The New York Rangers continue to make various adjustments while trades are still possible. Recently, the trade of a veteran player who joined Peter Laviolette’s team at the start of the current 2024-25 season was revealed. This player returns to the Golden Knights, where he originally came from, and in exchange, they send a 23-year-old to New York.
According to information from Frank Seravalli, the Rangers traded Reilly Smith to the Golden Knights, where he had already won a Stanley Cup. In exchange, they receive Brendan Brisson, who has two years of proven NHL experience playing in Las Vegas.
Notably, before returning to the Golden Knights, Reilly had been shuttling between Pittsburgh and New York since 2023, when he left Las Vegas to play with the Penguins. In Pittsburgh, he played 76 games, scoring 13 goals and adding 27 assists. With the Rangers, he appeared in 58 games, tallying 10 goals and 19 assists.
However, the Rangers are not just acquiring a talented young center like Brendan Brisson. The trade also brings them a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 draft, which could potentially help the team secure new talent for one of their lines.
Brendan Brisson’s Potential Contribution
Brisson could offer the Rangers a promising new talent to develop over the coming years. In his first season with the Golden Knights, he appeared in just 15 games, scoring 2 goals and providing 8 assists. Despite logging only 185+ minutes on ice, he showed potential for his future as a center/winger, especially if given more opportunities and ice time with a team like the Rangers.
The Rangers need fresh players in these areas because some of their current ones are nearing an age where they might not be able to play the same amount of minutes as they do today. Brisson could prove himself if Peter Laviolette gives him an opportunity during the upcoming games.
