Vegas Golden Knights fans have been severely underwhelmed with Reilly Smith (three goals and three assists) and Brandon Saad (one goal and three assists) this season. It's gotten to the point where fans have called for one or both players to be taken out of the lineup altogether.
It appears that Bruce Cassidy heard the cries of the people and responded in kind. Both Smith and Saad appear to be out of Saturday's Golden Knights lineup against the San Jose Sharks.
Reilly Smith and Brandon Saad both appear to be coming out of the lineup.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) November 29, 2025
Barbashev-Eichel-Bowman⁰Marner-Howden-Stone⁰Dorofeyev-Hertl-Holtz⁰Reinhardt-Sissons-Kolesar
McNabb-Theodore⁰Hanifin-Whitecloud⁰Hutton-Korczak
It's a shakeup that has come from a reaction. The Golden Knights enter Saturday's contest tied for 19th in the NHL in goals per game (three goals per game). While Jack Eichel (11 goals and 20 assists) has done Jack Eichel things, the Golden Knights needed guys like Smith and Saad to step up. That's why you sign both guys to one-year deals worth $2 million and give them no-trade clauses.
However, it appears that being veterans with solid scoring histories isn't enough. The head coach has reacted in kind and is trying something new. Maybe Alexander Holtz and Cole Reinhardt are the answers that the Golden Knights to get the offense kickstarted?
What does taking Reilly Smith and Brandon Saad out of the lineup mean for Bruce Cassidy and the Vegas Golden Knights
Taking Brandon Saad out of the Golden Knights lineup makes more sense for Vegas. Looking at the stats, you'll see that Saad hasn't contributed as much compared to the Original Misfit (stats courtesy of MoneyPuck).
Player | Goals | Assists | % of Unblocked Shots That Missed Net | Shooting % | Corsi | Fenwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reilly Smith | 3 | 3 | 29.3% | 10.3% | 48% | 48% |
Brandon Saad | 1 | 3 | 30.6% | 2.9% | 49% | 49% |
While Saad has picked his spots better, Smith has been the better overall shooter. He won't miss the net as much and has had his moments of excellence. But that's the only thing here.
Smith's also a good special teams player, helping the penalty kill and the power play. The benching will hurt these units, without a doubt. Still, you're not expected to be on the power play constantly, even if Cole Reinhardt draws 50 million penalties.
As for Holtz, it's yet another opportunity for him to stick around on the main roster. He's the only Golden Knights player who's seen ice time this season to not register a single point. But his chances are running out, so now's the time to start cashing in on some goals grabbing four-leaf clovers.
The same goes for Cole Reinhardt. It's another opportunity for him to stick around and make himself at home. The wily forward is signed to a two-year deal with a cap hit of $813,000. That could be a better alternative down the road as opposed to paying older forwards. After all, Kelly McCrimmon isn't one to shy away from cheaper alternatives when worse comes to worse.
Could this be a permanent fixture or a message sent from Cassidy to the veterans? Who knows. However, it should send waves throughout the bottom of the lineup, especially if they don't start producing soon. That could mean that Colton Sissons could be gone, too. But one thing's certain from all of this: Bruce Cassidy isn't messing around.