If things go south for the Pittsburgh Penguins, reuniting with a franchise icon like Marc-Andre Fleury makes complete sense. As the trade deadline approaches, time is getting short for Pittsburgh Penguins President and general manager Kyle Dubas to make a decision regarding his team. Jake Guentzel's potential trade has been widely discussed throughout hockey circles [https://theathletic.com/5268166/2024/02/12/nhl-trade-board-buchnevich-laughton-tanev/], but steam has picked up around another Penguins forward, Reilly Smith [https://theathletic.com/5250222/2024/02/06/reilly-smith-trade-penguins-golden-knights/]. Smith's first season with the Penguins has not gone the way many, including the team, had hoped it would. He began the season red-hot alongside Evgeni Malkin, scoring 11 points (6G-5A) in his first ten games with the Penguins. Smith's production fell off drastically since, collecting ten points (3G-7A) in 33 games since then. It would typically feel a bit early to pull the plug on a player who has historically hovered around 0.27 goals per game over the last decade and can contribute on both special teams units. However, the Penguins are in a position where patience is becoming increasingly difficult to justify. Smith is one of several players, including Rickard Rakell and Ryan Graves, failing to meet expectations and carrying a large salary cap number. But considering the term remaining on Rakell and Graves' contracts, Smith is likely the easiest to move out at the deadline. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4qbJHr3LiU[/embed] Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Marc-Andre Fleury Reunion Makes Sense for Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/marc-andre-fleury-reunion-sense-pittsburgh-penguins] Penguins Getting Hit With Key Injuries [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-getting-hit-key-injuries] Penguins Wasting Career Season From Tristan Jarry [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-wasting-career-season-tristan-jarry] Penguins Place Forward on Injured Reserve [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-jansen-harkins-injured-reserve-concussion] Penguins' Kris Letang Injured in Practice [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-kris-letang-injured-practice-nicked-up] * undefined * undefined
