Florida Panthers: Reliving Reilly Smith’s short stay in a Cats’ uniform

Reilly Smith was undeniably an invaluable piece of the Florida Panthers’ success, especially during the Cats’ franchise-best 2015-16 season.

Reilly was previously acquired from divisional opponent Boston Bruins in the 2015 offseason in exchange for under underachieving forward Jimmy Hayes (lopsided deal in favor of FLA). Smith’s first season as a member of the Panthers was surprisingly incredibly successful. The Canadian shocked many by producing 25G and 25A for a total of 50 points, while participating in every single regular season contest.

Reilly’s contributions were greatly recognized during the 2015-16 playoffs, where he registered an impressive slash line of 4G and 4A for 8 points. His phenomenal season rightfully earned him a contract extension from the Cats. However, many were stunned by the sizeable amount of money the Cats committed to Reilly ($5 million per year over the next 5 years). In hindsight, the deal was essentially a massive overpayment; as Smith never lived up to the high expectations which followed him after his fantastic 2016 campaign (poor investment).

Reilly Smith proved to be incapable of maintaining his scoring touch; as he shockingly produced an underwhelming line of 15G and 22A for 37 points, in 80 regular season games played. His prior success was simply short-lived and unsustainable. Consequently, the Panthers dealt the inconsistent winger to the Las Vegas Golden Knights for a future 4th round pick. The unexpected, controversial move was highly discussed and debated amongst an abundance of Cats’ fans during the night of the expansion draft.

Florida Panthers

Ultimately, the Cats and Reilly Smith subsequently parted ways for the best. The Cats saved $5 million in cap space, while Smith has the opportunity to bounce back in Las Vegas. Smith was thought to be an integral part of the Panthers’ future, but his immense struggles throughout the 2016-17 season ultimately caused him to be shipped out. Reilly will certainly be honored in his return to the BB&T Center during the 2017-18 campaign; as his 87 points in 162 games were impactful and influential (especially during the 2015-16 campaign).

Often considered as one of Florida’s most reliable, dependable two-way forwards(versatile, killed numerous penalties and occasionally played on the power play); Reilly now finds himself in Vegas hoping to find some consistent success.

Personally, I wish him nothing but continuous success.