Alberts Smits Making Roster Indicates NY Rangers Made Right Decision Drafting Him

Did the New York Rangers make the right choice in the 2026 NHL Draft with Alberts Smits making the roster right off the bat?

Sep 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits (63) controls the puck in the first period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the start of the regular season right around the corner for the New York Rangers, the team will be getting set for a bounce-back campaign. Furthermore, their roster is starting to take shape for Opening Night. 

Coming off a busy summer, there was no shortage of questions about what the roster and lineups would be like on Opening Night. New York is set to face the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, and right from the start of camp, head coach Mike Sullivan seemingly had a plan for what his lines and roster would look like. 

Up front, there was a lot of speculation about where the team would put their big acquisition of the offseason, Pavel Dorofeyev. The team has settled on him being alongside J.T. Miller on the second line, and that is a group that has some good potential. 

Furthermore, when it came to roster decisions, whether or not fifth overall pick Alberts Smits was going to make the lineup was a major question. However, it appears like the talented young defenseman will be on the team for Opening Night. 

Smits Making Team Indicates Right Pick by Rangers 

Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Alberts Smits reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While there was no shortage of debate about who New York should take with the fifth overall pick, it ended up being Smits. For a while, it seemed likely that the team was going to be going with a defenseman, and they settled on Smits. 

Even though there was a surprise early and Chase Reid, along with Carson Carels, was available, the Rangers made Smits their guy. The Rangers certainly liked what he was able to accomplish overseas, and he was seen as one of the more NHL-ready prospects in the class. 

With him making the roster for New York to start the year, that decision looks like a good one early on. The Rangers are a team that has quite a bit of depth now on the blueline, and if Smits wasn’t ready, they had some other solid options. However, their choosing to go with Smits highlights that he is ready and is going to be able to make an impact. 

In the preseason, the young defenseman certainly looked the part. From a physical standpoint, he is ready to play in the NHL, and he has a confident look about him on the ice as well. 

Smits isn’t afraid to carry the puck out of the zone, which is somewhat rare for a young defenseman. Overall, with the Rangers trying to compete this year, their fifth overall pick being in the lineup highlights that they might have made a very wise selection in the first round.