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The Vegas Golden Knights have re-signed forward Reilly Smith to a one-year, $2 million contract. 

During the 2024 offseason, the New York Rangers acquired Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins as their big addition of the summer. 

The Rangers needed another reliable top-six forward to pair alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The hope was that Smith could be the missing piece to the puzzle. 

However, that trio did not work out and over time, Smith saw his role diminish. 

In 58 games with the New York Rangers, the 34-year-old forward recorded 10 goals, 19 assists, and 29 points while averaging 15:36 minutes. 

At around the time of the  2025 NHL Trade Deadline with the Rangers struggling, Smith was traded to the Golden Knights, a team Smith spent the best days of his career with. 

The comfortability with his former team was shown instantly and the veteran forward tallied 11 points in 21 games. 

Now, Smith will remain in Vegas.

The Edmonton Oilers came within two wins of a Stanley Cup championship this year. But as soon as they lost to the Florida Panthers in the Cup final for the second straight season, speculation began as to what changes Edmonton would be making to their roster. 

On Wednesday, the Oilers’ first big change happened when they traded veteran left winger Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round pick in this week’s NHL draft.

The deal completely makes sense from Edmonton’s perspective. Unloading Kane and his $5.125-million cap hit provides the Oilers with financial flexibility when they’re trying to re-sign RFA star defenseman Evan Bouchard. And they get a fourth-rounder (that initially belonged to the Ottawa Senators) as a bonus in what is essentially a salary dump.

Let’s be honest here – Kane isn’t exactly an unproblematic player. Once again, he was one of the more penalized playoff players, accumulating 44 penalty minutes in 21 playoff games. For better or worse, Kane plays with a sizable chip on his shoulder, and that can lead to undisciplined play in important moments.

Kane is now joining the fifth franchise in his 16-year NHL career. The 33-year-old’s caustic presence sometimes boils over, and that’s the gamble the Canucks are making with Wednesday’s trade.

Vancouver management can sell Canucks fans on the fact that Kane will ostensibly replace the offense that’s departing with the expected loss of right winger Brock Boeser, and Kane’s status as a Vancouver-born-and-raised player will appeal to a wide swath of Canucks fans. Kane is also entering the final year of his current contract, so the Canucks can walk away from him next summer if things don’t work out as they hope.

However, the Oilers will happily move on without having to worry about Kane’s impact on and off the ice. They’ve now got about $17 million in cap space, and that will allow them to re-sign Bouchard and likely pending UFA forwards, including center Trent Frederic and right wingers Corey Perry and Connor Brown. Had they kept Kane, that wouldn’t have been feasible.

Evander Kane Releases Statement As Oilers Trade Him To CanucksEvander Kane is headed to the Vancouver Canucks.

Vancouver, on the other hand, now has only $7 million in cap space. Canucks fans can kiss Boeser goodbye and probably center Pius Suter as well. But so long as Kane is healthy, they’ll be a tougher team to play against, and Kane can reliably be counted on to produce 20 to 25 goals and 40 to 50 points. Kane is clearly in the back nine of his career, but having the opportunity to play in his hometown could breathe new life into his game.

In any case, Wednesday’s trade was a shot across the bow of the rest of the league. The Oilers and Canucks didn’t wait until the NHL draft arrived Friday to make a move of consequence. Instead, they chose to move quickly to get ahead of the trade market, and Edmonton and Vancouver can now go to their fan bases and point to this deal as an example of being proactive on the trade front. 

Will this trade work out for both teams? Time will tell, but there’s no question the Canucks are taking the bigger risk here. The Oilers got the cap space they were looking for, but Vancouver took on a bigger risk-reward opportunity. Next season will tell us whether the Canucks were smart to acquire Kane.

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The Florida Panthers did something very ‘cool’ with their championship ice.

When members of the media arrived at Amerant Bank Arena for exit interviews on Saturday, some who wandered into the inner-bowl found an unusual site.

The ice was all chopped up, hacked into thousands of pieces in preparation to be bulldozed out of the building.

It’s the normal protocol for the end of any season, so it didn’t strike anyone as anything other than that.

A day later, the Panthers held their Stanley Cup Championship parade along A1A in Fort Lauderdale.

Weather-wise, it was a perfect late-June day as the sunshine soaked the hundreds of thousands of fans who lined the streets to celebrate with the Panthers.

