With 55 games lost over the past two seasons, Smith will be looking to bounce back to his typical levels of production and reliability. He played a well-rounded game pre-injury, largely with “the Misfit line” alongside Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson. Each of the four values represented improvements over the 2020-21 season, a down year that saw him post a career-low 25 points. Prior to his injury, the top-six right winger compiled 16 goals – 22 assists – 38 points in the books, over 56 games played. He went scoreless over 16:17 of work in his last game of the season, a March 8 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was widely assumed he would be ready for a potential playoff start, but it just never came to fruition. With the team missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Smith finished his season on the LTIR (knee). That familiarity is particularly important to this franchise, as they have one of the most revolving doors in the NHL. Each club has had its own evolving identity, with Smith firmly entrenched in the leadership group. He is a mainstay on both the Power Play and Penalty Kill and is a perennial 25-25 threat.Īt 31-years-old his experience, demeanor, and leadership have proven beneficial to each of the previous five versions of the Vegas Golden Knights. Few players around the league embrace that profile more than Smith. Responsible two-way players that can contribute at both ends of the ice can put a club over the top. There are reports that the two sides have a verbal agreement on a new contract, so it will be interesting to see where things ultimately end up. As one of just five remaining Golden Knights from the inaugural roster, Smith’s status as a long-tenured alternate captain and now UFA put GM Kelly McCrimmon in an extremely peculiar position. His value to the team is immeasurable, but that value will need to be measured to determine his future. Reilly Smith battled injuries over the past two seasons and now finds himself an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) for a seemingly cash-strapped Golden Knights club. Players were evaluated based on overall performance in the regular season with regard to pre-season expectations and how that player performed in his particular role. In the 2021-22 Player Review series, we will evaluate the 2021-22 performances of each key member of the Golden Knights.
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