Why Rangers drafted Alberts Smits with No. 5 pick: ‘top player out of that grouping’
The New York Rangers had several highly regarded defenseman to choose from when they were on the clock with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. But John Lilley, New York’s director of player personnel and amateur scouting, made it clear Alberts Smits was always their guy.
Lilley spoke to the media after the first round on Friday night, and explained that the Rangers spent the entire season building their draft board, so they weren’t going to deviate from it when their turn came early in the first round. Lilley highlighted Smits’ experience playing against professionals, as well as his complete two-way game, as major reasons why he was the right choice ahead of three other stud defensemen prospects: Chase Reid, Carson Carels, and Keaton Verhoeff.
“His body of work this year at every level — the pro league in Finland, right through — he played against men. Handling himself as well as he did and thriving in hostile environments against NHL-type players, or older professional players in Europe with NHL and AHL experience in North America, certainly helped his cause,” Lilley said.
“There were a lot of great options, obviously, picking at five. Alberts, to us, was the . Very excited to get him into our pipeline.”
Not everyone was happy with the pick, though many draft experts stated that the Rangers nailed it by selecting Smits. Still, there was quite the vocal group who think the Rangers should’ve taken Reid, who eventually tumbled to the Seattle Kraken at No. 7overall. But the Rangers stuck to their draft board, even after Reid surprisingly was available after the first four selections.
Smits spent the year competing in Finland’s Liiga before joining EHC Red Bull Munchen for the DEL playoffs. He also represented Latvia internationally at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, IIHF World Championship, and 2026 World Junior Championship.
Lilley also pointed to Smits’ all-around game as another reason the Rangers were comfortable selecting him.
“He’s a very good two-way defenseman, defends very hard, good shot, offensively moves the puck. He just has a very well-rounded game.”
Smits believes the opportunity to play against professionals throughout the season helped prepare him for the next step in his career.
“They gave me a big opportunity to play in a men’s league,” Smits explained Friday “I enjoyed my time there, but now it’s time to move on and try to get onto the next level.”
Where Alberts Smits could fit into Rangers plans
Smits reportedly will sign his entry-level contract this summer and report to Rangers training camp in September. But Lilley said the organization isn’t putting a timetable on when he will be NHL-ready.
“In terms of when he’s ready to play, that’ll take care of itself. that’s not up to me,” he explained. “That’s something that [Chris Drury] and Mike Sullivan will figure out as we move forward, but we think he’s an excellent prospect and just thrilled to get him.”
At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, the 18-year-old already has the size NHL teams seek at the position, but his mobility and two-way game have drawn the most praise throughout the draft process. Rather than relying on his frame, Smits is comfortable moving the puck, joining the rush, and defending against top competition.
“I’m a two-way defenseman. I’m trying to take care of the D-zone first. And then I also can create some offense and help the forwards in the offensive zone and create some offensive plays and try to create some chances for scoring,” said Smits, who’s drawn comparisons to Detroit Red Wings star defenseman Moritz Seider, who has 240 points in 410 NHL games, including 60 this past season.
Those qualities should make Smits a natural fit in the Sullivan’s system, though where he lands on the depth chart remains to be seen. As the roster currently stands, Smits joins a crowded group of left-shot defensemen that includes Vladislav Gavrikov, Matthew Robertson, Urho Vaakanianen and Drew Fortescue. On the right side, Adam Fox, Braden Schneider, and Will Borgen currently lead the way, with Scott Morrow the next right-shot option.
Of course, the Rangers blue line could look much different by the time training camp opens. Schneider remains a trade candidate, and you can expect Drury to continue exploring ways to reshape the roster this summer.
Still, Smits has an opportunity to make his case. Fox and Gavrikov are cemented on New York’s top defense pairing, but the rest of the defense corps is far less settled.
If Smits impresses throughout training camp and the preseason, there could be a spot for him on the opening night roster. You’d expect the Rangers to ease him in on the third pair if that’s the case, but it’s not like they have a bona-fide second-pair defenseman on the left side. That role will belong to Smits at some point, but will it be this season already? We’ll see.
Whenever Smits is ready to make that jump, he’ll have to earn it amongst a talented group of young defensemen. Robertson, Fortescue, and Morrow are all competing for roles at the NHL level, and the competition within the Rangers pipeline continues to grow.
The Bluehshirts made rebuilding their defensive core a clear priority. After selecting EJ Emery in the first round in 2024, the Rangers added five defensemen in the 2025 NHL Draft, and five more this year, meaning every prospect, including Smits, must to earn his shot to play on Broadway.
