The New York Rangers are 5-0-1 and have gotten contributions throughout their lineup. All four lines are playing well and while the team struggled to get production from right-wingers last season, Reilly Smith, who was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, is off to a strong start. He has been a big upgrade from Blake Wheeler who got an extended run at right wing in 2023-24.
Smith’s Play This Season
One of Smith’s key attributes is his speed which helps him get in on the forecheck and allows him to quickly transition from defending to creating offense. He is playing on a line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad and all three are fast skaters.
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Smith is also playing on the penalty kill and has used his speed well, quickly getting into passing and shooting lanes. The Rangers have killed 86.4 percent of penalties, which is up from 84.5 percent last season (third-best in the NHL). He is also playing on the second power-play unit, which rarely got ice time in 2023-24 but is playing a bigger role thus far this season. They have scored on 31.6 percent of their power plays which is up from 26.4 percent last season (third-best in the NHL).
In the Rangers’ 6-0 season-opening victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 9, Smith assisted on a Kreider goal late in the first period. In their 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 14, he scored on a quick wrist shot after Zibanejad won a faceoff for his first goal as a Ranger.
Smith added two more assists in a 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 19. He scored a beautiful goal after he stole the puck from Lane Hutson and had a power play assist on a nice cross-ice pass in a 7-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 22. He already has two goals, four assists, and is plus-5 in six games.
What the Addition of Smith Means for the Rangers
Acquiring Smith has already made his line with Zibanejad and Kreider better and his play has taken some pressure off of his linemates. Excluding empty-net goals by Kreider and Zibanejad, the trio has already combined for five even-strength goals this season. They are creating more opportunities than they did last season with Wheeler on the line instead of Smith and they already look comfortable playing together.
Raining first period goals for New York ☔️
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) October 22, 2024
Reilly Smith makes it 3-0! pic.twitter.com/ho2Y9fFZbG
In addition to making the line better offensively, he has made it better defensively. Zibanejad and Kreider are two of the Rangers’ best defensive forwards and the addition of Smith helps them match up with opponents’ top offensive lines and shut them down. While they have generated plenty of offense in the first six games, they are also able to make a positive difference for the team when they do not score.
Smith also helps the team on special teams and has already been effective on the penalty kill, playing along with Vincent Trocheck. The Rangers have a lot of forwards who are strong on the penalty kill despite waiving Barclay Goodrow this offseason, who was then claimed by the San Jose Sharks. Smith is also experienced on the power play and had eight points on the man advantage with the Penguins last season and 10 points on the power play with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022-23.
Additionally, the Rangers are entering the season with big expectations after winning the Presidents’ Trophy and losing in the Eastern Conference Final last season. Smith has a lot of playoff experience and has 26 goals and 53 assists in 106 career postseason games. He had four goals and 10 assists in 22 games in 2022-23 and helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup.
For Smith Moving Forward
Smith is already playing well in all phases of the game and he has helped the Rangers get off to a hot start this season. The team needed an upgrade at right wing and he certainly has come through in the first six games. Now they need him to continue playing at this level and remain consistent throughout the season.
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