NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Three hours before the start of the NHL draft, Kyle Dubas completed his first trade as Pittsburgh’s president of hockey operations, acquiring winger Reilly Smith from the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Smith, 32, was an original member of the Golden Knights, helping Vegas reach the Stanley Cup Final twice in their first six years. He put up 14 points in 22 playoff games this spring as the Golden Knights claimed their first title.
He had 26 goals, 56 points and a plus-11 rating during the regular season. It was the fifth time in 12 seasons in the NHL that he surpassed 20 goals.
The Penguins sent a 2024 third-round draft pick to Vegas for Smith, who has two years remaining on a contract that carries a $5 million annual cap hit.
Smith, listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, is a lefty who can play either wing. He is a well-rounded offensive threat at 5-on-5 and a potential match with Evgeni Malkin. He can also play capably on both special teams units. Last season, he scored four short-handed goals and added six more on the power play.
The acquisition of Smith signals that the Penguins will move on from Jason Zucker, a popular player and tone-setter who will become a free agent July 1.
The Penguins will be the fifth NHL team for which Smith has played. In 2018, the Golden Knights scored him from the Florida Panthers during their wheeling and dealing prior to the 2018 expansion draft. Smith leaves Vegas as one of the young franchise’s all-time leaders in games, goals and points.
The Penguins have been working the phone lines in recent days as they seek out trades on multiple fronts. On Friday, Dubas indicated he would be looking for a trade like this, using their approximate $20 million in salary cap space to cheaply snap up an effective player from a team in a cap crunch.
Daily Faceoff reported the Penguins, hoping to get younger and faster, have also explored the market for Jeff Petry. He remains on the team for now.
The 35-year-old defenseman didn’t quite live up to internal expectations in his first season in Pittsburgh and is expensive, with two more years left on a contract that has a $6.25 million cap hit. But he was mostly solid when in the lineup and if dealt would leave a void on the right side of the second pair.
Petry has a 15-team no-trade list, so he does have some say in his future
The Penguins hold six picks in this year’s draft. They are slated to be on the clock at No. 14 overall during the first round of the draft Wednesday night.
