New York Rangers fans waited for months after the season to see who they would draft with the fifth overall pick. With the forwards likely off the board, it looked highly likely it would be a defenseman being selected. For the Rangers, they had their choice of the top four defenseman once they were on the clock, including Chase Reid, who was seen as the best of the bunch.
Instead, the Rangers used their pick on Latvia's Alberts Smits. While Smits was viewed as the most pro-ready of the bunch, the Rangers were criticized for passing on Reid, who was considered the complete package in terms of defensemen prospects. Reid would drop to the Seattle Kraken with the No. 7 overall pick, after the Calgary Flames passed on him in favor of Carson Carels. It will be a decision that follows general manager Chris Drury as these two prospects' careers progress.
The Athletic's Scott Wheeler unveiled his top 100 prospects across the NHL weeks after the draft. Reid was ranked fifth overall across the entire NHL. For Smits, he is not far behind, as he is ranked ninth overall in the league, while also being the Rangers' top prospect.
Alberts Smits ranked ninth overall prospect in NHL by The Athletic
"He possesses underrated puck skill for a defender his size," writes Wheeler. "He has legit hands, both pulling pucks laterally and protecting them out wide, often with one hand on his stick. He has good size and a strong, pro frame that will continue to fill out. He's a good skater with well-above-average four-way mobility. He plays with a ton of confidence against his peers and has played with similar boldness even against men at times, while still defending to positive results. He can scramble a little in his own zone but plays hard, has a good stick, closes with his feet, is competitive and can get play going in the right direction when he wins battles or races. And while he can sometimes rush into the wrong read/decision (on both sides of the puck), playing too much on instinct at times, the tools are definitely there, and they have come together quickly over the last year. I think he has legitimate first-pairing upside."
Being ranked in the top 10 when it comes to all prospects in the NHL? That's pretty good for the Rangers and Drury.
Sure, Reid was ranked higher, but it was evident that the Rangers were prioritizing a left-handed defenseman in the draft, given the team had Adam Fox and Braden Schneider already. Not to mention, they acquired Sean Durzi in the Vincent Trocheck trade with the Utah Mammoth. So, in hindsight, there wouldn't have been much room for Reid.
Even though the Rangers added Marcus Pettersson as a second-pairing defenseman on the left side behind Vladislav Gavrikov, there is still a spot for Smits on the third pairing. That would be ideal, as the Rangers won't have to throw him to the wolves immediately as a rookie. Yet, Smits' appeal was that he could play immediately, considering he played in the top leagues in Finland and Germany, while competing in the Winter Olympics, and holding his own. Still, it doesn't hurt to have some patience with Smits.
Rangers director of amateur scouting John Lilley said that they drafted Smits over Reid because, in their minds, he was the best player available once they were on the clock.
As for the other top defenseman prospects, Carels ranks 11th while Keaton Verhoeff, who was selected ninth-overall by the San Jose Sharks, ranks 15th.
The Rangers have just two other prospects that rank in Wheeler's top 100, and that's winger Gabe Perreault (19th) and Liam Greentree (91st), the latter of whom was acquired in the Artemi Panarin trade with the Los Angeles Kings.
Even though Smits is ranked behind Reid, he is still highly valued by one of the top voices in the draft. Ultimately, we'll see later down the line if Smits was the right selection, or if Reid was the better choice.
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