Why Reilly Smith felt ‘real good about my game’ after Rangers traded him this season

If and when Reilly Smith reaches 1,000 games in the next season or two, the 58 he played for the New York Rangers in 2024-25 will be a mere footnote on his solid NHL resume. So nondescript was his brief run with the Rangers that he felt completely rejuvenated when they moved him to the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of the trade deadline this season.

That deal sent him back to the team where Reilly’s had the most success in his career, the team he helped win the Stanley Cup in 2023. But in a salary cap crunch after winning their first championship, the Golden Knights traded Smith to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After one so-so year, he was sent to the Rangers.

“I don’t think the last two years have been kind of 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,” Smith said at break-up day after Vegas was eliminated in five games by the Edmonton Oilers in their Western Conference Second Round series.

After recording 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) and failing to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Penguins in 2023-24, Smith arrived in New York last summer expecting to be a key veteran piece on a team that was two wins shy of reaching the Cup Final the previous spring.

"gimme that." - Reilly Smith

What a first period for the Rangers 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kn3yAEXvfQ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 22, 2024

Instead, the Rangers imploded and missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Smith played in the top six with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider and on down the lineup, doing his best work on the penalty kill. He had 10 goals and 29 points when the Rangers shipped him on March 6 to the team he never wanted leave.

“It was a lot of fun, coming back here and playing on a team that had a lot of purpose, a lot of familiar faces, a structure that probably brings the best game out of me. It made for a fun few months,” Smith explained. “A great experience for me.”

Several times on break-up day, Smith referenced how structure and culture stand out with the Golden Knights. Likely, he simply was praising the Golden Knights, for whom he was one of the “Original Misfits” that helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural 2017-18 season.

But it sure could’ve been meant as a tweak to the Rangers, where structure and culture both came under fire in this trainwreck of a season.

Clearly, Smith loves playing in Las Vegas. He had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 21 games after the trade, largely in a third-line role. He also scored three goals in the playoffs, including the game-winner with 0.4 seconds left in regulation to help defeat the Oilers in Game 3.

“The first game I came back I felt like there was a light switch that kind of turned back on. It may be the structure, the familiarity with the players, there’s a predictability in my game here that helps me play faster.

Former Rangers forward is free agent, hopes to remain with Golden Knights

Smith is an unrestricted free agent July 1. At this point of his career, he’s a bottom-six forward with still-solid PK skills, who’s a big-game player. He has 919 games of NHL experience and another 117 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He can help a contender or an up-and-coming team that requires leadership and a positive example for its young talent.

But Smith knows exactly where he’d prefer to sign this summer. And, no, it’s not with the Rangers.

“If there’s an opportunity to stay here, that’d be great,” Smith declared. “I think I play well for this team. I think it’s been the best hockey that I’ve played through my career has been wearing this jersey. It’s a fun group to be a part of of, it’s a fun place to call home. My family loves it here. So, if there’s a way to make it work, that would be great.”

Vegas projects to have about $9.6 million in salary-cap space this offseason, per PuckPedia. Nicolas Hague is a priority to re-sign. The 26-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Smith is among four forwards entering UFA status — along with Victor Olofsson, Brandon Saad and Tanner Pearson. No. 2 goalie Ilya Samsonov is also a pending UFA.

So, it’s not a certainty at all that Smith will get his wish to remain in Vegas.

“I understand it’s a business, but I’m also an optimistic person,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get something that works for both sides.”