The New York Rangers didn't win the NHL Draft Lottery this past season, instead dropping down two spots after having the third-best odds to win the first-overall pick. That meant the Rangers were going to be out of the running for top forward prospects Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra. But that did give them a chance to draft one of the top defenseman prospects in the class, especially after the Buffalo Sabres surprised the world by taking Daxon Rudolph with the fourth overall pick.
The Rangers opted to use the fifth-overall pick on Latvia defenseman Alberts Smits. The pick was the subject of debate, especially with Chase Reid still available, who was viewed as the higher upside defenseman of the bunch. Yet, the Rangers went with the big defenseman with a powerful slapshot who was viewed as the most pro-ready prospect in the entire class.
So far, the Rangers have been justified in picking Smits.
Alberts Smits is only drafted defenseman in 2026 to make opening night roster
At the time the Rangers drafted Smits, it was expected that he'd potentially crack the Top 4 defensive group, given the state of the depth chart. But then, things changed when the team acquired Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson in trades on July 1. So, that left Smits' path to meaningful playing time blocked. But, there was a chance the team could try him out on the bottom pair, which would get him some playing time and not place too much pressure on the rookie. But, the Rangers could have opted to send him down to the AHL to log some playing time.
Smits was given the first shot on the bottom pair in training camp, and never surrendered it. While on the ice during the preseason, Smits showed that he more than belonged. He held his own in the Rangers' defensive zone, and showed off his playmaking ability by setting up a goal from Taylor Raddysh in a 4-3 preseason loss against the Islanders. It felt like a foregone conclusion that as Smits continued to get reps alongside Braden Schneider on the bottom pair, his roster spot was locked in. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
Now, Smits is the only defenseman drafted in the 2026 class to make it onto the opening night roster. The only other prospects in the class to do so are all forwards, including McKenna of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Stenberg of the San Jose Sharks, Viggo Bjorck of the Winnipeg Jets, and Nikita Klepov of the Anaheim Ducks.
Alberts Smits has the makings of Rangers best first-round prospect in years
So, the Rangers silenced the critics of taking Smits over fellow defensemen like Reid and Carson Carels. They scouted Smits, who had pro playing experience in both Finland and Germany and more than held his own in those leagues. There was also the Winter Olympics, where Smits played strongly for Latvia against teams boasting other NHL players. It made sense why a team like the Rangers viewed him so highly.
If they do hit on Smits, he could very well be their best first-round pick in years.
The Rangers have had their fair share of dud picks, such as Lias Andersson and Vitali Kravtsov. You could throw Kappo Kakko into the mix, considering he never turned out to be a scoring threat like experts had anticipated.
That's not to say the Rangers only had bad picks. K'Andre Miller might not be held in high regard among Rangers fans, but he was one of their better first round selections in recent years, as he became an every game starter quickly. Now, fans are seeing him at his full potential with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he won a Stanley Cup in his first year with the team. Alexis Lafreneire may not have panned out to be the superstar many had expected as the first-overall pick in 2020, but he has shown to be a reliable forward option for the Rangers in the top six. Gabe Perreault showed promise as a rookie last season, and is locked in on the top line alongside Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad.
For Smits, though, he could turn out to be the best of their first round picks taken since 2017. He already made a statement to make the opening night roster, and it's evident that he has a huge fan and supporter in head coach Mike Sullivan. The players are also hyped about what they've seen from Smits in the preseason.
We'll see how he does in his first official game on Tuesday night when they take on the Boston Bruins.
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