New York Rangers Stock Market: end of the season report

Down: Brendan Smith

Brendan Smith has had an absolute train wreck of a season.

Of all of the players on the Rangers’ roster, Brendan Smith was the most disappointing. Smith was acquired during the 2017 trade deadline to bolster the defense for the playoffs. He slid into the line up incredibly well and meshed amazingly with then-rookie Brady Skjei. Although the pairing was benched in favor of veteran players, they were the best pairing throughout the playoffs. The re-signing of Brendan Smith was viewed as one of the best off season moves for the defense.

Or so we thought. Smith came out of the gate sputtering. He looked slow and even admitted that he came into training camp unprepared. But he would pick up his play, right? The entire team’s play was below par, couldn’t Smith be excused too?

Unfortunately, he never did. When the Rangers were able to start a win streak in November, it became apparent that Smith was a liability. He could barely play defense and continued to rack up penalty minutes, leaving the rest of the team doing damage control for his mistakes. Ultimately, after 44 games, Smith was put on waivers and was sent to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Even after all of this, I believe Brendan Smith deserves a second chance. He clearly came into the season unprepared, but this can be fixed by a full off season of conditioning. Under a new coach, he may be able to find his game again and become the player he was in the 2017 playoffs. Whatever happens, Brendan Smith will be a part of the Rangers organization for three more seasons. So, management is going to have to make the best of it.