New York Rangers: Who are the fan favorite Rangers?

John Williams- Brendan Smith

Full disclosure, I am not the type of person to get attached to a player. After all, it is the name on the front of the jersey that I have an allegiance to, not the one on the back. With that said though, one player that I’ve taken a liking to recentley is Brendan Smith.

I wasn’t completely sold on Smith at first when the Rangers traded for him. The team, as berifit of prospects as they were, were giving up two second rounders for a guy touted as a fourth or fifth defenseman with limited offensive abillity.

Little did we know what else Smith could bring to the table.

Smith is an incredibly smart hockey player. His hockey IQ coupled with his skating abillity is lethal. Him and BrSkjei were the Rangers’ best paring during the playoffs because of those skills.

My favorite part about Smith’s game, however, is the physical brand of no-nonsense hockey he brings to the table. Whenever there was a man in Henrik Lundqvist’s crease, Smith would be there to push him away, or in some cases, throw him away. Smith is also not afraid to stand up for himself or his teammates, something that the Rangers were missing on their roster.

If Smith builds on his postseason play this year, he might be one of first athletes I become mentally attached to in a while.