Rangers’ Reilly Smith feared his NHL ‘career was done’ before his remarkable Vegas stint.
LAS VEGAS — There was a lot of nostalgia that naturally came with Reilly Smith’s first time playing at T-Mobile Arena since winning his first Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights two seasons ago.
In reflecting on his six years in Vegas, however, the 33-year-old forward considers so much more than his championship ring: his expansion draft-day trade from the Panthers; the feeling in the Golden Knights locker room at the start; the journey he and his teammates went on to become the first team to deliver Lord Stanley to The Strip in Sin City.
“I thought my career was over,” Smith told The Post of his initial thoughts upon arriving in Vegas, following the Rangers’ morning skate Saturday. “At the time, it did not appear to be a good opportunity. It almost seemed like a demotion. That was not how things turned out. And it couldn’t have worked out better for my career, family, and everything else. I owe a lot to the group here. It significantly impacted both my hockey career and my personal life.
“Being part of the expansion draft was a blessing in disguise. But I think the nicest thing about it was that a lot of guys who were tossed off and cast away from their own squad joined together, and we were all on an equal playing field coming into the season, and we all just wanted to enjoy it and make the most of the chance.”
Smith expressed apprehension about beginning the NHL era in Vegas, but the players in the room spoke a lot in terms of how they felt about leaving their prior organizations.
Players felt excluded and wanted to improve as a result, according to Smith, who noted that they utilized it as fuel and became a very tight-knit group as a result.
The Golden Knights advanced to the Cup Final in their inaugural 2017-18 season, where they were defeated by the Capitals in five games, thanks to players who felt they had something to prove.
Smith was definitely one of them. It can be heard in his voice when he speaks about it.
“I remember winning our first game, and we were just happy that we didn’t go 0-82,” he recalled, chuckling. “So that’s how the team’s energy grew throughout the year. We didn’t have high expectations, but it grew and grew and grew every day, and it was becoming bigger all the time. I believe it is what made that team so successful in its first year.
Putting his daughter Isla, then 8 months old and now 2 ½, inside the Cup was a memory he’ll cherish for the rest of his life.
His stay in Vegas, however, appears to have had a lasting impact on his hockey career.
Smith was traded to Pittsburgh before of the 2023-24 season, then flipped to New York on July 1, and he will have played in 40 of 41 games following Saturday night, with the other being a healthy scratch on Nov. 30.
Smith’s playing fit right in with the Rangers’ underachieving lineup during the first few months of the season, until the healthy scratch.
Smith has five goals and three helpers in 18 games leading up to Saturday’s game against the Golden Knights, with a plus-2 rating.
He played with desire and pace, and he demonstrated his excellent ability to think through the game, which is one of his best talents.
His game appears to have shifted into overdrive, but Smith refused to attribute the improvement to his benching.
“To be honest, I don’t believe I got anything positive out of it,” said Smith, who tied for a game-high five shots in the Rangers’ 2-1 victory over the Golden Knights. “I know my game; I know when things are going well and when they aren’t. When something like that happens, it is difficult for me. I don’t have anything to say that says, ‘Oh, that happened and now I’m a better player as a result.’ I don’t believe it. But I believe my game has improved during the Christmas break. I believe our team is playing better. I just want to keep up that trend.”
“I’m my toughest critic. As previously stated, I am aware of when I am performing well and when I am not. I can tell when I’m grasping my stick too tightly or when everything is going smoothly. I’m not sure how someone wants to read that or put their perspective on it.
