The first big move of the Kyle Dubas era could pay dividends for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Reilly Smith was the first impactful player personnel move of the Kyle Dubas era in Pittsburgh. Acquired for the bargain bin price of a 2024 third-round pick, the Penguins added a premium second line player for practically nothing. Fresh off of a Stanley Cup victory with the Vegas Golden Knights, Smith is poised to infuse a new life into the Penguins' top six. But what exactly does he bring to his new team? Let’s take a further look into his game to see just what type of player Smith is.

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Complete Player

What Smith brings to the Penguins is consistency in all areas of the game. There is nothing this player does poorly or without intention. He’s a scoring winger who can produce and excel off of the rush. He’s a shooter first and playmaker second, as evidenced by five seasons of 20 goals or more in his decade-long career (the same amount as Jason Zucker). Smith has also shown some above average finishing, with three campaigns of 25 goals or more (one more than Zucker). In 764 career games, he has 200 goals and 273 assists for 473 points and is slated to hit the 500 point mark this upcoming season. 

Adaptable and intelligent as anyone in the league, there isn't a style of offense Smith can't succeed in. With his ability to convert and create on the rush, he should slot seamlessly on Evgeni Malkin's left wing. Just as comfortable in a slower pace or possession type of game, he gives head coach Mike Sullivan another weapon to deploy on either special teams unit. 

Smith is also a trusted defensive player, giving Sullivan another veteran to deploy in defensive zone situations. He is not a Selke candidate by any means, but his intelligence extends to every part of his game, making him an effective defensive player. Due to this awareness and an ability to convert defense to offense, he’s a coach’s dream for a penalty killing forward. He put up a career high of four short-handed goals this past season. The Pens will count on him to play somewhere between 17-20 minutes per night in all situations, and Smith should thrive in that role.

Biggest Performance in Biggest Games

The Penguins currently have three of the last 10 Stanley Cup clinching goal scorers on their roster, with Smith joining Lars Eller and Kris Letang in sharing that honor. In the most recent final series, Smith scored what would be the game and cup winning goal in game five against the Florida Panthers, clinching the first championship in Las Vegas’ brief team history. 

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The above goal was another example of both Smith's complete game and a display of the way he elevates his play in the postseason. In the goal, his tenacity and intelligence keep him in the play and ready to be a shooting option. It isn't his elite playmaking or release, but rather his knack for being in right place at the right time that earns him the monumental goal. Smith never wavers in the face of pressure, and his calm and steady skill flourishes in the biggest of moments. 

He also backs up that style of play with production, something the Penguins have consistently lacked from depth pieces since the 2017 season. Smith just put up 14 points in 22 games during the Golden Knight’s championship run, and has a .75 points per game average in the postseason. Not only is Smith a top six player, he’s an even better one come playoffs. 

When you evaluate what the Penguins have lacked across recent seasons, there seems to be two glaring issues: depth production and two-way consistency. After taking a deeper dive into Smith's game, it seems Dubas was directly addressing those two issues by acquiring him. While Smith isn't necessarily a better pure scorer than Zucker, he's by far a better defender and more well-rounded in all aspects of the game. Combine that with playoff success and consistency, and it feels like Reilly Smith could be more than just Zucker's replacement. He may, in fact, be the missing offensive piece the Penguins needed. 

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