One of General Manager Jeff Gorton’s biggest priorities this past offseason was fixing the New York Rangers’ blue line, so he re-signed defenseman Brendan Smith to a four-year contract.
Brendan Smith hasn’t lived up to the expectations set for him based on his play last season. Since inking the $17.4 million dollar deal in the offseason, Smith’s play has declined and has even warranted him being a healthy scratch eight times.
Smith showed the capability to be a strong skater that was a solid fit in Alain Vigneault’s system, while also having an extra bite to his game. The pair of Smith and Brady Skjei was unanimously the Rangers best pair in their last postseason run.
With Dan Girardi being bought out and Kevin Shattenkirk being brought in, Smith was the last piece of the puzzle, giving Lundqvist the best defense he’s had in front of him in years. After such a strong start on Broadway, where did things go wrong?
Poor Puck Possession
Throughout his career, Smith has posted impressive puck possession numbers. His lifetime Corsi-for percentage sits at 53.9 percent. This season, SCorsis corsi-for is just 46.9 percent. There are many reasons as to why this may be the case.
Smith is currently paired with Marc Staal, a defenseman who’s had poor puck possession numbers for years. Staal’s Corsi-for this season is 43.2 percent. The Staal-Smith pairing is often deployed in defensive situations with 54.3 percent of their zone starts coming in the defensive zone.
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Before having Staal as his partner, Vigneault tried to pair Smith with Ryan McDonagh and even Kevin Shattenkirk. While being paired with Staal isn’t ideal, it’s not like Smith has taken advantage of previous opportunities.
Smith was scratched for a reason. He looks a step slower than last season. Rumors began to arise that he showed up to training camp out of shape. He’s committed numerous turnovers and has often struggled to get out of his own end.
While Smith has a plus/minus of +10, don’t let those numbers fool you. The Rangers recent winning ways have brought up everyone’s numbers and Lundqvist has been there to bail them out and mask their inefficiency on defense.
What Should The Rangers Do?
To see Smith struggle like this after signing a ling-term extension is troubling. It gives fans nightmares of when management extended Dan Girardi’s contract only to have him become a liability out on the ice in the years that followed.
The Rangers just signed Smith, so the idea of a buyout is extremely far-fetched. With players like Neil Pionk and Tony DeAngelo heating up in the AHL, perhaps the Rangers can look to trade Smith and gear towards the future.
Not many teams would be willing to absorb Smith’s contract at $4.17 million per year, but the market for defensemen is always strong. Remember, the Rangers gave up a second and third round pick just to acquire him. Smith is still just 28 years old and has plenty of time left in the NHL. He’s been knocked as inconsistent, but can surely play better than this.
Ultimately, trading Smith now would be trading him at his lowest value. It wouldn’t make sense considering we’re 34 games in. If Smith doesn’t pick it up, they could re-visit this scenario at the trade deadline.
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However, it’s unlikely Nick Holden and Staal remain Rangers next year. Trading Smith leaves you even thinner, even with their prospects playing well. The Rangers’ best bet is to hold out hope Smith returns to the form that made them lock him up in the first place.