Agent: Brendan Smith seeks 'market value' to stay with Rangers

The New York Rangers will need to pay the piper.

Heading into the offseason, the Broadway Blueshirts have a handful of decisions to make, with one pertaining to the future of defenseman Brendan Smith.

A pending unrestricted free agent, Smith was added in a deadline deal that sent two draft picks to the Detroit Red Wings, with the 28-year-old later becoming a mainstay on the right side of the Manhattan blue line.

Smith skated in 18 regular-season games with the Rangers, plus another 12 playoff contests. In the postseason, he saw the third-most minutes among New York blue-liners, holding down 19:41 per night and trailing only Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi.

Now just a few weeks from free agency, Smith is prepared to cash in on his performance, but just how much could balancing his team's cap constraints be part of the picture?

"He's looking for a good fit with a good organization, and the Rangers certainly qualify," Smith's agent, Anton Thun, told Larry Brooks of the New York Post. "But to pass up free agency, Brendan’s going to need a contract that reflects market value."

New York has long desired a top puck-moving defender, particularly on the right side and have been rumored as a destination for top prize Kevin Shattenkirk. The New York native could become a free agent this offseason.

As for Smith, he could have plenty of interested suitors this summer.

"There might be a couple of teams like Minnesota and Anaheim who have extra defensemen and are going to have expansion-protection issues, but there are 28 others who are looking," Thun added. "And if you take a look, I think Brendan has a lot to offer every team that needs (defense)."

Some cap creativity may be needed on the Rangers' part if they are to keep Smith. According to Cap Friendly, New York has about $9 million in projected cap space, but with several key players needing new contracts, including Mika Zibanejad, Oscar Lindberg, and Jesper Fast.