After a somewhat quiet start in the free agent market, Rangers have now made their mark on the transfer market.
New York acquires winger Reilly Smith in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2027 second-round draft pick and a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2025.
The Blueshirts reportedly showed interest in Smith prior to last season’s transfer deadline, but after failing to reach an agreement, they decided to move on to the centre Alex Wennberg of the Kraken and winger Jack Roslovic of the Blue Jackets.
With both players disappointing during their short stints and hitting free agency this offseason, New York was left searching for a top winger to pair with Mika Zibanejad And Chris Kreider as they look to take the next step this year.
After the majority of the best options available on the open market chose to sign elsewhere in the early morning, the General Manager decided Chris Drury had no choice but to turn to the trade market, and it looks like they’ve found the right man.
Smith is coming off a disappointing season with the Penguins, who struggled as a group for much of last season, scoring just 13 goals and adding 27 assists in 76 games.
The 33-year-old played a key role in the Las Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run two seasons ago, scoring four goals and adding 10 assists during the playoffs, and the Rangers will be hoping he can regain that form.
Smith has also proven himself to be an all-round forward, having scored 13 shorthanded goals since the start of the 2016-17 season, which ranks him sixth in hockey over that period.
He has only one year left on his current contract and is set to earn $5 million this season, but Pittsburgh gets to keep 25 percent of that as part of the deal.
