NY Rangers Understandably Receive Strong Grade for Selecting Alberts Smits

What grade did the New York Rangers receive for their selection of Alberts Smits in the NHL Draft?

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. / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The NHL Draft has come to a close for the New York Rangers, and there are plenty of takeaways and reactions to what was a strong two days. 

Coming into the draft, there was understandably some concern about the direction of the Rangers. This was a team that missed out on some ideal trade targets, and it felt like the team was quickly heading toward a rebuild rather than a retool. However, with the great addition of Pavel Dorofeyev, it was able to completely change the outlook for the team. 

New York will be getting a very good scorer who is just 25 years old, and there is reason to be excited about what he will be able to accomplish with the Rangers. Furthermore, what was really important for the team was that they didn’t have to give up their fifth overall pick in order to acquire him. New York was able to use that selection to improve their prospect pool, and they got a very talented player. 

Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently handed out grades for every first-round pick. For the Rangers, he gave their selection of Alberts Smits with the fifth overall pick the grade of an A. 

Rangers Receive Strong Grade for Smits Selection

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. / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Even though the fanbase might have been a bit mixed on the addition of Smits, there is a lot to like about his game, and him with the fifth pick can certainly work out. A lot of the trepidation about the pick was regarding his upside compared to players like Chase Reid and Carson Carels. However, Smits has been playing against some good competition for quite some time and has performed well. 

A major luxury with Smits is that he figures to be able to come in right away and help. New York is a team that wants to see more success on the ice, and getting a player in the NHL Draft who is going to be able to come in and help right away is a good thing for them. 

While Smits is a good player who can come in and potentially help right away, he also fills a position of need. There was undoubtedly a focus on trying to improve the team on the left side of the blue line, with five of the nine picks being for that spot. Overall, with a well-rounded game and the ability to come in and help right away, it seems New York receiving the grade of an A for the selection of Smits seems fair.