Reilly Smith just put together a respectable year for the Vegas Golden Knights, scoring 16 goals and finishing with 26 points in 69 games on a cheap one-year deal. On paper, that kind of output can look appealing to a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, especially if what they want is middle-six help without a big financial commitment.
But the reason clubs are approaching him carefully is staring them right in the face: he’s 35.
That age matters a lot in hockey. The sport asks players to keep exploding into open ice, changing directions on a dime, and taking punishment shift after shift.
Once a skater gets into his mid-30s, the decline doesn’t always show up in the obvious places right away. It can creep in through slower recovery between shifts, less reliable defensive positioning, inconsistency over the full 82-game grind, and a missing burst when the game tightens up late.
The numbers back that up. Aging-curve studies on NHL players consistently point to the same arc: most skaters hit their peak between 24 and 28, then begin a slow slide in their late 20s before the drop gets steeper after 30-32.
By the time a player reaches 34 or 35, the odds of a sharper fall increase. Forwards tend to feel it first in their speed and their ability to generate offense, and the ones who keep producing at that age are the exception.
That’s why Smith’s 16-goal season at 34 doesn’t automatically make him a clean fit for every team, even if the price stays modest. Front offices aren’t just buying what he did last season.
They’re trying to project what he’ll look like 40 or 50 games into the next one, when the wear and tear starts to pile up. At 35, that projection gets a lot shakier.
Smith is still a useful player. He’s experienced, he’s smart, and he can help in the right role.
The hesitation around him isn’t about a collapse in production. It’s about what hockey does to bodies that have been in the league for 15 years.
Thirty-five in this sport hits differently. And teams know it.
In Other News...
John Tortorella Finally Addressed The Golden Knights Decision That Still Stings
John Tortorella has finally put a little more context around the postgame press conference no-show that still hangs over the Golden Knights from last spring. The incident came after Vegas beat the Ducks in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, and it set off a chain reaction that included league punishment, a hefty fine and plenty of internal frustration before the Knights eventually moved on from Tortorella after their loss in the Stanley Cup Final.
What still makes the episode linger is how much it cost the organization in the moment and how publicly the front office pushed back on the decision. Tortorella said the absence came down to timing and a prior understanding around the media availability, while George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon made clear afterward that they believed the team paid a price for it. Even with Ryan Craig now behind the bench, the episode remains one of those odd playoff flashpoints that never quite disappears. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Need More From Jack Eichel When It Matters Most
Jack Eichel did plenty to keep the Golden Knights offense moving in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, averaging a point per game and setting up teammates throughout the run. But for a player expected to be the finishing touch as much as the playmaker, the goal total never really matched the stage, and the power play production never quite looked like the version Vegas had seen in past seasons.
That matters because the Knights know what Eichel can look like when he is a true threat around the net, not just a distributor from the perimeter. His shot profile has leaned toward longer looks and away from the high-danger areas that usually decide playoff series, and Vegas would benefit if he became more of a rebound hunter and catch-all presence when Tomas Hertl or Mark Stone are bumped out of the bumper spot. The question now is whether that next step comes naturally, or whether the power play keeps waiting for it. [Read more 🡒]