Brendan Smith of the New York Rangers, should he stay or should he go?
Brendan Smith is heading into the final year of his contract with the New York Rangers. What the Rangers should do with him has been a debated topic for several seasons. The defenseman found a niche within the lineup, utilizing his versatility to not only play both sides on defense, but also up at wing. Though, with a cap hit of $4.35 million he is a prime trade candidate for the team to clear much needed cap space.
Smith was acquired from The Detroit Red Wings at the 2017 deadline in exchange for a third round pick in the 2017 draft and a second round pick (previously acquired from Ottawa) in the 2018 draft. He quickly endeared himself to the organization and the fan base by joining the team and playing with an edge to his game. Paired with rookie Brady Skjei, they were arguably the most effective defensive pairing for the New York Rangers in the 2017 playoffs.
The next season began with controversy as Smith reportedly came to camp out of shape and was subsequently demoted to Hartford, playing in just 44 contests in the NHL that season. Over the next two seasons, under new head coach David Quinn, Smith found a role based on his versatility to be used throughout the line-up. This was never more evident than it was this past season where Smith started as a fourth line winger and penalty killer and finished the season paired with Jacob Trouba.
Moving into the 2020-21 season, the New York Rangers have many question marks regarding the puzzle that is their defensive corps. Who will pair with Jacob Trouba? Will either Tony DeAngelo or Adam Fox switch to the left side? Will Libor Hajek rebound? How big of a role will Jack Johnson play? Will K’Andre Miller or Tarmo Reunanen be given a shot to make the team? The decisions made regarding Smith will have an immediate impact on how these questions are answered.
The general consensus during the off season was that the New York Rangers would move Smith to free up cap space and a roster spot for the prospects. Smith’s contract holds a $4.35 million cap hit, but his actually cash salary for the 2020-21 season is only $2.35 million, making him an attractive trade piece to the financially challenged teams of the league. It was envisioned that a trade, similar to the Marc Staal deal that sent him and his $5.7 million cap hit, along with a second round draft pick to Detroit for future considerations, would occur. The idea being that Smith would be moved, with a draft pick to sweeten the pot, for little in return other than cap room.
However, that has not materialized and with a the flat cap, it may not. Additionally, Smith holds a Modified No Trade Clause (M-NTC) whereby he submits a 10 team trade list, handcuffing any trade talks. Another option, if the trade avenue has run dry, would be to assign him to Hartford, as they did during the 2017-18 season. This would bring $1.075 million in cap relief, the most allowed under the current CBA. But these are the only, nor the best options available.