The New York Rangers acquired veteran right winger Reilly Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2025 conditional fifth-round pick. The 33-year-old fills the team’s need for a right winger and this is a big opportunity for him, as he will likely get a chance to play on the team’s top line.
What Smith Brings to the Rangers
Smith made his NHL debut with the Dallas Stars during the 2011-12 season and had a breakout season with the Boston Bruins during the 2013-14 season, finishing with 20 goals and 31 assists in 82 games. He has consistently produced offensively since then and has 213 goals and 300 assists in 840 career regular season games.
In addition to his steady offensive production, Smith has proven to be a solid defensive forward and a valuable penalty killer. He spent six seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights starting in 2017-18. He is a fast skater and used his speed to generate scoring chances both at even strength and on the penalty kill and he has 13 career shorthanded goals.
Smith also has a lot of playoff experience and has consistently played well in the postseason. In total, he has 26 goals, 53 assists, and is plus-36 in 106 playoff games. He had four goals and 10 assists in 22 games when the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2022-23. He scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in a 9-3 Game 5 victory over the Florida Panthers which clinched the Stanley Cup.
In the 2022-23 regular season, Smith finished with 26 goals and 30 assists in 78 games for the Golden Knights. Last season, he finished with 13 goals and 27 assists in 76 games with the Penguins. The decrease in production is concerning but the Rangers are hoping the veteran can bounce back this season. He still brings some speed and skill into their lineup and is used to playing in the top six.
Smith’s Fit With the Rangers
The Rangers struggled to find the right fit at right wing to play alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider on their first line last season. Kaapo Kakko started the season playing with them but slumped and then missed extended time with a lower-body injury. Jimmy Vesey briefly played with them without much success. At the trade deadline, the team acquired Jack Roslovic and he played on the first line. While he made a few key plays in the postseason, he was inconsistent and made some defensive mistakes.
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The hope is that Smith can play well on the first line with Zibanejad and Kreider this season. While he struggled a bit last season, he is certainly capable of producing offensively while playing well defensively. He can also contribute on the second power-play unit and the penalty kill. Last season, he finished with just one goal on the power play but he did have seven assists. In 2022-23 he had six goals and four assists on the man advantage.
The move also makes sense for the Rangers financially as the Penguins are retaining 25 percent of Smith’s salary and he is in the final year of a three-year, $15 million deal. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season which is important because Igor Shesterkin is also set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and is due for a massive raise. The star goalie has a cap hit of just over $5.66 million this season.
For Smith and the Rangers Moving Forward
Though Smith is not a star player, he would be an upgrade on the first line if he plays as well as he did in 2022-23. He is a solid veteran who has had success in the playoffs and the Rangers are hoping he can have a bounce-back season. This is also a big opportunity for the winger as he has a chance to put up good numbers playing on the first line with his new team in the final year of his contract.
