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The Vegas Golden Knights are acquiring forward Reilly Smith in a trade with the New York Rangers, sending Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick from the San Jose Sharks, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic.
The Golden Knights reunite with Smith, who spent six years with the organization and was a member of the 2022-2023 Stanley Cup championship team. He will add depth to the forward group and try to help the team go on a run in the playoffs.
The Rangers reportedly are retaining 50% on Smith's expiring contract, according to Frank Seravalli. Smith had been a healthy scratch for the Rangers as of late due to roster management reasons, and it was viewed as an inevitability that he would be moved ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. This move continues the re-tooling of the Rangers' roster that has taken place throughout the season, and even extending back to the departure of Barclay Goodrow over the summer. The biggest remaining question is if Chris Kreider will be moved before Friday's deadline or if that potential move will wait for the summer. The latest reporting indicates that Kreider will most likely be moved in the summer.
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For the Golden Knights, Smith will help them make a push down the stretch in the Pacific Division. He is a familiar face to help a playoff run before hitting free agency this summer. In 58 games with the Rangers this season, Smith has scored 10 goals with 19 assists for 29 points. With the struggles that the Rangers have faced at points this season, there is hope for Smith being even more productive on a Golden Knights team that has plenty of offensive talent. He will be a supporting scorer in the forward group.
As Friday's NHL Trade Deadline approaches, it will be interesting to see if the Golden Knights and Rangers have any more moves up their sleeves.
