Rangers Notes: Smith, Trouba, Kakko

Recently acquired New York Rangers forward Reilly Smith appears likely to get an early season opportunity alongside forwards Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad (as per Peter Baugh of The Athletic). The former Stanley Cup Champion had a down year last season in Pittsburgh posting 13 goals and 27 assists in 76 games but is just a year removed from tallying 26 goals and 30 assists in 78 games with the Vegas Golden Knights. He isn’t an elite scorer by any stretch, but Smith is dependable and could be a good complementary piece on the Rangers’ top line.

Baugh also touched on Smith’s pending free agency saying that the Rangers will likely wait until the end of the season to see if the 33-year-old is a fit with the team long-term. Baugh feels that the only thing that could push the Rangers to sign Smith to an extension sooner would be if Smith is a perfect fit in the Rangers lineup.

In other Rangers notes:

• Peter Baugh of The Athletic writes that Rangers’ defenseman Jacob Trouba is excited and optimistic about the upcoming season despite the trade winds that swirled around him for much of the summer. The Rangers captain dealt with injuries last season and struggled in the playoffs, taking bad penalties and having mental lapses. It appears likely that Trouba’s dip in play means he will start the season on the Rangers’ third pairing (as per Arthur Staple), which could benefit the 30-year-old as he will play against easier competition and could see a drop-in average ice time.
• Arthur Staple believes that former second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko will lineup on the Rangers’ third line to start the year alongside Filip Chytil and Will Cuylle. Kakko probably won’t get much in the way of playing time on special teams which will limit his offensive opportunities and the possibility of working his way up higher in the Rangers lineup. A full season with Chytil could help Kakko get back to the 40-point pace he displayed in 2022-23, and possibly help him avoid hearing his name in trade rumors once again as he did for much of last season.