The Vegas Golden Knights have reportedly agreed to terms with forward Reilly Smith on a one-year contract extension with an AAV of $2 million, according to SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The deal includes a full no-trade clause, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Smith was set to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1.
The Golden Knights landed Smith from the New York Rangers at this year’s trade deadline in exchange for former first-round pick Brendan Brisson and a 2025 third-round selection.
Smith, who was originally acquired from Florida as part of the 2017 expansion draft, played six seasons with the Golden Knights and helped the team lift the first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2023. Smith scored the Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 and was the first player to hoist the Cup after captain Mark Stone.
Smith was moved to Pittsburgh that summer as a cap casualty. He spent one year with the Penguins before being dealt to the Rangers for two draft picks the following summer.
Upon returning to Veags in March, Smith potted three goals and 11 points in 21 games before adding three goals and four points in 11 postseason games. Most notably, he scored the game-winning goal with just 0.4 seconds on the clock in Game 3 against Edmonton for Vegas’ only win in the second round.
In his year-end media availability in May, Smith wasn’t shy about expressing interest in staying in Vegas, addressing the matter multiple times.
“It’s a fun group to be a part of, it’s a fun place to call home,” he said. “My family loves it here. If there’s a way to make it work, that’d be great. I’d definitely be in favor for that. But at the end of the day, it’s a business … But if there’s the opportunity to stay here, I’d love to do that.”
He explained that he believes he is at his best when playing for the Golden Knights.
“The first game I came back, I felt like there was a light switch that turned back on,” Smith said. “It may be the structure, it may be the familiarity with the players, but I feel like there’s predictability in my game here that helps me play faster. I don’t have the exact perfect answer for that. I think it’s probably a combination of a lot of different things, but I do think it brings a better brand of hockey out of me. I don’t think the last two years have been 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.”
This contract will give Smith a chance to reach 1,000 NHL games in a Golden Knights sweater, something he also mentioned in May.
“I know I would like to play 1,000 games in my career, and to be able to do it with this jersey would mean a lot to me,” he said.
Smith has 226 goals and 553 points in 919 career games with Dallas, Boston, Florida, Vegas, Pittsburgh and New York, and he has recorded 127 goals and 297 points in 420 games with the Golden Knights. Smith has 21 goals and 70 points in 99 career postseason games with Vegas.
This team-friendly contract leaves the Golden Knights with approximately $7.615 million in cap space, according to Puck Pedia.
The status of defenseman Alex Pietrangelo remains unknown amid speculation that the veteran rearguard may be placed on long-term injured reserve due to injuries.
Friedman reported the possiblity in his 32 Thoughts column.
“Still no official update on Alex Pietrangelo, but no certainty he will be ready to play next season,” Friedman wrote last week. “Vegas is preparing for that possibility. His great career took a toll on his body.”
In addition to the Pietrangelo rumors, there has been rampant speculation surrounding the Golden Knights’ reported interest in Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner. Friedman has said that Vegas is believed to be the frontrunner in landing the high-priced winger, who was selected fourth overall in 2015, just two picks after Jack Eichel.
Rumors have been swirling for weeks about what it might take for Vegas to make this move, including one from a few days ago that involved Vegas moving Tomas Hertl to Carolina in order to land the soon-to-be former Maple Leaf. Vegas, which has been linked to Marner in the past, could be forced to make a series of moves in order to accommodate the steep cap hit, but it’s difficult to navigate the seemingly-endless stream of possibilities currently floating in the ether.
Vegas could wait until July 1 to meet with Marner on day one of free agency or could arrange a sign-and-trade deal with the Maple Leafs in order to sign Marner to an eight-year deal (teams can ink free agents to a maximum of seven years, but there’s an option for an eighth year when a player re-signs while under contract with that club).
However, it all remains speculative at this point, especially with teams preparing for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which kicks off Friday night with Round One.
The Golden Knights do not have a first-round pick this year after moving the selection to San Jose in the Hertl deal at the 2024 trade deadline.
Vegas will make its first selection on Saturday in the second round at No. 58 overall. The Golden Knights also own picks No. 91 (third round), 122 (fourth round), 154 (fifth round) and 186 and 187 (sixth round). Vegas’ seventh-round pick was sent to Columbus in the Jonathan Quick trade prior to the 2023 Stanley Cup run.