets that the two sides actually agreed before the trade deadline. Smith is currently scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Golden Knights recently opened some cap room by trading away Evgenii Dadonov’s contract, though they still are in a tight situation when heading into next season. Signing Smith would only complicate that further, and potentially force them to make another substantial cost-cutting trade at some point.

Still, retaining the 31-year-old will keep a fan favorite and solid contributor in town for a while longer, as the Golden Knights continue to try to push for a Stanley Cup. Smith has been a reliable offensive piece for the team since arriving in Vegas, racking up 230 points in 321 games. While his numbers have dropped since that magical 2017-18 season when almost every player on the roster set career-highs, he still had 16 goals and 38 points in 56 games this season, while also being a key penalty killer that logs more short-handed ice time than any other forward on the team.

That makes up for a valuable player, and one that was certainly living up to his $5MM cap hit the last few years. Smith’s name was usually bandied about in trade speculation only because of his expiring deal, and not the impact he made on the ice. With Dadonov out of the picture, letting Smith walk would have left the team without a ton of top-six options on the wing, outside of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Jonathan Marchessault.

Pacioretty, in fact, is on an expiring deal of his own, only under contract through 2022-23. If the team is looking to clear additional cap space after agreeing to bring Smith back, that is a potential option. Of course, that would present the same issue, taking away one of the team’s reliable scoring options when it is no sure thing that they can replace it internally.

It will be a tricky needle to thread for general manager Kelly McCrimmon this summer.

Golden Knights Place Reilly Smith On LTIR

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With the Evgenii Dadonov trade off the table, Vegas has made a different move to give them some short-term cap space as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that winger Reilly Smith has been placed on LTIR.

Smith was originally placed on injured reserve on March 14th so the conversion to LTIR is likely backdated to that point although his last game came back on the 8th.  Smith would then be required to miss 10 games and 24 days which would keep him out until the second week of April.  The 30-year-old has been a capable secondary scorer throughout his time in Vegas and has provided similar production this season with 16 goals and 22 assists in 56 games.

Of course, there is a money element to this move.  Smith’s $5MM cap hit is added to their LTIR pool and with the demotion of defenseman Zack Hayes to AHL Henderson, Vegas now has just under $7MM available in their LTIR pool.  That’s enough cap space to activate blueliner Alec Martinez if he’s ready to return.  Alternatively, if the Golden Knights dropped down to a minimum-sized roster, they could free up enough space to bring back winger Mark Stone whenever he’s able to come back.

If Smith is able to return this season, this will only be some short-term relief for the Golden Knights.  If, however, he’s going to be out for another month or so, this may be enough to give them the relief they were seeking in the Dadonov trade that was invalidated by the NHL earlier this week without needing to attach an asset to get out of Dadonov’s contract.

Injury Notes: Stars, Ducks, Golden Knights, Devils

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Dallas Stars digital manager Kyle Shohara reports from team practice that defenseman John Klingberg and center Radek Faksa took the ice today after missing time with an upper-body injury and non-COVID-related illness, respectively. Klingberg missed the team’s last game, a 5-1 win against the New Jersey Devils, while Faksa missed that game and the night prior against the Philadelphia Flyers. Both would be huge returns to the Stars lineup, especially Klingberg. With the Swedish defenseman reportedly requesting a trade out of Dallas, every game (and every good play) matters for Dallas to recoup as much value as possible if a trade occurs.

A busy night in the NHL yields more injury news:

  • The Anaheim Ducks get two key contributors back tonight versus Montreal, activating center Adam Henrique from injured reserve and defenseman Josh Manson from COVID-19 protocol. Both return to prominent roles in the lineup, with Henrique’s 16 points in 24 games likely to help boost a stagnating Ducks offense as of late. To make room on the active roster, the team reassigned defensemen Jacob Larsson and Greg Pateryn to the taxi squad and Brendan Guhle to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
  • Two gigantic contributors are returning to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup, as wingers Max Pacioretty and Reilly Smith make their returns tonight, per the Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson. Pacioretty’s rarely been healthy this year, but when he has, he’s scored at a torrid pace, netting 12 goals and 21 points in 16 games. Smith, coming off COVID protocol, has a respectable 29 points in 41 games.
  • The New Jersey Devils got some good news with defenseman Ty Smith coming off injured reserve today, but he’s been replaced on the list by center Michael McLeod. Despite Smith’s strong rookie campaign last season, he’s having a serious sophomore slump with poor defensive numbers and just 10 points in 33 games to show for it. Hopefully, a reset can help jumpstart an improvement in play for the 21-year-old. The Devils will miss McLeod and his 11 points and 41 games in a depth role.

Reilly Smith Added To COVID Protocol

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The Vegas Golden Knights have made several transactions, not the least of which was placing Reilly Smith in the COVID protocol. Smith is unavailable for tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals. Jake Leschyshyn, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Daniil Miromanov have been recalled from the AHL.

Smith, 30, has been the focus of plenty of trade speculation in recent weeks because of the tight cap situation the Golden Knights will find themselves in when Jack Eichel returns and his status as a pending free agent. The veteran forward will hit the open market in the summer if he fails to sign an extension, as his five-year, $25MM deal expires at the end of 2021-22.

He’ll miss a chance to add to his 29 points in 40 games tonight when the Golden Knights take on the Capitals, and likely will miss another chance to face his former team in Florida later this week. With a game against the Carolina Hurricanes in between and a trip to Tampa Bay to face the Lighting on the weekend, it’s certainly not the ideal road trip to lose a top forward.

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