Drury reveals why Reilly Smith is the right choice for the New York Rangers

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Hunter Bowman
July 2, 2024 (4:30 PM)

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The New York Rangers just may have hit the jackpot by acquiring Reilly Smith.

The Rangers traded a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025 and a second-rounder in 2027, to the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire 33-year old Reilly Smith.

The Rangers biggest offseason goal was to find a player who play alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, as head coach Peter Laviolette couldn't find the right player to fit the role.

However, that seems to have changed now that Reilly Smith will be playing for the Blueshirts this season.

Smith is a top-six forward who's is accustomed to playing with other talented players, especially during his time with the Golden Knights.

Regardless if Smith doesn't put up massive numbers, he can be a consistent goal scorer and can definitely help ease the pressure off his line mates.

New York Rangers GM Chris Drury released a statement on why they chose Reilly Smith:

«We're very excited to get Reilly, a player we've been looking at and talking about for a while,» Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said. «Brings a lot of versatility to our lineup, has a winning pedigree having won in Vegas. A proven playoff performer and I think just fits in nicely with our entire group. We just were talking to a lot of different agents and a lot of balls in the air throughout the day, and just felt this was the best move we can make.»

Definitely a trade that seems small at the moment but will progress into making a significant impact for the New York Rangers in the long run.