The New York Rangers are “close to finalizing” a contract extension with defenseman Brendan Smith, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
The deal is expected to be four years long with a cap hit of $4.35 million.
Smith, 28, was traded from Detroit on Feb. 28, and the Rangers clearly liked what they saw.
In the playoffs, Smith played all 12 games, averaging 19:41 of ice time while adding four assists and finishing a team-high plus-8.
It remains to be seen if signing Smith makes it less likely that the Rangers pursue Kevin Shattenkirk in free agency.
Don’t forget the Blueshirts got Anthony DeAngelo in the Derek Stepan trade, and DeAngelo’s game is quite similar to Shattenkirk’s -- albeit far less proven at the NHL level.
Related: Smith, Rangers still talking