Reilly Smith is still out there as NHL training camps get closer, and that says plenty about how quiet his market has been. At 35, the veteran winger is one of the last notable names left on a thin 2026 free agent board, and he still hasn’t locked in a spot for the 2026-27 season.
That uncertainty comes after a difficult season physically. Smith played through injuries, got into 69 games, and finished with 26 points, well short of the production he’s delivered in better years. Even so, his track record is long and decorated: 15 years in the league, two Stanley Cup championships, and a career that has already banked nearly 53 million dollars.
If he does decide to keep going, Vegas looks like the clearest landing spot. The Golden Knights have been tied to Smith all summer, and for good reason.
He spent parts of two separate stints with the club, first from 2017-18 through 2022-23 and then again after a trade-deadline return in March 2025. Across those two runs in the desert, he posted 143 goals and 180 assists and helped Vegas capture the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2023.
The fit is obvious on the ice and in the room. Smith signed a one-year, two-million-dollar deal last summer that came with a full no-trade clause, a strong signal of how the organization viewed him. General manager Kelly McCrimmon has relied on him as a steady third-line winger who kills penalties and helps guide younger forwards, the kind of job that doesn’t always jump off the stat sheet but still matters for a team that expects another long playoff run.
The money shouldn’t be a major obstacle either. Smith has already shown he’ll take a team-friendly number, and analysts have projected his next deal in the range of one million to 1.4 million dollars for one season. Vegas has the cap flexibility to handle that kind of contract without upsetting the rest of the roster.
There are other clubs that could still get involved before camps open, though none offers the same appeal. Boston, where Smith started his career in 2013, could view him as a low-risk depth addition and has used professional tryouts to fill out camp rosters in recent years.
The Rangers, who acquired him at the 2024 trade deadline before he moved on, know exactly what he brings and could use another veteran winger if injuries hit early. Pittsburgh, another recent stop, could also use affordable help on the wing while its roster continues to transition.
Still, those options do not carry the same pull as Vegas, and they are not viewed the same way by 1xBet Canada. The Golden Knights remain in that championship tier again this season, and Smith’s history there keeps them at the front of the line if he wants one more shot at a title.
Of course, the longer this drags on, the more retirement becomes part of the discussion. Smith turned 35 in April, and last season was the first time injuries really cut into his role. He has gone from posting career-best seasons like 26 goals and 58 assists to playing a smaller, more complementary part, and that’s not a path every veteran wants to follow on a minimum contract.
He has already won, already cashed in, and already done more than enough. If the right offer does not arrive by the time camps open in September, walking away instead of taking a tryout invite would not shock anyone around the league.
For now, Smith is waiting. Vegas remains the favorite if he chooses to continue, but the bigger question may be whether he wants to keep playing at all.
In Other News...
Vegas Fans Have 3 Great Golden Knights Watch Party Options
Regular-season hockey in Las Vegas does not have to mean watching from the couch, especially with three different spots giving Golden Knights fans a reason to gather. Stadium Swim offers the big-event feel with multiple screens and plenty of room to take in the game, while Fontainebleau leans into the showmanship with an ice rink and themed drinks that fit the citys flair for turning every night into something a little bigger than the scoreboard.
For fans who want a more low-key setup, Henderson Water District brings a relaxed atmosphere and free parking, which can be just as appealing as the spectacle on the Strip. Toshiba Plaza still stands in a category of its own for playoff hockey, but these regular-season options give local fans a few very different ways to stay close to the Golden Knights long before the spring pressure starts to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Cup Hopes Start With A Star Powered Forward Core
EA Sports NHL 27 player ratings offered another reminder of how dangerous the Golden Knights forward group looks heading into the new season. Jack Eichel checked in at 94, good for seventh among centers, while Mitch Marner landed at 93 as the fourth-ranked right winger. Add in captain Mark Stone at 90, and Vegas has three forwards sitting at 90 or above, a tidy snapshot of the kind of top-end talent the club expects to lean on again.
For a team that has built its identity around depth and pressure, the ratings only sharpen the conversation about how far this group can go. Eichel and Marner give the Golden Knights elite skill at key spots, while Stone remains the stabilizing presence that has long made the lineup harder to handle over a full game. The bigger question is how all of that firepower translates once the real season begins, and whether this forward core can carry Vegas to the level it believes is there. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Debate Is Back As Vegas Future Looks Uncomfortably Thin
The Golden Knights have spent the better part of their existence leaning into the same formula: add established talent, chase the present, and worry about the pipeline later. It has worked well enough to deliver multiple Stanley Cup Final trips and a championship in 2023, but it also comes with the familiar tradeoff of a shallow prospect base, something The Athletic recently underscored by ranking Vegas 29th in its NHL Pipeline Rankings.
That kind of evaluation is not a surprise in a market that has long been built around win-now moves and veteran extensions under general manager Kelly McCrimmon, but it does bring the old debate back into focus. Vegas has thrived by prioritizing certainty over patience, yet the question hanging over the organization is whether that approach can keep producing at the same level if the future behind the current core keeps looking this thin. [Read more 🡒]