TARRYTOWN ‒ Reilly Smith looks back on last season with frustration, but not for the reasons some might think.

A dip in point production and reduced role in the Pittsburgh Penguins' lineup didn't bother the veteran forward nearly as much as a fifth-place finish in the Metro Division and missing the postseason entirely.

"Going from winning the Stanley Cup (with Vegas in 2023) and then not making playoffs, it's an upsetting season in my career," Smith told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, following Rangers' practice on Wednesday at the MSG Training Center. "Our group in Pittsburgh last year, we had the mindset that we wanted to be able to push for the Stanley Cup and make the playoffs, and we didn't do that. So, not just personally, but as a group, I think everyone expected more."

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It turned out to be a bad fit for Smith, who's posted six seasons of 50 points or more in his career but slid to 40 (13 goals and 27 assists) in 76 games in his only year with the aging Pens. But the Rangers saw that as an opportunity to snag at player they've had their eye on for years.

After failing to clear enough salary to pursue top free agents and being underwhelmed by the trade market, team president Chris Drury viewed Smith as an ideal under-the-radar fallback. And while the narrative surrounding the Blueshirts is that they're running it back with essentially the same team from 2023-24 − which, in many respects, they are − they believe the addition of an established top-six winger will help move the needle in a championship direction.

"There's no question that he's a guy who, when the puck is on his stick, he's dangerous," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "He's dangerous to make plays. He's dangerous to put it in the back of the net. He's proven to be a top player on teams that he's been on in the past."

'The best lines are able to play in flow'

Smith wasted no time trying to make the trade look like a wise decision.

Just two weeks after the deal was completed, which sent a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick and 2027 second-round pick to Pittsburgh, the 33-year-old had already moved his family of four to Connecticut to speed up the acclimation process and train with his new teammates.

"I always kind of have the mindset where I'd like to get to places early as possible," he said. "I think last season was it was tough going to Pittsburgh after winning the Stanley Cup, and you have such a short summer. That was one thing I wanted to be able to get back to my old ways and be able to show up early and kind of get everything settled before the season started. That was one of my first priorities since I got traded here."

While Smith's points were down last season, a look under the hood paints a rosier picture of his contributions in Pittsburgh. His 53.84% xGF ranked third on the team among players who appeared in at least 60 games, according to Evolving Hockey, with his defensive metrics especially encouraging. The Pens allowed only 28.41 shots per 60 minutes and 2.42 expected-goals against while he was on the ice, which both ranked second among their regular skaters.

The Rangers were well aware of those positive impacts, and they were also drawn to his experience playing with high-end linemates on a Golden Knights' team that made the playoffs in five of their first six seasons, culminating with the Cup in 2023. They're hoping he can fill a similar role in New York and finally solve the right-wing puzzle next to the seemingly inseparable duo of Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.

"The best lines are able to play in flow a lot of the time," Smith said. "There's not too many stops and starts. They’re able to read off each other and get a lot of motion in your game, especially in the offensive zone."

Laviolette opened training camp by saying "there'll be some looks for (Smith) in different positions," but he's yet to line him up anywhere other than 1RW in practice or exhibitions.

That line has largely looked the part through two preseason games together, with Kreider, Zibanejad and Smith posting a collective 81.26% xGF, according to Natural Stat Trick, while spending large chunks of time with possession. They've outshot (12-7) and out-attempted (20-7) opponents by significant margins, with Smith picking up his first assist on a Kreider goal in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins.

The cerebral trio is constantly chatting on the bench and in the locker room − "Mainly jokes and movie quotes," Smith quipped − to build trust and decipher better ways to complement each other.

"We just have to stay on that and make sure that we're playing connected hockey," he said.

Understanding each other’s strengths

Smith is working hard to learn his linemates' tendencies and skill sets, which starts with utilizing Kreider's excellence around the net.

"It's awesome for me, just because that's probably not a strength of my game," he said. "It’ll be good to always have someone that's going to be there, where you can reset pucks and use him down low. He's so good at protecting the puck, so you can always reset and go out the other side of the net. That’s a huge bonus for me."

As for Zibanejad, who ended last season by stating (after some prodding) that he thinks their line works best with "more of a passer" at RW − and Smith seems to fit the bill with an even 300 career assists − the new guy wants to get the puck in his hands as often as possible. But Smith pushed back a bit on the notion that facilitating will be his primary responsibility.

"I don't necessarily think I need to be a pass-first guy on this line," he said. "Both of them are good passers, and they're able to create offense. Sometimes when you're looking to pass first, you're giving up opportunities yourself. That's something I don't want to do. But Mika has so much more than just a good one-timer. He brings the puck up the ice so well, and I think one thing that for me especially, I’ve got try to get the puck into his hands to transport it through the neutral zone."

Smith's role will expand to special teams, as well, where he's expected to join the second power-play unit and fill an important void on the penalty kill. He spent Wednesday's practice working next to Vincent Trocheck on the PK, a spot that was vacated when the Rangers waived Barclay Goodrow over the summer.

"He’s somebody who's done that in the past, and somebody that we're looking at for that," Laviolette said.

'I'm looking to win more than anything else'

The Rangers are also looking for Smith's championship experience to rub off on the group. He, Chad Ruhwedel and Jonathan Quick represent the current players who have been on Cup-winning teams, with Smith the only one who's expected to play regularly.

"Our team in Vegas, before we won the Stanley Cup, we added a few different guys who had won Stanley Cups – Jonathan (Quick), in particular – and that leadership goes a long way," he said. "I want to be a voice in the locker room, and our team needs it. And I want to also be able to show that on the ice. There are a lot of things that I want to be able to bring to this team."

It all amounts to a low-risk gamble that could pay off big. At the very least, Smith profiles as an upgrade over the inconsistency the Rangers received from trade-deadline add Jack Roslovic last season.

He's entering the final year of contract that pays him $5 million annually, and with the Penguins retaining 25% of that salary, the Rangers are only on the hook for $3.75 million. The one-year commitment will free up critical cap space needed to re-sign younger players such as Alexis Lafrenière, K'Andre Miller and Igor Shesterkin next summer, and if Smith doesn't work out in the meantime, New York is projected to have over $6 million to use for pursuing other RW options at the March 7 deadline.

The hope is that they won't need to and can allocate that money elsewhere, with Smith highly motivated to hold up his end of the bargain.

"At this point in my career, I'm looking to win more than anything else," he said. "Being able to do that a couple years ago is a pretty special moment in my career and in my life, and that's something I want to repeat. This is a group that I think can do that. I want to be able to do whatever it takes to help this team get to that point. I think all the personal accolades and everything else has taken a backseat in my career."

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Why the Rangers believe Reilly Smith will be a sneaky good addition