Reilly Smith's stall in the Penguins locker room is two down from Sidney Crosby’s, and he started Penguins training camp on a line with Evgeni Malkin. Even for a veteran like Smith, getting opportunities to spend time alongside future Hall-of-Famers is special.
“There’s obviously world-class players on this team, guys that I looked up to when I was trying to make the NHL,” said Smith, who was drafted by Dallas in 2009 and broke into the league for the 2012-13 season. “There are things I can pick up and learn every single day, and I think that's a mentality that a lot of guys have in here. There's so much class and great hockey in here, so just have open eyes and be a sponge.”
That is certainly how Smith’s new teammates feel being around him, with the winger coming off of a Stanley Cup championship last season with Vegas. He picked up 14 points (4G-10A) during the playoffs, including three points (2G-1A) in the Final versus Florida, after scoring 26 goals in the regular season.
“A guy like Reilly Smith, you’ve played against him and always admired what kind of player he is,” defenseman Marcus Pettersson said. “He won the whole thing last year, and was a huge part of that team.”
After spending time with the Stars, Bruins and Panthers, Smith became an original Misfit – one of six players who had been with the Golden Knights since getting selected in the 2017 Expansion Draft – and served as an alternate captain for the duration of his time there.
Exactly two weeks after Smith lifted the Stanley Cup over his head, being the first player to receive it after Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, Vegas traded him to Pittsburgh in exchange for a third-round draft pick. They couldn’t afford to keep Smith, who is signed through the 2024-25 campaign with a cap hit of $5 million, so the Penguins jumped at the opportunity to add him at such a bargain price.
“We think Reilly is a great fit because he's extremely reliable defensively, in addition to being able to produce very reliably over 20 goals and 50 points in nearly every single season, then coming off winning a Stanley Cup and being a really important part of that,” Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said. “Can kill penalties, can play left wing and right wing, he did that in the playoffs for Vegas. We view it as kind of being able to interchange him throughout the top of our lineup.”
While Smith said he wasn’t necessarily expecting to be moved –“but I think a lot of the time in the summer, you’re not really expecting anything,” he said – the forward is grateful that he got such a magical ending for his time in Vegas. Once he had his day with the Stanley Cup in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, it was time for Smith to focus on the next chapter.
“It was great to be able to celebrate with that team, and that's something I'll remember for the rest of my life,” he said. “But halfway through the summer, after my day with the Cup, you’re able to kind of change the page and move on to the next chapter.
“To be able to put on this uniform and be part of this group is pretty special. When you get traded and you’re able to join a team that is really pushing to win a Stanley Cup, it's such a proud thing to be a part of that and be a part of this organization. It's a great opportunity for me and my family, and we're just trying to take everything in right now.”
