He had some noteworthy collisions with Boston's Cam Neely several seasons ago that resulted in leg injuries that threatened Neely's career. Aside from Jeff Beukeboom and, to a lesser degree, Kevin Lowe, the Ranger defense has lacked the dimension of intimidation that makes opposing forwards think twice before setting up in front of the net.

Robitaille is an elite left wing known for goal-scoring. He was traded to the Penguins before last season from Los Angeles, where he was one of the most popular players in Kings history. But Robitaille was not always in accord with the will of Wayne Gretzky, the Kings' captain and one of Messier's closest friends.

Smith said he was not sure this was such a big problem. Robitaille said that personality conflict "doesn't matter any more" and that he is eager to play with Messier and the Rangers. "You win with experience," he said. "It's a great team."

Smith said the Rangers have needed a sharpshooter on the wing since they sent Mike Gartner to Toronto in March 1994. Robitaille had 23 goals in 46 games last season and has 415 in 686 games in his nine-year career.

The deal is also a show of support by Smith for Colin Campbell, who will begin his second year as head coach. Last season, when the Rangers slumped from championship status to mediocrity, Campbell was harshly critical of both Nedved and Zubov.

Nedved, a 23-year-old center who scored 11 goals in 46 games, didn't show enough aggression on the attack, Campbell often said, and he criticized him for not forcing his presence in front of the opposing net.

Zubov, a 25-year-old defenseman who totaled 36 points in 38 games, was frequently faulted for poor positional play and risky decisions.