Confirmed with Link: Rangers Sign Brendan Smith (4 years x $4.35M)

[Off Sides]

In terms of points Smith has always under produced, somewhat shockingly even, considering his skill level. But to me, at least through the lens of a Rangers fan and not Wings fan expecting great things from a 1st rounder, he was always a steady if underachieving D-man who would be a pretty significant upgrade over the crap options we've thrown out there even when we were having great seasons. That was how I saw it, anyway.

But to see him show up at camp a mess and then never regain his game (or even much of his mobility) is surprising. I mean this isn't your typical free agent bust where they decline because of age or injury or maybe its the same player just in a worse situation or not being used correctly. Its bizarre.

Him being a complete bust, I'm not saying I predicted it or would have totally expected it, yet he was always a player that would go cold for long stretches and be able to turn it on here and there, mostly leading up to and into the playoffs. He really did complement Green pretty well for a while yet he fell off there too.

I was hoping he could be a quasi top 4 D when he was on his good streaks, I never expected it to be a consistent thing.

I do think much of it is mental with him, I have no inside info but the stark difference between when he played well versus when he played poorly and how quickly one would turn to the other, I can't imagine it to be talent. And to that effect it's not like he was in good shape and playing well and immediately fell out of shape.

I agree it's strange, yet I really don't see that as a different strange than what he was with Detroit.

 

[McRanger]

Him being a complete bust, I'm not saying I predicted it or would have totally expected it, yet he was always a player that would go cold for long stretches and be able to turn it on here and there, mostly leading up to and into the playoffs. He really did complement Green pretty well for a while yet he fell off there too.

I was hoping he could be a quasi top 4 D when he was on his good streaks, I never expected it to be a consistent thing.

I do think much of it is mental with him, I have no inside info but the stark difference between when he played well versus when he played poorly and how quickly one would turn to the other, I can't imagine it to be talent. And to that effect it's not like he was in good shape and playing well and immediately fell out of shape.

I agree it's strange, yet I really don't see that as a different strange than what he was with Detroit.

That's where we differ. He underachieved (and almost comically under produced points) in Detroit but even with his peaks and valleys (not just stretches of games but from shift to shift, he seemed prone to being distracted and at times disinterested) his lows were never like this. To me he was pretty clearly (and pretty unfortunately) a better option for an expected playoff team, even with all his baggage and playing on his off side, than a guy like Girardi. At the very least he was able to move himself and the puck around the ice.

This... I dont know what the hell this is.

Oh well. At least we are rebuilding so the lost cap space is not that important.

 

[SA16]

Smith hasn't even been bad as a Ranger. He just takes a lot of stupid penalties.