NHL Trade Grades: Jakob Chychrun and Reilly Smith Deals | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

The Rangers needed to add a top-six right wing, and their level of desperation meant that any impact player would serve the purpose. However, there were a few criteria for a candidate particularly suited to play alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.

First, he would need to be a play-driver. Kreider and Zibanejad are brilliant at capitalizing on their chances, and particularly off the rush. Too often the ice has been tilted against them.

Smith qualifies for the role. The one-time Stanley Cup champion is active in the defensive and neutral zones, serving as connective tissue for the flow of play as his team progresses play toward the offense end. He’s a smooth fit for the team’s tactics, which will need him to support in the defensive zone on breakouts while the speedy Kreider and Zibanejad shoot up the ice.

Second, he would need to be a playmaker. Kreider and Zibanejad are both goal scorers, with Kreider doing his work around the net while Zibanejad hangs higher for one-timers and snipes. This line needs someone who can find those two from the perimeter.

Again, Smith fits. Over the past two seasons, Smith’s 26 primary assists at five on five place him in a tie for 67th among all NHL forwards.

That leads into maybe the most critical component to Smith’s game, which is that he produces at five-on-five. The Rangers power play is great, and there are no openings on the top unit. If one ever does manifest, it’s Alexis Lafreniére’s to lose. Not all goals are created equal. The Rangers have special teams covered. They need someone who is comfortable getting it done at even strength.

Smith will give the Rangers 45-50 points, with most at even strength. He’ll drive play, and his experience in the playoffs doesn’t hurt, either.

The downside is that Smith is pretty good at a lot of things but not truly great at anything. He’s 33 years old and rates at a B-level in most facets of the game. He’s not a true first-line wing but can definitely play up the lineup.

And compared to some of the overpayments happening in free agency Monday, Smith’s $3.75 million cap hit is well worth it now and expires in 2025. Of course, it also means the Rangers remain without an actual long-term solution to a right wing problem that they’ve been trying to patch over for four seasons.

The Smith acquisition from Vegas last summer was well-intentioned. It just didn’t work out. He was not a fit in Pittsburgh and scored just 13 goals, with 27 assists, in 76 games last season.

Even if he were a fit, the Penguins are in no-man’s land and will be in a battle to even make the playoffs. Smith is 33 and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. They need to move non-essential older players for future pieces. Smith likely has more value now than he would have as a rental at the deadline.

The move makes sense for where the Penguins are as an organization and, while the trade to get Smith didn’t work out as intended, they still come out ahead in value; they moved only a third-round pick to Vegas for Smith last summer.

What remains to be seen is how the Penguins plan to use any open cap space and draft pick accumulation to speed-run a rebuild in time to contend one last time during the Crosby era.