2. The Cons of Bringing Back Reilly Smith
The obvious problem that sticks out is Reilly Smith's age. At the age of 32, the Penguin is seeing a decline in both his body and his production. Just look at his stats this season compared to last year. 35 projected points compared to 56 points is a steep drop-off for a player. In fact, that gap could fall off a cliff.
On the injury note, Smith is recovering from an injured left arm and returned against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. The wear and tear of an NHL career will do that, my dear. With the former Misfit returning for the first time since January 11, what good does it do if he also gets hurt?
Of course, this isn't the first time that he's had injury problems. Last season, Smith had lower body injuries that sidelined him for four games. In 2021-2022, he missed the last 24 games of the season with a knee injury. With his history of getting hurt, that puts his reliability into question.
Besides, Vegas has been better with scoring in recent memory. With the return of William Karlsson and other key players coming soon, the Golden Knights get a power play/offensive piece back in Karlsson. The services of Smith won't be required as much, especially if it requires parting with a draft pick.