Smits leaving strong impression with Rangers, could be NHL ready this season

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Alberts Smits visited New York City after spending a few days upstate for the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine. The 18-year-old Latvia-born defenseman went to Times Square, Wall Street and on the Circle Line to see the Statue of Liberty from the Hudson River.

"I was just soaking up all the energy from the city and enjoying my time there," Smits said. "I loved it there."

He did not, however, visit Madison Square Garden. It was a bit busy there with the New York Knicks playing in the NBA Finals. And Smits, at least at the time in early June, didn't know then that the building known as the "World's Most Famous Arena" would be his future hockey home.

Smits learned that on June 26, when the New York Rangers selected him with the No. 5 pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

He could be playing at Madison Square Garden in the fall. 

Smits has a lot to prove, obviously, but he is widely considered one of the most NHL-ready prospects to be selected in the 2026 draft because of his size (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) and experience. He played for Team Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2026 IIHF World Championship, and split last season playing in the top pro leagues in Finland and Germany.

A jump right to the NHL this season is not out of the question all things considered.

"There's not many kids his age drafted who have played in two different men's pro leagues, Olympics, World Championships," Rangers general manager Chris Drury said. "Certainly it doesn't get bigger stages than those events he participated in. We're excited where we got him. We think he's obviously a terrific prospect, but with that said we're going to do right by him and the long-term health and well-being of him as a Ranger. This is not a sprint for him. We hope he's a rock-solid defenseman for the Rangers for the next 15 years."

Smits left a strong impression during his first experience with the Rangers, showcasing why he might be NHL ready or at least close to it during their development camp from June 30-July 2.

"First of all, just the character of the person," Rangers director of player development Tanner Glass said. "He's been really detailed, really engaged. That stands out right away. As far as a player, he seems like a guy who can do it all. He plays in all situations, an impact guy."

Glass, like Drury, is inclined to err on the side of patience with Smits, but he at least agreed he has the look of a player who might be able to make an impact in the NHL right away, even at 18 years old.

"Some of the detail to his game is certainly impressive and probably beyond his years," he said. "He's got some habits that you see in people that are much more mature. The way he surrounds the puck, the way he moves the puck, the way he kind of commands the ice. He's confident in his ability and he has a commanding presence on the ice, which is really nice to see at that age."

Smits undoubtedly picked up some of those details playing for Latvia at the Olympics and World Championship last season.

He talks about his experiences, especially at the Olympics, as being important steps on his journey, events where he saw NHL players performing at high levels in public and privately doing what is required to make sure they can do it consistently.

Smits was Latvia's youngest player at the Olympics, where he had two assists in four games playing with NHL veterans Zemgus Girgensons, Teddy Blueger, Uvis Balinskis, Elvis Merzlikins and Arturs Silovs. 

"It gave me a lot of experience and knowledge for how much I have to work to reach the NHL level," Smits said. "I didn't have to talk too much with those guys because they showed by example. I think that was the great thing, they just led by example in the Olympics, showed how to take care of yourself and how to prepare for the games."

Smits continued his progression after the Olympics. He had six points (two goals, four assists) in 11 playoff games with Munchen in DEL, the top league in Germany, after Jukurit in Liiga, Finland's top league, loaned him there Feb. 25.

He was No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings of international skaters for the 2026 draft after forward Ivar Stenberg, who went No. 2 to the San Jose Sharks, but that's become all of last season's news for Smits.

This time, he visited Madison Square Garden, where all the prospects got a tour of the Rangers' home.

"It's an amazing place," Smits said. "I was just really excited to see the whole arena from inside. I want to get to play there in the NHL. I can't wait to play there."

Smits, though, is clearly keeping conservative expectations for himself and not making any predictions beyond what is right in front of him. He will spend some time at home with his parents before returning to the New York City area to train so he can be prepared for his first NHL training camp.

What happens after that is too far in the distance to think about.

"That's my next step, work on my body and work on my skill on the ice to take the next step and be one step closer to the NHL," Smits said. "Of course, my goal is to get to the NHL as fast as I can, but one step at a time. The next step is summer training."