With the trades of Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, as well as buying out Dan Girardi’s contract, the New York Rangers had plenty of wiggle room in cap space to make some moves this offseason. On Friday morning, the team officially announced that they have re-signed defenseman Brendan Smith to a four contract worth $17.4 million.
The 28-year-old Canadian came to the Blueshirts on February 28th in a trade that cost the Rangers their third-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. However, it seems that the deal worked out just fine for New York. In eighteen games with the Rangers, Smith had four points (one goal and three assists) as well as logging twenty-nine penalty minutes.
The Rangers have also been eyeing some key names to join their club, such as defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and center Nick Bonino. They may also have up to another $3 million in cap space if Kevin Klein chooses retirement. It’s sure to be an interesting offseason for New York, but bringing back Smith was a step in the right direction.
