SMITH A GOOD FIT
B’way suits d-man fine
THE WAY things have turned out, perhaps the Rangers are better off with Brendan Smith instead of Kevin Shattenkirk, the apple of contenders’ eyes at the trade deadline. And that is not a slight against Shattenkirk, rather a recognition that Smith in these playoffs has been everything the Rangers hoped, a sharp blue-liner with plenty of bite, and some bark to go along with it.
Both players enter un- restricted free agency this summer, and the longer Smith plays this effectively the higher a priority he should be becoming for the Rangers’ offseason plans. Smith says he’s not thinking beyond the playoffs, but he did allow that he could see himself sticking around New York.
“Yeah, for sure. I enjoy it here,” Smith told the Daily News. “I like the guys, I think the team is really good, and we’re only gonna get better with all the young players.” Smith, the 28-year-old whom the Rangers acquired at the deadline for a 2018 second-rounder and a 2017 third-rounder, is on the final year of a contract that carries a $2.75 million cap hit. He’ll get a raise but likely less than Shattenkirk, whose offensive skillset will net him a pretty penny. There will however be a number of teams seeking a guy like Smith who is versatile — a lefty comfortably playing the right side — aggressive, determined, can handle the puck solidly and is a positive presence in the locker
room.
For now he is a significant figure in the Rangers’ quest for the Cup as they head into Thursday’s Game 4 of the second round against the Senators trailing 2-1 after a massive Game 3 victory, one during which Smith was plus-1 in 19:39.
He’s a better player now than he was in 18 regular-season games with the Rangers after playing parts of six seasons with the Red Wings. He had to learn Alain Vigneault’s system and acclimate himself to a new city, a new routine. To his benefit, he walked into a locker room with two former University of Wisconsin teammates in Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan.
“Obviously coming into New York, it’s a big city so it’s kind of overwhelming, but I was able to have two really close buddies to help me through that, which was really good for the off-ice,” Smith said.
It was an uncommonly tough year for Detroit, which had its 25-season playoff streak snapped. McDonagh told him whatever happened there was in the past and to play to his strengths.
“For us to get a player, just his competitiveness is what we wanted out of him, the way he plays with an edge,” said McDonagh, who went 12th overall to Montreal in the 2007 draft, 15 picks before Smith. “He’s been a huge help for our success here, and we need some more out of him, too.”
He does find himself in the penalty box quite a bit, but that’s not such a bad thing, according to another player with an edge, Tanner Glass.
“I love his game. He’s so hard to play against,” Glass said. “He takes some penalties, but those penalties are good penalties. He makes a guy think twice when he’s coming to the net. His stick’s up. He makes it tough. I remember the same thing when we was playing in Detroit. He was always one of those guys that when you go to the net you’ve got to be aware of when he’s out there.” Right now everyone’s aware of Brendan Smith. He’s thriving and enjoying his role on Broadway.
“For sure I am. I think it’s fun to be with these guys,” Smith said. “They’re good. It’s fun to be on a good team.”