The New York Rangers faced a bit of uncertainty regarding the No. 5 overall pick in this year's NHL Draft. They were likely out of the running for one of the top forward prospects (unless one of them fell to them), so that meant taking their choice of the tp defenseman. The Rangers were given their choice of the top four, with Chase Reid shockingly being on the board. However, the Rangers stck to their guns, and drafted Alberts Smits of Latvia.
Out of the prospects in the draft class, Smits is viewed as the most pro-ready. That's not exactly shocking, considering he played for the top hockey leagues in Finland and Germany, while also playing for Latvia in the Winter Olympics at just 18 years old. In all of these leagues, Smits showed he can hang with the best of them. Given his resume and the Rangers' need for defensive reinforcements, it wasn't surprising general manager Chris Drury and head coach Mike Sullivan opted for Smits.
Smits officially joined the Rangers as a draft pick on June 26, and he's already making a strong impression on the team. During the team's development camp from June 30 until July 2, Smits made an impact and caught the attention of a prominent Rangers official.
Albert Smits made a strong impact during Rangers development camp
"Some of the detail to his game is certainly impressive and probably beyond his years," said Tanner Glass, Rangers director of player development, h/t NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "He's got some habits that you see in people that are much more mature. The way he surrounds the puck, the way he moves the puck, the way he kind of commands the ice. He's confident in his ability and he has a commanding presence on the ice, which is really nice to see at that age."
This is why Smits was considered one of the top defensive propects in this draft. He's competed in the most difficult leagues in the world and he's more than held his own. That is why there was some debate as to whether Smits or Reid was the best overall defenseman prospect. The Rangers had their choice, since the Buffalo Sabres shockingly took Daxon Rudolph with the fourth overall pick, and decided that Smits would be a better fit for them over Reid.
At the time of the first round, the Rangers defensive depth was much weaker. Given that, the expectation was that Smits could very well earn his way into the top four of the defensive depth chart. But that all changed once free agency began on July 1.
The Rangers traded center Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth, and as part of their exchange, received defenseman Sean Durzi. By bringing in the 27-year-old, the Rangers have a puck-moving defenseman they were hoping to add this offseason. Additionally, the Rangers acquired Marcus Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a conditional 2030 first-round pick. Pettersson brings familiarity to the Rangers lineup, as he played for Sullivan during their extended time together on the Pittsburgh Penguins. With that, the top four is virtually set with Durzi, Pettersson, Adam Fox, and Vladislav Gavrikov.
With that, there is is not much urgency to thrust Smits near the top of the lineup. However, if he keeps up his play during training camp later, he could very well force the issue and force one of the top four defensemen to move down the depth chart. It will make for an interesting storyline throughout training camp and the preseason.
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