Stanley Cup winner not interested in continuing to play under Kyle Dubas
Stanley Cup champion Reilly Smith does not want to remain under Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh, replacing his agent just before the draft and free agency.
Smith is going into his 3rd year of his current contract, which pays him $5M per season. The winger was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins last off-season by the Vegas Golden Knights.
As per @PuckReportNHL, Smith has switched agents, and will now be represented by CAA Hockey.
Smith won the Cup with Vegas last year and could be interested in a fresh start after posting 40 points in 76 games in Pittsburgh this season.
If there's no real appetite for Smith on the trade market, the Penguins could simply exercise a buyout on Smith in the final year of his deal. The buyout window opens 48 hours after the Stanley Cup has been awarded, which makes Wednesday an important day for NHL clubs who are looking to create some additional cap flexibility.
Smith is a quality secondary scoring option with a winning pedigree, so I don't think the Pens will have any trouble moving him, though it might require some salary retention.
Perhaps a return home to Ontario is in the cards for Smith, a Mimico, Ontario native. Of course, that would require Dubas retaining salary and agreeing to do business with his old club, unless he does indeed exercise a buyout, making Smith a UFA this summer.
Source: Puckpedia.comReilly Smith statistics and cap info
| POLL | ||
24 JUIN | 504 ANSWERS Stanley Cup winner not interested in continuing to play under Kyle Dubas Will Reilly Smith be bought out by the Pittsburgh Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 266 | 52.8 % |
| No | 107 | 21.2 % |
| Unsure | 131 | 26 % |
| List of polls | ||
