The Toronto Maple Leafs could give Reilly Smith a very important career milestone if they decide to sign him though first they'd need to make sure he's a proper fit.
There's still a few free agents who the Toronto Maple Leafs could end up bringing aboard on a PTO and see how they fit into the lineup. You've got Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrik Laine, and Michael Bunting all still waiting for their next contract though that may come with a preliminary audition.
There's one more player who is still available though who could not only add some veteran depth to a team, but someone who has over 575 points, a Stanley Cup, and only 12 games away from hitting an incredibly important milestone - Reilly Smith.
Smith's 988 career games give a Toronto PTO an unusual milestone angle
Smith, 34, would be someone who the Maple Leafs could take a look at if they wanted to add even more two-way depth up front. He put up 26 points in 69 games last season with Vegas, and has scored double-digit goals in every season since 2012-13, so he's as reliable as can be.
Smith would be a marked improvement over Steven Lorentz both offensively and defensively, and can offer more of an offensive upside than Colton Sissons, but with how much Toronto invested in their bottom-six - he would need to prove himself.
Coming in on a PTO gives him the chance to show Toronto what he can offer, and given that his versatility allows him to play at even strength and on both special teams units - it gives Jim Hiller another forward who can help take burdensome minutes away from the stars.
But most importantly, the team can offer him something that only a select few players get the chance to achieve. 1,000 games in the NHL is an impressive feat, and being only 12 games away means that he doesn't necessarily need to be a lineup constant but just get those 12 games in at some point.
If they were to do that, and Morgan Rielly were to play 49 games to reach 1,000 himself, that would give the Maple Leafs two players reaching an incredibly tough milestone and one only a handful of teams can lay claim to have in NHL history - multiple 1,000 game plateaus reached by teammates in the same season.
A PTO lets Toronto test a 242-goal veteran without touching its 50-contract ceiling
But they would need to first make sure he's even worth a contract. Speaking of, Toronto is at 50/50 contracts currently after the signing of Brendan Brisson, so if they were to approach Smith with a deal after a tryout then they need to make room.
That means it's likely the team needs to make a move to clear up a couple of contracts and whether that be a player like Dakota Joshua, or perhaps a couple of minor league players in a package deal - the Maple Leafs need to do something.
That PTO at least gives Toronto a couple of games to assess Smith in addition to training camp, and with the need to add some more scoring to the bottom-six after shoring up the defensive side, he makes sense as a last-minute signing given his consistent scoring pace.
There's no guarantees that Smith will make the team, and the Maple Leafs being so crammed up front does make an available spot a little harder. But for what he can add to the team, and being so close to a milestone it might be worth it to cut some others in order to bring him in.
Do you think Toronto should sign Reilly Smith to a PTO?
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