Rangers Trade For Red Wings' Defenseman Smith

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The help is coming after all.

Hours after missing out on an opportunity to acquire the best player available on the trade market, the Rangers successfully executed their Plan B, acquiring talented defenseman Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday for a pair of draft picks, the teams announced.

The Rangers reportedly had high hopes of landing power play stud defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, but the St. Louis Blues sent him to the Washington Capitals late Monday night.

MORE: Hartnett: Rangers Totally Dropped The Ball On Shattenkirk

While not a prolific scorer, Smith, 28, is a responsible defender who should go a long way toward fixing the troublesome right side of the Rangers' defense. New York entered play Tuesday with just five healthy blueliners after it was learned that veteran Dan Girardi is suffering from an ankle injury that could keep him out of the lineup up to two weeks.

Smith, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract prior to the 2015-16 season, is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Rangers (40-20-2) currently occupy the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but sit just one point out of third and two out of second in the Metropolitan Division.