VANCOUVER, British Columbia _ The Detroit Red Wings opted to move defenseman Brendan Smith to shore up the future.
They traded the 28-year-old to the New York Rangers Tuesday for a second-round pick in 2018 (originally from Ottawa) and a third-round pick in this year's draft. Last week, the Wings acquired Chicago's third-round 2017 pick in exchange for forward Tomas Jurco.
General manager Ken Holland told the Free Press that the trade came amid talks of re-signing Smith, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent.
"We had talked over the last week or so about re-signing, and were making good progress," Holland said. "At the same time, I did tell his agent that if I got some assets that I could not pass up, I was prepared to make a trade. They understood that.
"Smith was going to be unrestricted. We will see what happens this summer. In the meantime, we are doing what we can to try to get back in the mix next year by acquiring some picks."
The Wings also are exploring moving forward Thomas Vanek, their biggest trade asset, before Wednesday's 3 p.m. deadline.
Injuries this season have limited Smith to 33 games, with two goals and three assists. The Wings drafted him 27th overall in 2007. His departure leaves a void, especially given the uncertainty surrounding defenseman Niklas Kronwall and his knee problem. Smith has good mobility and plays with an edge, something the Wings lack.
But the fact that the Wings are out of the playoff hunt and in the unusual position of being sellers made it too tempting not to trade an asset for draft picks.
