The Buffalo Sabres are still sorting through ways to replace the offense and edge they lost, and Reilly Smith stands out as a veteran name worth watching.
With Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram gone, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to look for scoring help after 44 goals walked out the door. The Sabres have already been linked to a few different possibilities as trade season rolls on in the wake of the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1, and the need is clear enough: someone has to ease the load on young players like Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund.
Smith doesn’t match Tuch’s production, but he does bring a track record that still carries weight. He’s a five-time 20-goal scorer and put up 16 goals for the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
At 35, he’s no longer the same finisher he once was, and in Vegas he was used sparingly during the club’s Cup Final run, appearing in just seven of 22 playoff games. Even so, he could still fill a middle-six role on the right side and allow someone like Jack Quinn to move higher in the lineup.
Kekalainen may also be looking for more than points. After the trade of Jordan Greenway to Chicago, the Sabres could use a player who adds leadership, toughness, and a little extra sandpaper to the middle of the roster.
At this point in August, with training camp less than a month away, a professional tryout could be in play if Smith is open to it. But with a couple of teams possibly wanting to add a Stanley Cup winner, a league-minimum contract may be what it takes to get a deal done.
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