The New York Rangers had high expectations heading into this past season but a brutal start had them and general manager Chris Drury waved the white flag. Specifically, he issued a letter to the fans and the league indicating they are open to trading veteran players. It was not a rebuild, but a retool. Rangers fans didn't get much of an inkling as to what Drury had in mind for a retool, but the NHL Draft presented itself as the first opportunity for them to see.
The Rangers held the fifth overall pick entering the first round, as they were leapfrogged by the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks for the first and second overall picks, respectively. This came after the Rangers finished last place in the Eastern Conference. So, there wasn't much certainty as to what their board would look like once they were on the clock, especially with the top forward prospects likely to be taken. So, the Rangers decided to use their pick on one of the top defenseman prospects.
With the No. 5 pick, the Rangers selected Latvian defenseman Alberts Smits. This selection comes even with Chase Reid still on the board.
Rangers stock up on defense with Alberts Smits draft selection
It's not entirely a shock that the Rangers went in the direction of Smits. Heading into draft night, the belief was that they would go into the direction of a left-shot defenseman in either Smits or Carson Carels. Smits ultimately won out.
Smits is 6-foot-3 and weights 205-pounds, and is considered one of the most pro-ready defenseman prospects in the draft class. The Athletic's Corey Pronman had Smits as the second-best prospect this year, classifying his shot as "high-end," and giving him a pro comparison of Jakob Chychrun. Let's not forget that Smits played for Latvia in the Winter Olympics, and he held his own against some of the top professional hockey players in the world. That certainly helped his case and raised his draft stock. It's obvious he caught the attention of the Rangers, who didn't hesitate in drafting him fifth overall.
Playing for Jukurit in Liiga, Smits recorded six goals and seven assists in 38 games. He then played for EHC Munchen in Germany for 11 playoff games, scoring two goals and and dishing out four assists.
With the Rangers, he could factor in immediately if that is the route they go in. Luckily for him, he'll slot in behind Vladislav Gavrikov, who was signed last summer as Adam Fox's new partner on the top pairing. Not to mention, the Rangers have Drew Fortescue as well, who showed promise when he was called up late last season. If Smits is to play immediately, he could very well crack the top four with a strong training camp.
The Rangers are in a position where they can use all the help they can get, aside from goaltending. Addressing the defense with the No. 5 pick made too much sense, especially after they traded the No. 26 pick for Vegas Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev just minutes before they were on the clock. With their choice of the top four defensemen, the Rangers honed in on Smits, who they hope can factor immediately as a key building block for their future.
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