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The Rangers completed the no-brainer trade they’d been working on.
Reilly Smith is headed back to Vegas in exchange for a third-rounder in this year’s NHL Draft and prospect Brendan Brisson, The Post’s Larry Brooks reported Thursday afternoon on the eve of the March 7 trade deadline.
The Rangers will retain 50 percent of the $3.75 million cap hit they had him on the books for.
Smith was held out of the Rangers’ last three straight games for roster management purposes, code for trade-related reasons.
In the final year of his deal with an eight-team no-trade list, Smith was one of the most logical trade pieces for management.
The Rangers acquired Smith from the Penguins in July in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and a second-rounder in 2027.
After Pittsburgh retained 25 percent of Smith’s $5 million cap hit, the Rangers were able to retain some of their own this time around to make him an even more attractive trade piece.
The Rangers were the third team Smith played on in the last three seasons, over which he went from winning the Stanley Cup in Vegas to a limited role in Pittsburgh before heading to New York.
Smith was part of the inaugural Golden Knights team that went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final and spent six of his 14 NHL seasons in Vegas.
