The Vegas Golden Knights getting Reilly Smith back on Thursday sent shockwaves throughout the Las Vegas community. An "Original Misfit" comes home to win another Stanley Cup. It's a story fit for Hollywood as the band gets back together. The only problem? It's probably going to be Smith only who returns.
Let's start with the obvious: Salary cap space. After acquiring the 33-year-old, the Golden Knights were left with only $491,557. That eliminates Alex Tuch from the discussion, especially after the Smith deal. Of course, there's the looming question of whether Shea Theodore gets put on LTIR. That could change the entire game for Kelly McCrimmon.
It could also bring out the hordes of LTIR armchair experts screaming in Gary Bettman's ears about cap circumvention (even though the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers have also done it, among others). Don't say I didn't warn you!
However, there seems to be no more room for nostalgia trips. Getting one "Misfit" back to play alongside William Karlsson was fine. Now, the duo can invoke memories of the glory days for fans. After all, barriers were meant to be broken. Fans shouldn't be surprised to see former Vegas superstars return in the future.
Still, the salary cap isn't the only thing preventing a potential reunion... at least for this season. These range from a variety of factors, ranging from the price tag (Tuch) to a gawdy contract (Honky Tonk Man in Nashville) to just... being useless.
Why Vegas Golden Knights fans shouldn't expect any more reunion tours this season
Let's start with Ryan Reaves, who was placed on waivers on Thursday by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was well-known for two things while in Las Vegas: Fighting and checking people. He amassed 837 hits in his four years with the Vegas Golden Knights and that's it. His other stats were mediocre, as proven by this table.
Stats | Goals | Assists | Takeaways | Blocked shots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ryan Reaves's four-year total with VGK | 18 | 24 | 72 | 71 |
Ryan Reaves's last four years | 14 | 22 | 38 | 65 |
These stats are vastly underwhelming and his last four seasons are no different. Besides, the forward position now has enough depth to carry them through the playoffs. Why risk it on a 38-year-old who's on his last legs? Unless you want more exciting fights at T-Mobile Arena, this isn't the guy for you.
As for Jonathan Marchessault?
Remember when Kelly McCrimmon didn't want to give the 34-year-old a five-year contract for $5.5 million AAV because it would've been an albatross? What makes you think he'll change his mind now? Add the summer theatrics to the mix and it doesn't make sense, even with 19 goals and 28 assists this season.
Names like Tuch don't make sense now because of cap constraints and the Golden Knights having a full active roster. But other names like Marc-Andre Fleury are out of the picture, too. This is by necessity of their current teams competing for the Stanley Cup themselves.
Reunion tours used to be all the rage years ago. Who wouldn't want to see the Rolling Stones or Motley Crue come together for one night? It invokes memories of the glorious past and brings a smile to your face. Unfortunately, McCrimmon has stated that they weren't going to go crazy at the trade deadline. With that, it looks like this will be it for any further move.