Smith Questions Rangers Rebuild Logic

**Corey** (0:00)
On June 18th, former Rangers General Manager, Neil Smith, is questioning some of the team's recent decisions, especially after their playoff exit last, Spring. He feels that when you tear down a roster, you can't just tweak it, you have to rebuild properly, and doing things halfway won't work. Smith points to the significant turnover on the team, with many players and even the back of Goalie gone.
While he understands the need for salary cap flexibility, he's puzzled by specific moves, like trading away a high scoring player like Artemi Panarin. He's also confused about the team's direction, particularly regarding JT. Miller.
Smith questions why they brought back a player with a past reputation issue and made him captain, especially when they're supposedly trying to get younger. Furthermore, Smith doesn't quite grasp the decision to bring in Coach Mike Sullivan, noting that Pittsburgh improved after he left the Rangers. He sees the numerous draft picks as a positive for a long-term rebuild, but doesn't expect all of them to pan out. Ultimately, Smith admits he doesn't have all the answers, and the team doesn't owe him an explanation, but he struggles to understand the logic behind many of the moves made over the past few years. I'm Corey with the story. That's your New York Rangers News Today update. AI powered and always on.