The New York Rangers took a defenseman with their fifth overall selection of the 2026 NHL Draft, which was not really a shocker. With Chase Reid still on the board, they decided to go with Alberts Smits, which was the shocking part.
Looking at it with rose-colored glasses, it might actually work out a bit better in the long-term for the Blueshirts, and it might be the best acquisition of the summer. Yes, that also includes the signing of Pavel Dorofeyev at $11 million AAV over the next seven seasons.
Let's talk about what makes this selection of Smits so special, the impact he could have this season, and how he could help the team achieve a long term goal several decades in the making.
Smits can be the key to Stanley Cup puzzle
In the short term, with Smits' ETA to the NHL still in question, the winner is the Dorofeyev signing. But there is a case to be made that eventually, the defenseman will be the key to bringing the first Stanley Cup back to Manhattan since 1994. He has already signed his entry-level contract, but that does not guarantee a spot for him in 2026-27.
Smits has one main positive to him, and it doesn't really directly affect him. It is about being a complementary defensive partner to Adam Fox, which has been sorely lacking. Let's face it, Ryan Lindgren was a very good defenseman, but the playstyle of being a "warrior" was not going to work out long-term.
When he makes his Broadway debut, all eyes will be set upon him and Fox becoming a solid duo. The initial stages of the partnership could be rough, or both could get the ball rolling immediately. No matter what, it will pay off in the end for the Rangers.
In the event he doesn't end up on a pair with Fox, there's still a good opportunity for his to develop in a lower leverage role to start the season, and then get bumped up later on in the year.
Dorofeyev will be a great forward for the Rangers; let's not get that twisted. He has shown an innate ability to score a bunch of goals, though a short sample size of the last two seasons with Vegas. That will pay off with the absence of Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck in the forward group. But the arrival of Smits, and the ceiling that he has to be a near-generational addition to the blueline, cannot be pushed to second place.
It all comes down to how this upcoming season will go in a few short weeks. Training camp will be a very good indicator of how much more time Smits will need before entering the NHL ranks, and whether or not he could be the real deal. After that, time will answer all of the questions that every Blueshirts fan has, and hopefully, it will bring in a new era of defensive hockey that so many have been longing for.
Add us as a preferred source on Google