As the team made their way south on A1A toward the rally stage set up across from Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, Panthers players were all outfitted with water guns to spray fans with refreshing water as temperatures reached into the 90s.

But it wasn’t just any water that was being sprayed out of those squirt guns.

It was melted championship ice, straight from Sunrise.

That’s right, the same ice that the Panthers skated on when they won the Stanley Cup last week was melted down and sprayed on fans celebrating the championship.

mmm…refreshing! pic.twitter.com/nvyKbZC2uX

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 24, 2025

This is just the latest way that the Panthers have found a way to connect with their fans as the team has made sure to take the Stanley Cup with them across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, out in public, to share the joy with everyone in South Florida.

They did the same thing last year, and odds are they’ll do it again if they can win another Stanley Cup in the coming years.

Seeing the bond that has formed between the Panthers players and their fans over the past few years has been something extremely special and unique.

Enjoy this, Cats fans, as these kind of situations are incredibly rare.

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Photo caption: Jun 22, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, UNITED STATES; Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) celebrates during the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Wraparound is back to discuss the NHL's Central Division and other breaking news in rapid-fire segments.

Will Jonathan Toews' Cup Experience Elevate The Winnipeg Jets? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Bailey Curtis and Lou Korac discussed in this episode:

0:00 Initial reactions to the Edmonton Oilers trading Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks

4:23: Making sense of the Nashville Predators’ decision to re-acquire Erik Haula

8:50: Breaking down the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect pool

13:33: After the Dallas Stars extended Matt Duchene, who will be the next best center target in free agency?

19:40: Evaluating the Colorado Avalanche’s off-season priorities

24:51: Could Jonathan Toews’ presence as a former Stanley Cup Champion help elevate the Winnipeg Jets?

28:07: Will Marco Rossi’s contract dilemma put the Minnesota Wild’s off-season plans in jeopardy?

32:29: Will Joel Hofer be a top offer sheet candidate this summer?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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Promo image credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

The Ottawa Senators have released their 2025 preseason schedule, and as usual, there's a steady diet of games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. But this year, there’s a new wrinkle: the Sens will play a pair of games in Quebec City — first against the New Jersey Devils on September 28, and then against the Canadiens on September 30.

Those Quebec City games actually made waves when they were announced last season, and not in a good way. To drum up some buzz, the Senators tried a marketing stunt that didn’t quite land. They dressed Spartacat, their mascot, in a partial Quebec Nordiques jersey. Wearing the colours and logo of a former division rival didn’t go over particularly well, for reasons that probably should’ve been obvious.

The Sens will also make one American stop on October 2. That game will give Captain Brady Tkachuk a chance to enjoy some home cooking at his childhood home. He grew up in St. Louis, and the Blues will host Ottawa that night.

On September 21st at the CTC, the Sens will start their preseason the way they ended last season – with a game against the Maple Leafs. The two teams will square off again the very next night in Toronto.

Interestingly, there’s just one game at Canadian Tire Centre this preseason, although both Quebec City matchups are technically “home” games for the Sens.

2025-26 Ottawa Senators Preseason Schedule (All Times Eastern):

Sunday, Sept. 21: Toronto at Ottawa, 3 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 22: Ottawa at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 28: New Jersey at Ottawa (Videotron Centre, Quebec City), 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 30: Montreal at Ottawa (Videotron Centre, Quebec City), 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 2: Ottawa at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 4: Ottawa at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Would Kings Defenceman Jordan Spence Be A Fit With The Senators?
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Senators Bring Back First-Rounder For Second Tour Of Duty
Rewriting The Draft: A Decade Of First-Round 'What-Ifs' for the Senators
Potential First-Round Draft Targets For The Ottawa Senators: Defenceman Blake Fiddler

Evander Kane will be suiting up for his fifth NHL franchise next season. The talented 33-year-old former Buffalo Sabres winger was traded by the Edmonton Oilers to his hometown Vancouver Canucks for a 2025 fourth round pick on Wednesday.  

Part of the motivation for the deal was cap-related, as the Oilers needed to clear his $5.125 million salary to accommodate the pay increase for forward Leon Draisaitl, the expected hefty salary of RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard, and to re-sign pending unrestricted free agents like Trent Frederic, Corey Perry, and Connor Brown, but Kane has likely worn out his welcome with the Oilers after causing some difficulty during the regular season. 

