A fresh face on the Pittsburgh Penguins roster never really wanted to moved before the season.

PITTSBURGH – It didn’t take long for Kyle Dubas to make his first big trade as president and general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In late June, Dubas traded away a third-round draft pick to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Reilly Smith.

Initial reaction to the move was positive, as Smith was coming off a Stanley Cup run with the Golden Knights and could work as a healthier version of Jason Zucker in the Penguins lineup. Smith’s first few weeks with the Penguins were positive, but it was an overall poor season for him.

In 76 games, Smith only scored 13 goals, half as many as he picked up in his final year with the Golden Knights. With only 40 points in 2023-24, it never looked like Smith warmed to the idea of playing in Pittsburgh.

According to Josh Yohe of the Athletic, that’s exactly the case. Yohe gave Smith a D- in his end-of-season grades, noting that he never wanted to leave Vegas.

“The lack of offense was a real problem. His attitude was even worse,” Yohe said. “Team sources said Smith never wanted to be traded to Pittsburgh, and it’s hard to question that after you’re around him for a few minutes.”

Smith was an Original Misfit with the Golden Knights, being part of the franchise since day one. He and a handful of other players were taken by the Golden Knights during the 2017 Expansion Draft and worked their way to a well-deserved Stanley Cup win in 2023.

As the trade deadline approached, there was a lot of talk around Smith’s name and the idea that he may be catching attention from more teams than Jake Guentzel. The deadline came with no move for Smith, but that option may be on the table this summer.

If Smith has no interest in playing in Pittsburgh, it would be in the Penguins’ best interest to find a taker. Smith is about to enter the final year of a contract that earns him $5 million against the salary cap.

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