On February 28, 2017 the Rangers acquired Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2017 third-round pick (Zachary Gallant) and a 2018 second -round pick. He added depth and consistency to the Rangers’ blue line and appeared to bring out the best in rookie defenseman Brady Skjei. As a result, Jeff Gorton re-signed Smith to a four-year, $17.4 million deal on June 28.
It’s been all downhill from there.
There were reports that Smith came into training camp out of shape and with a lot on his plate off the ice; the veteran d-man moved, got married, and became the Rangers’ NHLPA representative over the summer (the role was previously held by Derek Stepan).