Why Reilly Smith Is The Missing Piece Rangers Were Looking For

The acquisition of Reilly Smith by the New York Rangers actually caused a bigger stir than one may imagine. Smith was acquired by New York in exchange for a second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025. What can the Rangers expect from the 33-year-old forward?

Finding a player who would mesh well with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad was the Rangers’ first priority. On this line, coach Peter Laviolette tried matching up several players, but he was never able to find the right combination.

Playing with the big guys of the Rangers, Smith seems to be a match made in heaven. Smith is a legitimate top-six forward who has spent a lot of time with some very good players, particularly the Golden Knights.

Although Smith won’t score goals at an astounding rate, he is a reliable goal scorer who can take some of the weight off of Kreider and Zibanejad. Once more, Smith is by no means the most visually striking player. But as the playoffs heat up, Smith steps it up and becomes a clutch player—exactly the kind of play that New York has been dying to see in the postseason.

Chris Drury, general manager of the Rangers, stated, “We’re very excited to get Reilly, a player we’ve been looking at and talking about for a while.” “brings a lot of versatility to our lineup and has a successful track record after winning in Las Vegas.” a demonstrated postseason performer who, in my opinion, blends in well with the whole team. We simply believed that this was the best course of action after speaking with numerous agents and juggling numerous balls during the day.

Smith’s Stanley Cup victory, as Drury mentioned, counts for a lot in a locker room and on a team that is vying for titles. A deal that seems insignificant at the moment could have a huge future influence on the Rangers.