The Rangers have acquired Reilly Smith from the Penguins in exchange for a conditional fifth round pick in 2025 and a second round pick in 2027.
Pittsburgh is retaining 25% of his $5 million cap hit and so Reilly will count $3.75 million against the Cap. (TSN)
Reilly, 33, is a UFA after this coming season.
He had 13 goals and 27 assists last season for the Penguins and won the Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023.
The condition on the fifth round pick is that it will be the worse of the Rangers or Minnesota’s (which the Rangers own). (Baugh)
He is former Ranger Brendan Smith’s brother.
Adam Rotter: Smith has been connected to the Rangers for years. His history with Gerard Gallant in Vegas always had him connected to the Rangers when Gallant was the coach and he was rumored to be a target at this past deadline. He’s produced points (513 in 840 games, but he’s not the proven scorer it seemed like they were going to try and get to play in the top-six. He can certainly play on the top-line, but I wonder if this move means that the Rangers are going to keep Kaapo Kakko and let them compete for that spot in the top-six with the other going to the third line.
For the price it’s not a bad gamble, it just feels like a trade deadline move to beef up and not an offseason move. It’s also not necessarily a bad move compared to what other wingers got today. Outside of Patrick Kane’s one-year deal, most everyone else that signed today signed for multiple years and more money than the Rangers probably wanted to commit. Flexibility after next season is needed with the uncertainty around what Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller’s extension will be.
A lot more was expected of Smith in Pittsburgh and he played most of the season with Evgeni Malkin and the Rangers have to be hoping he’ll bounce back this season, especially in a contract year for a contending team. It just really feels like a move someone would make at the trade deadline to bolster the third-line or middle-six and not what could be the defining move you make to improve the forward group.