All was quiet on the Rangers front heading into yesterday’s 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. While several teams were busy swapping high‑profile players and draft picks, it looked like Chris Drury was destined to sit alone in the Trade Cafeteria — like Stephen Glansberg
Then he got down to business.
Drury made several key moves that will shape the Blueshirts for years to come, and on multiple fronts.
He opened the day with a low‑profile matinee trade, sending disgruntled young forward Brett Berard to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman William Trudeau (no relation to Justin). The move gives Berard the fresh start and playing time he’s been craving.
Once the draft officially commenced at 7 p.m. — with an overly enthusiastic Justin Bieber fumbling the announcement of Gavin McKenna at first overall — the night took off quickly.
Soon after the opening pick, Drury took a major swing at one of my personal favorites: Pavel Dorofeyev. The 25‑year‑old rising Russian star from the Vegas Golden Knights became a Ranger in exchange for a 2026 first‑round pick, a 2026 third‑round pick, and a top‑10‑protected 2028 first‑rounder.
Drury wasted no time locking him up, signing Dorofeyev to a seven‑year, $11 million‑per‑year deal that cements him on the roster — and in the top six — for the long haul.
The Knights had no desire to move such a pivotal player, but economics forced their hand. Vegas is suffocating under all the moves they've made over the years and simply couldn’t afford the extension Dorofeyev commanded. New York offered the picks they needed, and the deal got done.
And while the Dorofeyev news was still simmering, the Rangers stepped up at No. 5 and selected 18‑year‑old, 6'3", 209‑pound defenseman Albert Smits, making him the highest‑drafted Latvian in NHL history. As predicted in my previous article, the Rangers made a shrewd, necessary pick — and they didn’t let the surprise availability of Chase Reid tempt them off their plan.
Today marked the first major wave of Chris Drury’s re‑tool, and both moves fit that blueprint perfectly.
Dorofeyev is a pure finisher with a high hockey IQ and a flair for the dramatic in the postseason. He’s a two-way player, who can be a power‑play specialist with a lethal one‑timer that should pair beautifully with Mika Zibanejad’s own blistering shot. Dorofeyev is malleable, adaptable, and willing to score any way possible — dirty or pretty.
As of now, he projects to slot into the PP1 bumper spot and onto the left side of the top line alongside Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière.
Now, onto the big man: Albert Smits.
In my opinion, this is a home‑run pick. Smits has already been playing against grown men in both professional and international competition. In 2025–26, he spent the regular season with Mikkelin Jukurit in Finland’s top‑tier Liiga, then was loaned to EHC Red Bull München in Germany’s DEL — both leagues featuring seasoned professional players.
That experience gives him a legitimate chance to make the Rangers out of camp and crack the top six on defense. It’s not far‑fetched to envision him starting on the bottom pair next to a steady veteran like William Borgen.
Whether the Rangers re‑sign or trade Braden Schneider will significantly impact Smits’ initial role and deployment. But all signs point to Drury making this pick with NHL readiness in mind.
These acquisitions give Drury the ability to get younger while reshaping the roster into the hard‑nosed, tougher‑to‑play‑against identity he wants.
Once the draft concludes Saturday, the Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider situations will become Drury’s full focus. The roster reshaping will accelerate, and free agency will play a major role in determining what this team looks like moving forward. Add in a small group of elite Rangers prospects frothing at the mouth for their shot under Mike Sullivan, and the picture becomes clearer.
For the first time this calendar year, Rangers fans have real reason to hope. The revival has begun — and we’re finally seeing the outline of Drury’s plan through the mist.
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