Best Reilly Smith trade destinations if Penguins move on ahead of deadline

Overall, Smith has accounted for eight goals and 20 points over 40 games, which isn’t bad, but also isn’t ideal considering he’s been playing beside Malkin. And he had gone six games without a point before missing the same amount of contests with an upper-body injury.  It’s been a brutal couple of months for the Stanley Cup champion, and for that reason, Kyle Dubas has to at least gauge what he could get on the trade market for the 32-year-old. Here’s what TSN hockey insider Chris Johnston had to say about Smith, while including him at No. 16 on his latest trade board.

“The fit hasn’t been quite right in Pittsburgh since Smith arrived in a trade shortly after celebrating a Stanley Cup win with the Golden Knights last summer. He’s well off the pace of last season’s 26-goal, 56-point campaign and suffered an upper-body injury on Jan. 11 that will keep him out of the lineup for at least another week. Still, Smith is an intriguing player because of a strong two-way game. He can contribute on both specialty teams and be trusted with a role on a line that handles tough matchups at even strength.”

Smith is signed until the end of next season at a $5 million cap hit, meaning he could be an attractive fit for a contender looking for a complementary piece. He also has a 10-team no-trade list, which goes down to eight in July. Depending on how the next few weeks go, Smith could certainly be traded ahead of the deadline, especially if the Penguins can’t string some meaningful momentum together in the next month. Here are four realistic landing spots for the veteran.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning have watched their offensive depth dwindle over the last couple of years, watching various meaningful players move on. That includes Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat and Pat Maroon, among others. They can’t rely on the electric top line of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point forever, and the top-line depth was challenged in a first-round loss to the Leafs last postseason. Although Smith is a question mark, he would slide in nicely on the second line along with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. He could also help improve the Bolts’ defensive zone structure, a place where the team has struggled in 2023-24.

Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes are battling hard to stay in the playoff race, and have already been linked to Anaheim Ducks star forward Trevor Zegras. Smith would be another player who could slot in in the top-six and make a difference. He could even get a look with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz if the latter is moved back to center. Smith would likely also be on PP1 when healthy, and would be an upgrade to the roster’s current top-six.

Nashville Predators

The Predators have relied on their fantastic top line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, but those three can’t do it all if this team is serious about a playoff berth. Nashville is tied with St. Louis for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference, and there’s belief in Tennessee that this team can advance to the dance. Reilly Smith would be another effective veteran to help mentor the younger players, and could be a key piece of the playoff push.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers are in the midst of a 16-game heater, and are just two away of setting the all-time record. Edmonton has already missed out on Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan, but they should be in the running for Smith. With the top line stacked (McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman), Smith would slot in nicely on the second line with Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and could also greatly improve the second powerplay group. The Oil will certainly make moves ahead of the deadline, and Reilly Smith is a player GM Ken Holland should be calling Kyle Dubas about.