Kane was injured in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and underwent hip and groin surgery last summer. The winger then had knee surgery in January, but close to the trade deadline made noises about wanting to play before the end of the regular season, that would have put a crimp in GM Stan Bowman’s plans of adding players with Kane’s salary on long-term injured reserve. 

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The winger replaced former Sabre Jeff Skinner in the Oilers lineup early in the first round series against Los Angeles and helped turn the series around with his rambunctious physical play, but Kane’s lack of self-control revealed itself in the Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, when he took six minor penalties and two misconducts in six games. 

After six seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets, the 2009 fourth overall pick was traded to the Sabres in February 2015 along with Zach Bogosian, for Tyler Myers, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a first-round pick. Kane played 196 games over three seasons with Buffalo before being traded at the 2018 trade deadline to San Jose.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Vegas Golden Knights have signed forward Reilly Smith to a one-year, $2-million contract extension containing a no-trade clause. 

The Golden Knights reacquired the 34-year-old ahead of the trade deadline this year, sending Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick to the New York Rangers. Smith had spent six years with the Golden Knights before he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason following their Stanley Cup win.

In his return to Vegas, Smith recorded three goals and 11 points in 21 games, rekindling his chemistry on a shutdown line with William Karlsson. 

In the organization's exit interviews, Smith mentioned how much he adored the city and that he'd love to re-sign with the team. 

"If there's an opportunity to stay here, that would be great," said Smith. "I think the best hockey I've played in my career has been wearing this jersey."

Smith also mentioned how grateful he would be to reach the 1000-game plateau in a Golden Knights jersey. The Mimico, ON native, has played 919 games in his career, and if he dresses in 81 games this season, he'd reach the milestone. 

"I would like to play 1000 games in my career, and to do it in this jersey would mean a lot."

Golden Knights' Pending Free Agent Hoping To Stay In VegasReilly Smith is coming to the end of a three-year, $5M contract he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, but maintains he wants to remain a Golden Knight. 

Smith is a valued player in both the locker room and on the ice. He was a leader before he left the organization and has returned to be a trusted voice. On the ice, he plays with urgency, and his experience in the NHL has transformed him into a strong defensive winger, both on the penalty kill and at 5-on-5.

The Golden Knights now approach the draft and the beginning of free agency with just Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, and Brandon Saad as their unrestricted free agents without a contract. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

The Trevor Zegras trade brought the 2019 NHL draft class back into the spotlight earlier this week.

After the Philadelphia Flyers acquired center Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, only three of the top 10 players from the 2019 NHL draft remain on the team that picked them.

Jack Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils, while the Los Angeles Kings selected Alex Turcotte with the fifth pick. Following him was Detroit Red Wings selection Moritz Seider.

Aside from those three players, the next player in the draft who is still on their drafted team is left winger Matt Boldy, who was selected 12th by the Minnesota Wild.

From 2024 through 2017, the 2019 draft had the most players from the top 10 change teams, either from trades or offer sheets. Before the Zegras trade, center Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, seventh overall in 2019) was traded to the Ottawa Senators at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

Right winger Kappo Kakko (NY Rangers, second overall in 2019) went to the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 18 in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, as well as third- and sixth-round picks in the upcoming 2025 draft.

A couple of other players were dealt during the off-season. Vasily Podkolzin was traded on Aug. 18, 2024, to the Edmonton Oilers from the Vancouver Canucks, which selected him 10th overall.

The Oilers also lost D-man Philip Broberg to an offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues. The Swedish blueliner was selected eighth overall. 

Kirby Dach, selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, was part of a trade during the 2022 off-season. He was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th overall pick, which became Frank Nazar. Chicago also received a 2022 third-rounder, which they used to select left winger Gavin Hayes.

Even the Colorado Avalanche traded Stanley Cup champion Bowen Byram (fourth overall in 2019). The Buffalo Sabres acquired him in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt.

It doesn’t seem like Hughes or Seider will be moving from their respective teams anytime soon, as they are among the leaders in their draft class in games played and points.

Hughes leads the draft class with 351 points, 107 points more than runner-up Boldy. Despite being a defenseman, Seider is sixth in the class for points, just six shy of equalling Zegras’ total of 186.

Turcotte has spent most of his young career with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. However, he spent all of last season with the Kings for the first time, recording 25 points in 68 regular-season games and three playoff games.

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