New York Rangers 2017-18 report card: Brendan Smith
In his first full season as a part of the New York Rangers, a bad start unfortunately turned into an even worse season for Brendan Smith.
Last year, one of the New York Rangers’ biggest struggles was their defense. Between injuries and just generally unreliable players, it was obvious that the team needed an upgrade.
At the 2017 trade deadline, they did just that…or, at least, they thought they did. Brendan Smith was acquired by the Rangers from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2018 second round pick and 2017 third round pick.
After an impressive, physical performance in the last month or so of the 2016-2017 season and two rounds of playoffs, most were excited to see what the defenseman could accomplish this year. However, most were disappointed just a few months in.
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How it all went down
First, rumors arose about Smith showing up to camp out of shape over the summer. This only seemed like a minor setback, however. He was playing normally almost every night in October, even recording two points (two assists) that month.
While the Rangers were not very good that month and the defensive pairs still weren’t set in stone, it was obvious that Smith was making an effort and starting to fit in. But, unfortunately, he soon became Alain Vigneault’s scapegoat for the constant losses.
The blue-liner sat for six games between October 31 and November 17. Whether he was to blame for the lack of success or not, this was probably not the best decision to make, considering how it may have affected the way the rest of Smith’s season played out.
The negativity of the first few weeks of the season soon began to fade, and Smith was playing almost every night once again. He notched six points between his first game back (November 17) and what ultimately became his last NHL game of the season (February 7).
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Waivers and injury
In that same week in early February, Smith was placed on waivers. Whether he deserved it or not is still up for debate but it was a harsh decision regardless. For a player who just signed a long-term deal, this definitely did not look good.
But, the 29-year-old did clear waivers and spent the rest of the season in the AHL. In 11 games with the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, Smith recorded just two points (both assists) and an absurd number of penalty minutes.
Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t stop there. Brendan Smith suffered a season-ending injury in a Wolf Pack practice. He broke his hand in a fight with young teammate Vinni Lettieri. For a veteran player looking to bounce back, this looks absolutely terrible.
In the 44 games that he did play in the NHL this year, Smith recorded just eight points (one goal and seven assists). Additionally, he racked up a whopping 69 penalty minutes.
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A lack of clarity
Grading Brendan Smith’s 2017-2018 season is difficult. There are still tons of questions left up in the air about the future. Will he play in the NHL or AHL next year? Will he stay with the Rangers, or will he be bought out or traded?
Furthermore, there are countless questions from this season that were still left unanswered. How much of this was actually Smith’s fault? What was the nature of the fight with Lettieri? Will he ever go back to playing the way that he used to?
Watching Smith’s rapid decline this year was definitely not pleasant for anyone. All we can do is hope that next year will be a lot better for him. But, unfortunately, we do have to give him a grade, since this is a “report card.”
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This was the opposite of what was expected of and wanted from Smith this year. However, the situation still lacks clarity. This keeps us from just giving him a “D.” Hopefully, a better start to training camp and a new coach will help him out next year.