2018 Report Card: Brendan Smith

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fall from grace on the level of a Mr. Brendan Smith.

The first act was one of the playoff hero, with Smith being one of — if not the — best defenseman for the Rangers down the stretch. Over that summer, I wanted Smith back badly. I thought retaining him, and adding Kevin Shattenkirk, would give the Rangers a formidable top-four that they could throw out against anyone in the league.

What happened? Oh Smith got his contract (the second act of the play), but Nick Holden became a top-pair defenseman right under his nose (now a healthy scratch for the Bruins) and Smith reportedly came to camp out of shape. Smith spent the first two months watching as many games from…